Are redirects bad for SEO? It’s a common question for website owners. You spend time and money building up your site’s authority. Naturally, you want to make sure those efforts aren’t wasted. It's essential to understand how search engines view redirects. Let's explore what happens when you use a 301 or 302 redirect.
Understanding SEO and Redirects
Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, includes the strategies used to make a website more visible in organic search results. A website with good SEO often ranks higher on search engine result pages (SERPs). Higher rankings usually lead to increased website traffic.
Various factors influence SEO. Backlinks are a major factor. Backlinks happen when another website hyperlinks to yours. This signals to search engine algorithms, such as Google’s PageRank, that your content has value and credibility. Backlinks from authoritative sites carry even more weight in SEO, potentially improving your ranking position.
What Exactly is a Redirect?
Imagine clicking a link expecting to land on a specific webpage about skyscraper content. Instead, you’re redirected to another page about creating videos. You just experienced a redirect, the digital equivalent of a detour sign. This "detour" occurs on the server side.
Although usually unnoticeable to the user, a 301 redirect signals to browsers and search engines that a page has permanently moved to a new location. It passes along something called "link juice" from the old URL to the new one. A redirect is a crucial SEO tool when changing domains, deleting pages, or restructuring your website.
Are Redirects Bad for SEO?
Redirects, particularly 301 redirects, are not inherently bad for SEO when employed correctly. They are actually quite necessary when website changes come about. Redirects ensure users land on the updated page and prevent them from experiencing frustrating dead ends (404 errors).
However, while one 301 redirect may have a minimal effect on a page’s loading time, excessive redirect chains can slow things down. Consider what happens if you have several redirects between the original page and the destination URL. Every redirect adds a step for the server, which increases the page loading time.
Google considers page loading time as part of its algorithm. A redirect chain could negatively influence your SEO as Google may view your website as clunky or cumbersome. Google might even view it as bad SEO.
Matt Cutts, former head of Google’s webspam team, addresses redirect chains and why too many redirects are not beneficial to website owners. He explains that a website should redirect to the newest page and minimize redirects when possible. So, are redirects bad for SEO? No, but they should be implemented with purpose, always being mindful that site speed and minimal redirection should be at the forefront.
Common Types of Redirects: 301 vs. 302
The two most common types of redirects include 301 and 302. These redirect types differ in how long the redirect lasts. They are based on HTTP status codes. These status codes relay information about what’s happening on a website’s server. Let's take a deeper look into each type, and how these redirects can impact SEO.
301 Redirects: A Permanent Move
Considered a permanent redirect, the 301 status code informs search engines that a page has permanently moved to a new address. It tells them to pass almost all ranking power, including backlinks, to the new URL. Implementing this type of redirect generally occurs with the intent to never use the old URL again.
The 301 redirect then becomes a permanent fixture. It signals both to Google and other search engines to remove the original page from their index. With a 301, the previous page with the old URL is gone forever. However, this doesn’t happen immediately.
In the past, a 301 redirect could negatively affect SEO rankings. Google didn’t immediately pass along PageRank to the new URL. Website owners may have seen decreased website traffic and lower SEO rankings. However, Google changed its algorithms. As long as a 301 is implemented correctly, page rankings won’t be harmed. According to Search Engine Roundtable, it takes about a year for all ranking factors, such as PageRank, to be transferred over to the new URL from the date Google first recognizes it.
This change helped mitigate past issues of decreased traffic to the newer webpage when Google changed how it views and crawls web pages with 301 redirects. Essentially, as long as you correctly use a 301 redirect, it may take some time, but your content will not completely lose all the weight and authority it worked so hard to obtain.
When To Use a 301
Because a 301 signifies a permanent move, website owners implement them in these common scenarios:
Moving a website from HTTP to HTTPS to increase security.
Permanently redirecting a webpage to a different URL on your site.
Merging two websites with different domains.
Correcting typos or updating outdated URLs.
Eliminating duplicate content by redirecting it to the main page.
302 Redirects: A Temporary Detour
Sometimes, web pages require temporary changes that necessitate redirecting traffic for a short period. That's where the 302 redirect comes in handy. This type of redirect serves as a short-term solution, allowing the server to direct users to an alternative page while retaining the original page’s index status.
The biggest difference with this type of redirect is that it doesn't pass full link authority to the redirected page. A 302 redirect is the best approach when the change is temporary. The website owner intends to reactivate the original URL in the future.
