URLs are frequently changed, or pages are removed from a website. To handle this properly, set up a 301 redirect from the old URL to the new one. This ensures that visitors are redirected to another page and don’t encounter a 404 error.
A 301 redirect tells browsers and search engines that a page has been permanently moved to a new URL. This ensures that visitors don’t see an error message (a 404 page).
A 301 redirect is similar to a traffic detour. When a road is (permanently) closed, you are rerouted. With a 301 redirect, you guide visitors and search engines along a new path—from the old page to the new page. From now on, visitors should always be redirected to the new page.
A 301 redirect ensures that you retain your page’s SEO value and the rankings you’ve built up in Google. This prevents visitors and search engines from encountering a 404 error. This applies when you change a URL or delete a page without setting up a redirect. If this happens, you’ll lose SEO value and rankings.
After all the effort you’ve put into search engine optimization, it would, of course, be a shame to lose the rankings and SEO value you’ve built up. You’ve probably invested a lot of time in this. A 301 redirect lets search engines know that your old page has been moved to a new URL.
A 301 redirect sends visitors and search engines to the replacement page. Visitors won’t really notice this, but as a marketer, you’ll see it in the URL that changes in the address bar.
When you use a tool to view the HTTP status code of a page with a redirect, you’ll see that the browser first receives a 301 code. This code contains the new URL to which you are being redirected. The browser is then redirected to the new page: this is the final destination of the redirect.
In various situations, we recommend setting up a 301 redirect. We’ll explain these situations below.
You are about to delete a page: . When you delete a page, it is important to set up a 301 redirect.
You are changing your domain name from . When you switch to a new domain name, this is a permanent change. To preserve all value and avoid losing visitors, you must set up a 301 redirect for each old URL.
Tip: Be sure to check out our step-by-step guide to a successful SEO migration.
You can change a page’s URL at . When you change a page’s URL—just as you would with a new domain name—you’ll want to preserve its SEO value. You’ll also want to redirect your visitors to the correct new page.
Although Google often indexes the newly created page within a few weeks, it’s important to keep the 301 redirect online for at least a year.
If you take the redirect offline too quickly, Google may still end up on the 404 page. This means you’ll still lose link equity (SEO value).
With our HTTP status code checker, you can easily verify whether a 301 redirect is taking place.
In addition to a 301 redirect, there is also a 302 redirect. You can read more about the difference between a 301 redirect and a 302 redirect in our blog post on the difference between 301 and 302 redirects.
With a passion for SEO and an unmatched drive for results, Jarik Oosting is the driving force behind SmartRanking. With over 15 years of experience in the field, he has built an extensive body of knowledge spanning technical SEO to complex site migrations. As the founder of SmartRanking, he has assembled a team of like-minded SEO specialists who help businesses achieve sustainable online growth.
His academic background in information science at the University of Groningen, with a specialization in natural language processing, gives him a unique perspective on the world of SEO. For Jarik, it’s not just about visibility in search engines, it’s about sharing knowledge and guiding businesses toward sustainable online success. That mission also led him to write a Dutch book about GEO.