What Are Redirects? Types and Best Practices

Emily went to her favorite cafe downtown for her regular morning coffee. When she arrives, she finds a sign on the door saying,

“Closed for Renovation—Visit Our New Location at Maple Street.”

She did not go back.

Instead, she follows the directions to the new location on Maple Street. And she gets her coffee like always.

Just like Emily was rerouted to the new cafe location, websites often need to redirect users to a different URL when a page is unavailable. These online relocations happen through redirects, which are common. And can have a significant impact on search engine optimization (SEO).

Redirects are an essential part of web development. They are crucial for SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and user experience. If you do not fix broken links, you could lose valuable SEO points. In this blog, we will talk about the different kinds of redirects and how they affect your site.

Let us start with a very basic concept:

What is a Redirect?

A redirect is a way to send users and search engines to a different URL from the one they initially requested. You can take them as road signs for the internet. They guide traffic to the right places when the original page is unavailable or has moved.

Why are Redirects Used?

Redirects help to: 

• Prevent broken links

• Maintain SEO value

• Guide users to the correct content. 

Say you want to change your website's domain name or rearrange its URLs. You do not want to lose all the SEO and traffic you have earned over time. When the URL changes, redirects make sure that users can still find the right content.

When are Redirects Necessary?

Redirects are necessary:

• If you are moving a website to a different domain.

• When two websites are being merged.

• During URL restructuring or when a page's URL is changed.

• When a page is temporarily unavailable due to maintenance.

Types of Redirects

There are several types of redirects. Each type has its own purpose and impact on SEO. The most important ones are 301, 302, 307, Meta Refresh, and JavaScript.

Let us discuss them one by one in detail.

a. 301 Redirect (Permanent Redirect)

A 301 redirect is a permanent redirect. It tells search engines and browsers that a page has permanently moved to a new location. It gives the new URL about 90–99% of the link equity, or ranking power.

When to Use a 301 Redirect?

You can use 301 redirect in the following situations:

• When you have changed your domain name.

• When you have to merge two websites or combine content.

• When you restructure your site’s URLs.

For instance,

If you change a page's URL from  “www.example.com/old-page”  to  “www.example.com/new-page”, a 301 redirect ensures that anyone visiting the old URL is automatically redirected to the new one.

b. 302 Redirect (Temporary Redirect)

A 302 redirect indicates that a page has moved temporarily. It is used when you have to bring the original page back. It does not give the new URL all of the SEO value like 301 does. If a page is down for maintenance, a 302 redirect can point users to a temporary "under construction" page.

The 302 redirect is different from 301 in SEO as:

• A 302 redirect does not transfer the same amount of SEO ranking as a 301 redirect.

• Search engines know the move is temporary. So they may not update the indexed URL.

When to Use a 302 Redirect?

Use 302 redirect in the following situations:

• During temporary maintenance or upgrades.

• For A/B testing pages.

• For seasonal promotions or limited-time offers.

c. 307 Redirect (Temporary Redirect)

A 307 redirect is the same thing as a 302 redirect in HTTP/1.1. It means the resource has been moved temporarily. And the way you access it should not change. 

For example, a POST request should still be POST request.

If we talk about SEO impact, a 307 works like a 302 redirect. Because it shows a temporary change.

When is a 307 Redirect Appropriate?

The 307 redirect is considerable: 

• For HTTP/1.1 requests where you want to maintain the request method.

• For situations similar to a 302 but with added security about the method type.

d. Meta Refresh

A meta refresh takes place on the page level rather than the server level. It is commonly used to refresh or redirect after a set number of seconds. For example, a "5-second countdown" page that automatically redirects to another page.

Why is Meta Refresh less ideal for SEO?

Here come 2 main reasons:

• One is that it often results in a slower redirect. So it affects the user experience.

• And the other is that search engines might not pass all the link equity due to the delay.

e. JavaScript Redirects

JavaScript redirects are set up on a web page using JavaScript code. They are generally discouraged for SEO. Because search engines may not always execute the JavaScript. It depends on their crawling capabilities.

When might JavaScript redirects be necessary?

It can be necessary:

• For dynamic content that changes based on user input.

• When server-side redirects are not possible.

How Redirects Impact SEO?

Redirects can have a big effect on the technical SEO of your website. Because they move or weaken the SEO value of one page to another.

• 301 redirects pass most of the link value. It helps keep the page's ranking.

• 302 and 307 redirects only show a temporary change. So they do not get full SEO value.

• Meta Refresh and JavaScript Redirects may cause slow loading times or improper indexing.

If we see Google's approach regarding SEO, it prefers server-side redirects (301 or 302) over client-side ones (Meta Refresh or JavaScript).

Further Read: Understanding Google Updates: A Comprehensive Guide

Common SEO Mistakes with Redirects

Errors with redirects can hurt both the user experience and the search ranking of your site. It also impacts the trustworthiness of your website. As your visitor will not get what he needs. So it will ultimately affect Google’s E-E-A-T concept and can hurt your website's Google rankings. 

You know? A major e-commerce site lost 20% of its traffic.

Why? 

Just due to incorrectly implementing 302 redirects instead of 301 when it changed domains. So here are some common mistakes to avoid:

1. Redirect Loops

One common mistake is creating redirect loops. This happens when two or more pages keep redirecting to each other again and again. These loops can confuse search engines and users. It stops people from getting to the right page. It can also result in a "too many redirects" error. Which prevents users from accessing your content altogether. It will increase the bounce rate of your website.

2. Chain Redirects

Another major issue is using too many redirects in a chain. A redirect chain occurs when a single URL is redirected to multiple other URLs before reaching the final destination. 

One or two redirects might not seem like a big deal. But if you have too many redirects, your page will take longer to load. Slow loading times make visitors angry. They also hurt your SEO ranking. Because Google values speed and performance.

3. Using Wrong Redirect

If you use the wrong kind of redirect, it can hurt your SEO. If you want to make permanent changes, you should always use a 301 redirect. Because it moves most of the SEO value to the new URL.

If the change is temporary, use a 302 or 307 redirect. A 302 is suitable for temporary content changes. While a 307 works similarly but preserves the request method (POST or GET). 

Best Practices for Using Redirects

Now let us have a look at some best practices to use redirects. Here is a checklist for proper redirects:

• Identify old URLs.

• Decide on the type of redirect.

• Implement the redirect using server-side methods.

• Test the redirect using SEO tools.

When you can, it is best to use a single, direct redirect. Check your site often to make sure there are not any redirect chains or loops that are not needed. 

Permanent Redirects

Use 301 Redirects for Permanent changes. This will help you keep most of your SEO value.

Avoid Excessive Redirects

You should use a minimum number of redirects. It will reduce page loading time.

Test Your Redirects

Use Ettvi's Redirect Checker tool to check if your redirects work properly. Also to identify and fix any redirect problems. 

“Before they negatively impact your SEO and user experience.” 

You can check redirect status codes, trace URL redirections, and detect canonicalization in bulk. Simply put the URL of your website and click the “Check” button. You will get a list of redirects if any are used on your website. 

When you can, it is best to use a single, direct redirect. Check your site often to make sure there are not any redirect chains or loops that are not needed. 

Final Words

It is important for both SEO and user experience to understand redirects. When you use redirects correctly, they help you keep your site's ranking and direct users to the right content. When you redirect, make sure you use the right type for the job. And stay away from common mistakes. Check your website using Ettvi’s redirect checker tool  for any possible redirect issues. And make sure they work as well as they can.