The Importance of SEO Redirect Mapping: Top Tips to Keep Your Website Efficient

Why might we need to 301 redirect a URL

From time to time we may change the name of a page, alter the site structure of a particular section of the site, or simply need to rename a URL. If the URL has been part of your site for some time, it's likely it has been referenced somewhere. This could include:

• Emails
• External Links
• Internal Links
• Search Engine Index

While updating references to these links is sensible, in the case of external sources such as search engines, this isn’t always possible and can mean users clicking on and receiving errors from links. This can, in some cases, create a very negative perception of your website and brand if users consistently end up finding ‘404 Not Found’ pages.

By redirecting the URLs we’ve renamed or removed from the site through to a valid alternative we can ensure that users' journeys are error-free as well as preserving the SEO value of the original URL.

Types of URL Redirect

There are 4 main types of redirects you are likely to encounter in modern sites, these are: 

302 & 307 Temporary Redirects - Used for temporary redirections where SEO value is not transferred permanently, with 307 ensuring the request method is preserved.
301 & 308 Permanent Redirects - Used for permanent redirections where SEO value is transferred to the new URL, with 308 preserving the request method during the redirect.

While 301 and 308 redirects are different from a technical perspective, from an SEO perspective, they perform the same fundamental function i.e. the transfer of all the SEO value to the new URL.

So which type of redirect should you choose? In the case of preserving SEO value the choice is a simple one. By indicating to a search engine that a URL has permanently moved to another location, we are asking that all the associated value is transferred to the new location. So, from an SEO perspective, we should choose permanent redirects such as 301 or 308 redirects depending on the complexity of our web application.

Why is Redirect Mapping Important

Redirect mapping is the process of mapping old redundant URLs and error pages through to valid alternative URLS. Regularly redirect mapping these URLs helps your site in a number of ways:

• Improved User Experience: Redirect mapping prevents broken links, which can be problematic for both users and search engines, effectively meaning they reach a dead end in their user journey.
• Website Structure: Search engines like Google utilise internal links to understand the structure of a given website. Internal links allow the search engine to establish the relationship between pages and determine which pages are important. Redirect mapping allows us to maintain a clean, search engine-friendly structure.
• SEO Value: By permanently redirecting one page to another, we can ensure that any SEO value is passed to the new URL.

Top Tips for Effective Redirect Mapping

Redirect mapping is only part of the equation. Once you've successfully mapped redirects, it's time to implement them, but before you do, you should take a look at our top tips below:

• Utilise Permanent Redirects: By using 301 or 308 permanent redirects we signal to search engines that the URL has moved to the new location and all associated SEO value should also be transferred.
• Redirect to Final Destinations: By creating redirects which point directly to the final destination we can avoid redirect chains. Redirect chains consist of one URL which is redirected to another URL which is again redirected. Redirect chains not only slow down the journey between pages but can also make it difficult for search engines to understand the relationship between pages.
• Update internal Links: Once a URL has been redirected you should update any internal links which still point to the old URL. This helps maintain a clean website structure.
• Regularly Audit Your Redirect Table: Over time, redirect tables can become extensive, particularly on larger sites. Auditing the redirect table can ensure that the redirect table is up to date and does not contain any redirect chains.
• Utilise a Redirect Plugin or Tool: While this may add extra complexity to your tech stack, using a redirect plugin or tool will allow easier access and management of your redirects, helping you keep on top of them.

As an additional tip, where possible, avoid redirecting old URLs to the homepage; instead follow the following hierarchy:

• Preferred Option: Old URL redirects to a like-for-like page.
• Alternative 1: Old URL redirects to a similar page, such as a Subfolder or Category page.
• Final Option: Old URL redirects to a Subfolder, or if nowhere else, to the Home Page.

Advanced Redirect Techniques

Once you’ve carried out your redirect mapping, particularly for large and complex sites, it is worth familiarising yourself with some of the more advanced techniques for redirects.

Regular Expressions (Regex)

Regex is a powerful tool for pattern matching within strings. In the context of redirects, it allows you to define rules that match multiple URLs based on a specific pattern, rather than having to create individual redirect rules for each URL. This is incredibly efficient for large websites where manually mapping every URL would be impractical.

