When a website URL is changed or moved, 301 redirects the visitors requesting that old page, towards a similar live page. It is always necessary to improve the old web pages contents for improving user experiences. Using 301 redirects allow you to retain the old page’s backlink value, and also have it transferred to an equivalent new page.
Even after you created a WordPress redirect, you will need to update backlinks, so they point directly to your new page. Thus the effort you made in building the backlinks for an old webpage does not go to waste, but your entire link value gets transferred. It even means you don’t need to restart building backlinks!
What is the definition of ‘301’ redirect?
You will often see ‘301 Moved permanently’ or ‘301’. It is a HyperText Transfer Protocol [HTTP], an interactive status code that reveals response from the server-side to the user’s browser associated with the URL they requested. The 301 status code is not bad inherently. It states that the URL requested is redirected, and the browser will serve the new one.
Creating a 301 response means you are keeping the layout of your website clean that is stopping users from landing on old, broken, or irrelevant pages. The server-side status code is intended to inform users or the search engine of the real status of the file, or page, or video, or image, or PDF in question. You can also resize images online with free web apps like ResizeMyImage to improve the loading speed.
How are WP 301 redirects beneficial to SEO?
The WP 301 redirect is crucial for SEO. It can make a difference to the success of a newly revamped website.
Keeps visitors engaged on your website
If users click on your link and land on a 404 page, it will affect their overall experience. They get frustrated and leave. With the creation of 301 WP redirect, the users can easily land and get transferred towards the relevant and engaging new page. Eventually, this can convert them into a follower or customer.
Link equity
SEO professionals prefer 301 because around 90% link equity gets transferred from the old page to the new link. On the other hand, the 302 is a temporary status code, but is not capable to transfer the link equity to the new page.
Remove old URL from the index of search engine
When the crawlers encounter 301 WP redirect while crawling through your website, they give a signal to the search engines to eliminate old URL from the index, and add the new one. It means the old page is replaced with the new page in the index of search engines. Simultaneously, the old page will redirect the users to the new one every time someone tries to access it.
If 30 WP redirect is not applied whenever changes are made to the web pages, the search engine serves a 404 response code. This can eventually cause page being eliminated completely from the index.