As the name suggests, URL redirects simply mean clicking on one URL to get landed on another. But the mechanism has more to it than just redirection.
How Google indexes your website often depends on these redirects. Especially for SEO objectives, redirects have a pivotal role to play. Let’s first understand what these redirects are.
What are Redirects?
Website redirects pass on information regarding URLs and webpage locations to search engines and browsers. Different HTTP status codes remain integrated with these URLs for an intended detour.
For example, suppose a business once had a URL “abcd.com” and has recently changed its URL to “efgh.com”.
Now, several former customers will look for the old URL. With the help of redirects, the owners will make an arrangement in which clicking on the old URL will automatically take the customers to their fresh website URL “efgh.com”.
Types of Redirects
Redirects can be of the following two types.
- Temporary redirects: The examples of this variety are 302, 307, 303, etc.
- Permanent redirects: Only one variety of redirects is considered permanent. It is called a 301 redirect.
Businesses use these redirects based on their requirements. Be it a 303 or a 307 redirect SEO, the primary intention behind implementing temporary redirects always remains to take all the customers or link visitors to a single, active platform.
Sometimes, multiple URLs might remain integrated with a redirect code leading people to a particular page. Businesses often use 307 redirects if a particular page becomes inactive.
The 404 error page always repels the visitors. Therefore, redirects can help retain those who never come back after a 404 error page encounter.
However, based on the underlying mechanism, redirects can be of the following varieties.
- Javascript Redirects: These remain integrated with the client’s page and are often not the best choice for SEO.
- Meta Refresh Redirects: Both temporary and permanent redirects belong to this category and are not particularly friendly with SEO.
- HTTP redirects: This one is the alternative that Google voted for. The server-side integration of the redirects makes them extremely SEO-friendly.
Benefits Of Redirects in SEO
Many businesses use URL redirects for different reasons. Here are a few common benefits that URL redirects offer.
Easy Transitions and No Loss of Customers
All businesses change their scale of operation at some point in time. Expanding a business often means switching to a new URL that could accommodate more complexity. This is when URL redirects help.
Without them, businesses had to declare the old links entirely defunct and introduce a new URL in its place. This would have created chaos and the businesses might have to suffer losses. With redirects, even your old customers will find your new webpage by clicking on the old one.
Effective Marketing
Sometimes even a typing error can put your business at risk. Suppose the advertisement you have published contains the website URL with a nominal error.
Links are case-specific and thus no customer will finally find your URL. This is when you can redirect the mistyped URL to the original one and you will not lose the traffic.
Yandovskiy SEO is a reliable name for implementing effective redirects. Let the professionals handle the sophisticated task of integrating one or multiple domains with a redirect code so that you can continue your business profitably.
