Do you need to update your website or delete a post? If so, you may need to redirect to a new page, leaving you wondering, “Are redirects bad for SEO?” As New Jersey’s trusted SEO company, Peppermonkey Media can help you understand everything about SEO and the various types of redirects.
What Are Redirects?
A redirect occurs when someone clicks on a website’s URL but it takes them to a different site. Web designers use redirects most often when they move the website to a new address, but several different types of redirects exist for various purposes. In general, they shouldn’t hurt your search engine optimization provided you use them correctly.
Permanent Redirects for Servers
Google recommends using permanent redirects whenever possible and using the right type helps avoid negative consequences to your SEO efforts. Also called 301 redirects, these offer the best chance of maintaining your SEO rankings when you change the location of your website. Companies choose to change their URLs for several reasons, including rebranding, an expiring domain name, or creating a new website.
How does it work? Imagine you’re changing your URL from serviceyouneed.com to bestservice.com. Your existing customers likely have the old one bookmarked or you have the site backlinked from other websites. When anyone clicks on the old link, the redirect instead takes them to the new URL without issue.
Temporary Redirects for Servers
Are redirects bad for SEO? If you use 302 redirects appropriately, it shouldn’t hurt your search engine optimization. Similar to how you’d leave an “out of office” message on your email, a temporary redirect ensures you don’t damage your search rankings while you temporarily move your website’s address.
When should you use a 302 redirect?
- Website maintenance
- Website redesign
- A/B testing
- Promotional pages
- Life testing
Meta Refresh Redirects
Have you ever seen a message that says, “If you are not redirected in five seconds, hit refresh.” You’re experiencing a meta-refresh redirect.
A websites use these when you’ve completed and submitted a form and need to go back to the original page. In general, SEO experts suggest avoiding these types of redirects whenever possible.
JavaScript Location Redirects
This redirect accomplishes the same task as a meta refresh but uses the computer language JavaScript rather than HTML. In general, you shouldn’t use this type of redirect because search engine crawlers (the function that indexes and analyses a website) can have trouble interpreting the redirect code and it can lower your rankings.
Best Practices for Using Redirects
If you want to avoid URL redirects hurting your SEO efforts, use the following best practices.
Use the Right Redirect
Are redirects bad for SEO? Not if you use the right type.
Keep in mind that you can use a temporary redirect even if you’ve worked on your site for several months. Unless you’re making permanent changes to your website, like changing your company name, use a temporary redirect.
Update Internal Links
When you change the location of your website, you should update the links in all your content to direct those who click on it to the new URL. This helps search engines more accurately index the new address and helps streamline the user experience. If you miss a few links, the redirect will automatically take users to the new site after a couple of seconds.
Maintain Relevance and Authority
To help ensure link authority, identify the highest quality websites that link to your page and update the backlink. Also, use this opportunity to confirm all the backlinks that lead to your website remain relevant. If you run an automotive business, you don’t need a backlink coming from a site that sells jewelry.
Streamline Redirect Experience
You should minimize the number of redirects you use for several reasons. First, Google can only index a certain number of pages every day. If you redirect from page A to B, to C, it can take the search engine longer to index the change and you’ll see your rankings drop.
An excessive chain of redirects can also hinder user experience. Customers don’t want to wait more than one or two seconds for the link to load, so if you’re redirecting them through multiple pages, they’ll likely exit out and find a different company.
Instead of going from A to B to C, redirect from A right to C.
Monitor and Test Redirects
If you’re wondering, “Are redirects bad for SEO?” remember that testing them can help you avoid issues. You should regularly test for any of the following issues:
- Broken links
- Redirect loops
- Improper function
- Delayed loading speed
Prioritize HTTPS Protocol
For security reasons, you should always use a HTTPS protocol over an HTTP. Google could penalize you if you use both, so if you have HTTP traffic, redirect it to the HTTPS address. You should use the permanent 301 redirect.
What Happens If You Don’t Use a Redirect?
If you’re concerned a redirect will hurt your SEO, you may try to avoid using them. However, doing so can have some disadvantages including the following:
- If you make changes to your website without the redirect, Google may have trouble indexing your site.
- Changing your website without using redirects will break your backlinks on other sites.
- Failing to use backlinks can ruin the user experience. They’ll find irrelevant content or error pages that will make them never want to work with you again.
- Without redirects, you miss opportunities for converting potential customers into paying customers. If they can’t find your website, they won’t know whether they should work with you.
- When customers have a frustrating experience navigating your website, it reflects poorly on your brand. They may even leave bad reviews for you.
Peppermonkey Media Can Maximize Your SEO Efforts
Are redirects bad for SEO? If you work with a professional SEO company like Peppermonkey Media, you won’t have to worry about using them and how they’ll affect your SEO. We use our experience to prevent issues with duplicate content and other practices that could lower your search engine rankings and negatively affect your business.
Schedule a digital marketing consultation by calling 732-576-0171.
