Marketing Agency
You’ve probably seen the word “redirect” on websites before, but what does it really mean? And more importantly, do redirects hurt your website’s SEO (Search Engine Optimization)?
In this blog, we’ll explain what redirects are, how they work, and whether or not they are bad for SEO. Don’t worry – we’ll keep things super simple, so even if you’re new to SEO, you can easily understand!
What Is a Redirect?
Redirects are when a certain webpage directs you to another webpage. For instance, if you attempt to open a certain webpage and it has been removed, it will direct you to some other webpage it contains or some other website.
There are different types of redirects, but the most common ones are:
- 301 Redirect: This is a permanent redirect. It informs the search engines and the users that the webpage has changed the location of the new permanent one. Web links such as those of Google will reflect records that show the new page.
- 302 Redirect: This is a temporary redirect. It informs search engines and users that the page is temporarily redirected for some time, and it will be available at the old URL again.
When Are Redirects Bad for SEO?
While redirects are generally concerned with SEO, they can be equally detrimental to your website rankings if incorrectly applied. Here are some situations where redirects can be bad for SEO:
Too Many Redirects
When you have many redirects on your website, it is possible that the search engine will get confused, and the next thing you know, the search engine will have a hard time crawling through your site. This may perhaps slow down the rate at which search engines can index and spit out the location of your pages. The presence of redirects should be limited and only used when irreversible: the number of steps of redirection should not exceed three.
Scrolling to Other Nonrelated Pages
If, for instance, you use redirects to bring the users to irrelevant pages, it may be damaging to your SEO. For example, if you redirect a page about “dog food” to a page about “cat toys,” it’s not helpful to your visitors. Unfortunately, search engines need to know that users are reaching the right information, and this can be confused by irrelevant redirections, which will negatively affect your ranking.
Having Too Many 302 Entries
Using a 302 redirect too frequently is not good for SEO. A 302 redirect is for temporary re-directs, but search engines may not handle it the same way as a 301 redirect. If you employ a temporary redirect while you expect to use a permanent redirect, then the search engines may not forward all the link juice to the new page, and this will be disadvantageous to you.
How to Use Redirects the Right Way
Now that we know that redirects can be both helpful and harmful to SEO, let’s talk about how to use them the right way:
- Use 301 Redirects for Permanent Moves: In case the page is moved and changed, its URL is for long-term use; the best policy to be employed is the 301 redirect. It will transfer the SEO value to the new page and keep search engines updated.
- Keep Redirects Simple: One should limit the use of links that lead to other links, known as multiplets. If possible, you should link users directly to the page that they want or have to see. This will ensure your site is among the first those search engines recommend, besides making the site load faster.
- Check for Broken Redirects: Be careful with your redirect and ensure that all of them are working as expected. At other times, redirects can be messed up, and that is not good news for your SEO strategies in the long run.
- Use 302 Redirects for Temporary Moves: If you are simply changing your page temporarily around your site or if you are doing something like a special event, 302 redirect is acceptable. The only thing you need to remember is that after the promotion is over, you will have to set it back to the normal page.