If you needed to renovate your brick-and-mortar store for a month, you might open a pop-up location. However, you would still want customers to still have access to products and services. Your storefront remains intact and indexed. Your customers still receive the same products and services but in a different way. Once the renovation is complete, you return to your original building. You could even keep the temporary spot open for potential new customers. Essentially, that’s what a 302 does.
When To Use a 302
This type of redirect best serves several situations:
Testing new pages, features, or website redesigns for a short time.
Running limited-time promotional campaigns that require sending visitors to specific landing pages.
Temporarily removing a product from your site while making changes.
Redirecting based on a visitor's location or language.
How Redirects Affect Backlinks
Backlinks play an essential role in SEO. They are a heavy factor in Google’s PageRank. When you employ 301 redirects correctly, backlinks from other sites get carried over to the new URL, maintaining SEO rankings. This process is not instant, and according to a Google announcement, could take a year to fully pass the original authority.
Although it sounds contradictory, this waiting period helps websites maintain rankings in search results. It doesn’t completely eradicate rankings on the new site. The hard work put in to build backlinks won't disappear with a simple, well-planned redirect.
Tools and Techniques For Implementing Redirects
There are several ways to implement redirects. Some require a technical understanding of websites, coding, and hosting, while other options might be more easily accomplished by site owners.
1. .htaccess file:
This file, often hidden within a site's root directory, offers more control and security compared to plugin-based options. Website owners may need more technical know-how to make changes using this method.
2. Content Management System (CMS) Plugins
If using a Content Management System, such as Wordpress, numerous plugins, such as Yoast SEO Premium, provide a user-friendly interface for easily setting up redirects.
3. Google Search Console
Google offers website owners the useful option to alert search engines about permanent moves using the Change of Address tool. Although this process is quite straightforward and easy to use, it shouldn't be considered a stand-alone solution. Using other redirection methods in conjunction with the change of address tool offers more assurance to site owners.
4. Using a Redirect Checker
After setting up redirects, verifying everything functions correctly is essential. The quickest way is through redirect mapping, which checks all your redirects by status code, such as 301 and 302. A number of redirect checker tools are available:
These programs crawl your website to uncover potential issues, such as redirect chains and loops. If you only require a quick review of a single page, httpstatus.io can help analyze and diagnose the page for possible errors or broken links. Chrome users might consider utilizing the Redirect Path extension by Ayima to visually see the redirect trail. Regularly checking your redirects is also essential.
Redirects can be valuable tools for your SEO strategy when implemented strategically. Using them carefully helps preserve hard-earned backlinks while maintaining a smooth user experience for site visitors. So, are redirects bad for SEO? Not as long as you follow the best practices we covered. You’ve got this.
FAQs about are redirects bad for seo
How to redirect without hurting SEO?
Redirecting without harming SEO requires employing best practices. Website owners should prioritize using 301 redirects when permanently retiring pages. They should ensure the content of old URLs aligns with the new URLs. Regular monitoring of analytics is needed to ensure those redirects are functioning correctly. This can help to quickly diagnose and resolve any errors. All of this results in smooth website transitions and content updates.
How many redirects are too many for SEO?
While Google doesn’t set a maximum number of redirects allowed, each 301 adds time to your webpage’s loading speed, something Google factors into their ranking algorithms. Limiting redirect chains to a maximum of two, preferably one, ensures website owners keep things speedy. At the same time, you are still reaping the benefits that strategic redirection offers.
Does redirecting domains help SEO?
Moving an entire domain to a new one often calls for using redirects to prevent damaging your SEO rankings. To retain ranking status, make sure the old domain permanently redirects to the new one. You should clearly inform Google of the URL change using the change of address tool in Google Search Console.
Do redirects affect backlinks?
When utilizing a 301 redirect properly, most backlinks transfer over to the new URL. This process may take up to a year. It doesn’t typically result in lost SEO rankings as Google factors this into account. However, temporary redirects (302s) do not usually pass link juice from one page to the other. If concerned, monitoring your backlink profile using SEO analysis tools helps website owners discover and address any significant drops in backlinks or SEO juice. This will also ensure that your valuable links are not lost.
Conclusion
So, are redirects bad for SEO? When implemented incorrectly they can negatively impact your SEO. However, if approached strategically, they can become helpful tools to assist in your SEO journey. Website owners should feel empowered to update outdated content or improve site organization through proper redirection techniques, while keeping SEO best practices in mind. This will help retain website visitors and maintain site rankings.