Manage redirects for better SEO

Redirects automatically send visitors and search engines from one URL to another when content has been moved. They’re essential for maintaining a good user experience and preserving SEO value when pages change location.

What you’ll learn:

• What redirects are and why they matter for SEO.
• The different types of redirects and when to use each one.
• How redirects affect your search rankings.
• How to implement redirects on WordPress.com.

While there are five types of redirects (301, 302, 303, 307, and 308), the two most commonly used are:

301 redirects indicate that a page has permanently moved to a new location. These redirects:

• Tell search engines to update their index with the new URL.
• Pass all page rank and authority from the old URL to the new one.
• Should be used when content has permanently changed locations.

Always redirect to content that closely matches the original page. If someone follows a link expecting vacation destinations but lands on a cookie recipe, they’ll likely leave your site immediately—increasing your bounce rate and potentially harming your SEO.

302 redirects signal that a page has temporarily moved but will return to its original location. These redirects:

• Tell search engines to keep the original URL in their index.
• Now pass page rank similar to 301 redirects (changed by Google in 2016).
• Should only be used when the change is genuinely temporary.

Properly implemented redirects help maintain your SEO value by:

• Preserving link equity from external sites pointing to old URLs.
• Preventing “404 Not Found” errors that create poor user experiences.
• Consolidating ranking signals to the correct pages.
• Helping search engines properly index your content.

To set up redirects on your WordPress.com site, install a plugin such as:

• Redirection (supports 301 redirects only)
• 301 Redirects (supports 301, 302, and 307 redirects)

These plugins provide user-friendly interfaces to create and manage redirects without needing to edit server files.

Review your site for potential redirect needs:

1. Check for outdated content that should point to newer pages.
2. Look for similar content that could be consolidated.
3. Identify any shortened URLs that should redirect to full pages.
4. Check for common URL variations that should lead to the same place.

Setting up proper redirects helps maintain a seamless experience for your visitors while preserving the SEO value you’ve built over time.