301 Redirect
Quick Definition
A 301 redirect is a permanent redirect that passes approximately 90-99% of link equity to the destination URL. It tells search engines that a page has permanently moved to a new location.
Why It Matters
A 301 redirect permanently sends users and search engines from one URL to another, transferring most of the original page's ranking power to the new URL. It is the correct way to handle URL changes, site migrations, and deleted pages. Getting redirects wrong during a site migration can destroy years of SEO work.
Real-World Example
When Zomato acquired Urbanspoon, they set up 301 redirects from all Urbanspoon URLs to corresponding Zomato pages. This transferred Urbanspoon's search ranking power to Zomato instead of losing it. Any time a popular page's URL changes, a 301 redirect preserves its SEO value.
Signal Connection
Trust -- 301 redirects transfer the trust and authority that the original URL accumulated through backlinks and age. Without redirects, that accumulated trust is lost when a URL changes.
Pro Tip
Before changing any URL on your site, set up the 301 redirect first. Make a spreadsheet mapping old URLs to new URLs. After the redirect is live, test it using a tool like httpstatus.io to verify it returns a 301 status code, not a 302 (temporary) redirect.
Common Mistake
Using a 302 (temporary) redirect when you mean a 301 (permanent) redirect. A 302 tells Google the change is temporary, so it may keep the old URL in its index and not fully transfer ranking power. If the URL change is permanent, always use a 301.
Test Your Knowledge
What happens to SEO ranking power when you use a 301 redirect?
Show Answer
Answer: B. Most ranking power transfers to the new URL
A 301 redirect passes most (not all) of the original page's ranking power, backlinks, and authority to the new URL. Google has confirmed that 301 redirects transfer PageRank. Some minor loss may occur, but the vast majority of SEO value is preserved.