3 Ways To Redirect A Website URL

When you first launch a website, redirect might seem foreign to you. A fresh website with just a few pages may seem more straightforward.   

But as your site grows, things get a bit more complicated. More pages mean more URLs to manage, and before you know it, you might realize that some of your URLs are clunkier than you’d like. 

That’s where a website audit comes in handy. It can help you spot complex URLs that aren’t pulling their weight and might even show you some that need to be scrapped or combined with others. But what about the old URLs tied to those pages? 

Almost every website owner will eventually need to set up a redirect. Simply put, a website redirect takes visitors from an old URL to a new page. It’s a way to make sure people don’t land on a dreaded 404 page and instead find something relevant. Plus, it helps preserve the SEO value of the links pointing to your old pages. 

If you’re managing a website, knowing how to set up redirects is a crucial skill. You can do it for individual pages or at the domain level, depending on what you need. 

When to Use Redirects 

There are plenty of scenarios where you might need to set up a URL redirect, including: 

• Moving a webpage from one URL to another 

• Deleting a page 

• Adding category tags or parent pages that change your URLs 

• Moving your site to a new domain 

• Doing maintenance on a webpage 

• Merging duplicate pages 

• Switching your site from HTTP to HTTPS 

Whether you need to redirect a single URL or a bunch of them, or even an entire domain, there’s a solution for that. But keep in mind, the type of redirect you choose depends on your specific situation. 

Now, let’s dive into the most common redirect types and when to use each one. 

3 Types of URL Redirects 

There are three main types of redirects you should know about, though most of the time, you’ll only need to use the first one. 

301 Redirect 

A 301 redirect is like sending out a permanent change of address. It works on both the browser and server levels and is the most common and powerful type of redirect. What makes it awesome is that it passes along all the SEO power of your old URL to the new one, which search engines love. If you’re looking to maintain your SEO rankings, this is your go-to. 

In almost all cases, this is the type of redirection you’ll want to use. 

302 Redirect 

A 302 redirect is more of a temporary detour. You’d use this when you plan to go back to the old URL eventually. For example, if you’re redesigning your site and want to temporarily send users to a different page or domain, or if you’re A/B testing different versions of a page before making a final decision. 

302 redirects aren’t used that often, so before going this route, make sure a 301 isn’t the better option. 

Meta Refresh 

You’ve probably come across a meta refresh if you’ve ever seen a message like, “The original URL has moved, and you’re now being redirected. “Click here if you’re not redirected in 5 seconds”. A meta refresh tells the browser to take you to a new page, but it doesn’t update the server. 

When setting up a meta refresh, you can control how long it takes to redirect. Sometimes, search engines treat a meta refresh like a 301 redirect, especially if it happens in a second or less. But it’s a bit hit-or-miss with how search engines handle these, and they can frustrate users by making them wait to get where they want to go. 

If you’re thinking about using a meta refresh, a 301 redirect is usually a better choice. 

How to Set Up a Redirect 

Setting up a redirect doesn’t have to be a headache. In fact, it’s often easier than you think. Most website owners have a few different ways to get the job done. 

 Here’s a quick rundown of three popular methods: 

1. Set up a Redirect in cPanel 

First, log into your cPanel account and scroll down to the Domains section. Look for the Redirects icon and give it a click. 

In the Type dropdown menu, you’ll see options for a Permanent (301) or Temporary (302) redirect. Go ahead and pick the one that suits your needs. 

Next, choose the domain you want to set up the redirect for. If you want to apply the redirect across all your domains, select All Public Domains. Otherwise, pick the specific domain from the dropdown. 

Now, it’s time to enter the details. In the first box, add the last part of the URL you want to redirect (since the root domain is already selected). In the second box, pop in the full URL where you want the traffic to go. 

2. Set up a Redirect in HostGator 

If you’re using the Gator Website Builder, start by selecting Edit Site for the website where you want to set up the redirect. 

Next, click on Manage from the left-hand menu. This will take you to the management menu. 

Hit the Add Rule button. In the box on the left, enter the page you want to redirect. Then, choose the type of redirect from the dropdown menu. 

Depending on the type of redirect, you can either select the destination page from the dropdown on the right or manually enter the URL where you want the old link to lead. 

Finally, click OK to save your changes. 

3. Set up a Redirect in WordPress 

For WordPress users, the easiest way to set up a redirect is by using a plugin. Redirection is a popular choice. 

If you’re new to adding plugins in WordPress, start by selecting Plugins from the left-hand menu. Click Add New, then search for the plugin you want. 

Once you’ve found it, click Install Now and then Activate. Each plugin will have its own set of instructions, but for Redirection, you’ll find it under Installed Plugins. Click Settings to go through the setup. 

After setting it up, look for Redirection under the Tools menu. Click on Redirects at the top and fill in the URL you want to redirect, along with the new URL where you want visitors to end up. 

Finally, click Add Redirect to finish up. 

5 Reasons Why You’d Create a Website Redirect 

Now that you know how to set up redirects, you might wonder when you’d need to use them. Here are five common scenarios where redirects come in handy: 

1. Redirect a Subdirectory to a Page on Your Site 

Maybe when you first set up your site, you decided to host your blog on a subdomain, like blog.mysite.com instead of mysite.com/blog. But now, it makes more sense to bring everything under one roof. This is where a redirect saves the day. You can apply the same principle if you’ve got any other section of your site on a subdomain that you want to move. 

This is a case where you’d set up a redirect. The same goes for any other reason you’ve created a site or section of your site on a subdomain, and now you want to switch the URL structure to something new. 

2. Redirect Duplicate Content to the Original Page 

Duplicate content is bad for SEO. If your site is large, chances are you’ve got some duplicate pages floating around. When Google sees two versions of the same page, it gets confused about which one to rank.  

Avoid this headache by redirecting the duplicate pages to the original content. Not only will this clear up any confusion for your visitors, but it’ll also boost your search engine rankings. 

3. Redirect Multiple Domains to a Single Domain 

Many brands snap up multiple domain names to protect their online presence. For instance, if your brand is Example Corp, you might own example.com, examplecorp.com, example.net, and so on.  

Instead of just letting those domains collect digital dust, why not redirect them to your main site? Whether they’re common misspellings or different top-level domain extensions, it’s worth funneling all that traffic back to your primary website. 

4. Redirect Your Old Domain to Your New One 

Maybe you started out with a domain that wasn’t your first choice, and later, you managed to buy the domain you really wanted. Or perhaps your brand has gone through a major rebranding, and a new domain is a must.  

Whatever the case, redirecting your old domain to the new one is crucial. Sure, migrating an entire site is more involved than a simple redirection, but it’s a vital step in the process. 

5. Redirect an Old URL to a New URL 

Sometimes, you need to change the URL of an existing page or post. Maybe you’re streamlining your URL structure, or you’ve moved some pages around, and the old URL structure just doesn’t cut it anymore.  

In these cases, setting up a 301 redirect from the old URL to the new one is key, especially if those older posts are already indexed by search engines or have links pointing to them. 

Conclusion 

Setting up a redirect might sound a bit daunting if you’re not super tech-savvy. But don’t worry, there are plenty of user-friendly options out there that make it easier than you think. Plus, mastering redirects can help you keep your website fresh, prevent those annoying 404 errors, and even give your SEO a nice boost. 

Once you get the hang of it, redirects become a powerful tool in your website management toolkit. They’re not just about fixing broken links; they’re about maintaining a seamless experience for your visitors, no matter how your site evolves over time. Whether you’re moving to a new domain, cleaning up outdated pages, or just making your site more secure, redirects ensure that every click leads to something valuable. 

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