Key Benefits of Using Regex for Redirects:

• Scalability: Regex allows you to create a single redirect rule that can handle thousands of URLs that share a common pattern. This significantly reduces the number of redirect rules needed.
• Flexibility: Regex provides precise control over which URLs are redirected, allowing you to handle complex URL structures and variations.
• Efficiency: By using Regex, you can automate the process of redirecting URLs, saving time and effort.
• Dynamic Redirects: Regex allows you to capture parts of the original URL and use them in the destination URL, enabling dynamic redirects.

Server-side Redirects

Implementing redirects at the server level, such as through .htaccess (for Apache) or Nginx configurations, is crucial for optimal performance and SEO due to several key factors:

#1 Performance Efficiency

• Faster Processing: Server-side redirects are processed directly by the web server before the page content is sent to the user's browser. This is significantly faster than client-side redirects (like JavaScript redirects), which require the browser to first download and process the page before executing the redirect. This reduction in processing time leads to faster page load speeds, enhancing the user experience.
• Reduced Resource Consumption: By handling redirects at the server level, you minimise the amount of data transferred to the browser, reducing bandwidth usage and server load.

#2 SEO Advantages

• Accurate Signal to Search Engines: Search engines like Google prioritise server-side redirects (especially 301 redirects) as clear signals of permanent URL changes. This helps preserve link equity and ensures that search rankings are transferred to the new URL. This clarity is very important for search engine crawlers.
• Improved Crawlability: Server-side redirects ensure that search engine crawlers can efficiently navigate your website and understand its structure. This helps search engines index your content accurately.   
• Preservation of Link Equity: 301 redirects, when implemented server side, pass the vast majority of the link equity from the old URL to the new one. This is very important for maintaining search engine ranking.

#3 Reliability and Control

• Greater Reliability: Server-side redirects are more reliable than client-side redirects, as they are not dependent on the user's browser or JavaScript being enabled.
• Centralised Management: Server configuration files like .htaccess or Nginx configurations provide a centralised location for managing redirects, making it easier to maintain and update them.
• Precise Control: Server-level configuration allows for much greater control over redirect rules, including the use of regular expressions for complex redirect patterns.

In summary:

Server-side redirects offer significant advantages in terms of performance, SEO, and reliability. By implementing redirects at the server level, you can ensure a seamless user experience, maintain search engine rankings, and optimise your website's performance.

CDN Redirects

CDN redirects occur when a Content Delivery Network (CDN) routes traffic to a different server or URL to optimise content delivery and improve site performance.

When a website utilises a CDN, the CDN essentially acts as a layer of caching and delivery between the origin server and the end-user. This creates an opportunity to handle redirects closer to the user, resulting in significant performance improvements and other advantages.

Improved Performance (Reduced Latency):

• CDNs have a distributed network of servers located globally. When a user requests a URL, the CDN serves the content from the server closest to them.
• By handling redirects at the CDN level, you avoid the need to route the request back to the origin server, significantly reducing latency.
• This is especially beneficial for users located far from the origin server, as they experience faster redirect processing.

Reduced Origin Server Load:

•     Offloading redirect processing to the CDN reduces the load on the origin server.
• This is particularly useful during high-traffic periods or when dealing with numerous redirect requests.
• This also reduces the amount of work the origin server has to do, and therefore reduces the cost of hosting.

Enhanced Scalability:

• CDNs are designed to handle massive traffic spikes.
• By managing redirects at the CDN level, you can ensure that your redirects remain performant even during periods of high traffic.

Simplified Management (In Some Cases):

• Some CDNs offer user-friendly interfaces for managing redirects, which can simplify the process compared to editing server configuration files.
• This can be especially helpful for non-technical users.
• Also, in some cases, a CDN's redirect rules are easier to manage than very complex server-side rules.

Improved Security:

• CDNs can provide an additional layer of security by filtering out malicious requests before they reach the origin server.
• This can help protect your website from DDoS attacks and other security threats.

Edge Logic and Advanced Rules:

• Modern CDNs offer "edge logic" or "serverless edge" capabilities, allowing you to implement complex redirect rules and logic directly at the CDN level.

This enables you to create dynamic redirects based on factors such as user location, device type, or request headers.

Key Takeaways

Mapping and implementing permanent redirects is an essential part of maintaining your site's technical SEO health. By correctly mapping redirects to valid alternate URLs, we can maintain the SEO value inherent in these URLs. What this means is that we are able to maintain a consistent error-free user journey while giving the site the best chance of maintaining rankings.

If you have a project requiring a large number of redirects or simply need help maintaining the overall technical health of your site, why not contact the Reflect Digital team today to see how we can help?