Tech

How to Apply 301 Redirects for Better SEO Benefits?

2 Mins read

Turning a failed marketing campaign into success can be very challenging. It is however possible, because the big problems can turn out to be a small hitch, like one overlooked redirect.

301 WP redirects seem to be too technical and boring, so get ignored. Nevertheless, you can use them to gain leverage and to attract more traffic. It may sound silly, but is not impossible!

There are multiple kinds of redirects. In terms of SEO, some are risky, while a few don’t help, or damage your SEO efforts. Redirects are not bad practices for web developers to apply, but they do carry some inherent risks connected with SEO.

Most of the non-tech site or blog owners are using WP 301 Redirects plugin to automate their redirecting process. You can check out the plugin on the WP site and try it.

What 301s does?

When you type https://nadyblog.com in the URL bar area, and click enter button, the site loads. When site loads, you will see a little change in the address like nadyblog.com. The https:// prefix disappeared. It is because of the 301 redirect. The blog did it, because remembering the URL without HTTP:// or https:// is easy. Viewers directly see the blog name.

Use a single URL form to maintain domain authority. Let’s use the above example. When you visit any page on nadyblog.com, you will always see nadyblog.com at the start. It offers great leverage as all pages are connected with a single URL. Using the same URL is easy to remember and also helps to build domain authority on the way. It is a compelling reason to set 301s.

Let’s get familiar with a little different use of redirect 301 code. You type blender.com in the URL bar, when the site loads you see https:// prefix. It is because Blender wants visitors to know that their site is secure as it handles personal financial information. This use of 301s is seen in sites of banks and financial institutions, and in the websites of businesses handling sensitive information.

Several other ways to use 301s are given below. 

How to use 301s for rebranded sites?

If your site or blog got rebranded, use 301s to redirect the traffic from the old URL to a new address. In this way, you will not lose your years of SEO efforts, as you migrate to a new rebranded site.

You spent years building credibility and authority on your old blog, and will not want to lose those valuable backlinks. 301s redirecting is an ideal solution to transfer SEO equity and enjoy a fresh new branding.

Redirecting from HTTP [unsecured] to HTTPs [secured]

Google prioritizes HTTPs over HTTP in its ranking system. It means your site carries an SSL encryption certificate. Visitors feel more secured with green HTTPs and padlock symbol. It adds trust and authority. Migrate from HTTP to HTTPs. Use 301s to redirect traffic towards your new secure site version.

Important 301 redirect rule

If you use 301s for redirection, make sure that the new page is relevant to the old one. If it is not done properly, then the 301s will be treated as irrelevant 404s.

Authors Box

Bloggers who invite guest bloggers must consider using the authors box plugin. To automate the publishing of authors box for WordPress blog or site, Simple Author Box Pro is recommended. It has premium features that are versatile and helpful to bloggers in handling multiple authors on their blogs.