301 is a technical protocol that transports all the web page visitors towards another live URL. It could be because the old one has been removed or changed. A redirect has to point to a similar or relevant live page to ensure the best user experience. It also means that the valuable backlinks of the old page don’t get lost, but get transferred to the new URL.
For example, if you wish to clean up the old link https://www.droop.com/old345.html, use redirect 301 to direct visitors from that page to a more enhanced page with the address – https://www.droop.com/new. It sends users to a more improved page as well, and all the link juice associated with the link will get directed to the new address.
What is the meaning of 301 redirects?
It means page or URL moved permanently. The 301 redirect is an HTTP response status code, which reveals the server-side message of where the requested page is hosted now. The code is not bad, they just prompt that requested URL is redirected to a new destination, and this new URL will be served by the browser.
WordPress redirect plugin
In this post let’s understand how to redirect WordPress website pages or URLs. The WP 301 redirect plugin is very useful. You don’t need to be a coder or programmer for creating 301 redirects. Users will need to input the old web page address and the new URL. In a click, your 301 redirects get created.
The need for a web developer to do the redirects dos not arise, as the plugin is user-friendly. Besides 301 redirects, the plugin is useful to pick & fix 404s and broken links, export or import bulk redirect, and to monitor every page. Everything is performed automatically without you having to do things manually.
301 redirect – .htaccess
Using the .htaccess file housed on the server, 301 redirects can be created. In the case of bulk page changes, you will need to do the tedious task of redirecting each one of them manually. It is a slow process and there are chances of human errors as well.
Timesaving tips to make 301 redirects process smoother
- Keep URLs on the new site the same as on the old one. If URLs are chaotic, then making changes becomes more complicated. Keep URLs the same to save redirect mapping time, as well to as decrease the risk of losing traffic, when a new page replaces the old.
- List your old URLs on a spreadsheet before the modified site goes live. It offers time to map old to new accurately. It helps to dig less obvious old URLs or broken links.
- Filter URLs from long to short, so that it does not get triggered before the long URL has a chance.
Use of 301 redirects offers search bots essential information that the page is moved and here is the address of a new version. You can use redirects to test, compare, and to improve the performance of your WordPress landing pages. If ignored, it can damage your SEO rankings and user experience.