If you’re a WordPress user or administrator, have you ever wondered how to redirect 301? Join the club!

Redirecting pages or posts with WordPress can be a conundrum that perplexes and bewilders even the most seasoned tech experts. Maybe you’ve changed a page or post’s URL, or you want to consolidate your website’s content. Whatever the reason, you must redirect correctly to prevent losing rankings, traffic, or links from other sites. That’s where using a 301 redirect can save the day.

What in tarnation is a 301 redirect?

A 301 redirect is a magical and mysterious permanent redirect that redirects one URL to another. It tells search engines and browsers that the content has moved permanently and that they should update their indexes and bookmarks accordingly. With a 301 redirect, the link equity or PageRank from the old URL transfers to the new URL, meaning that any backlinks or authority the old URL had stays with your website. This is important for SEO to keep your rankings, traffic, and credibility.

Setting up a 301 redirect is important for the following:

• Allows users to find the content they’re searching for quickly and efficiently.
• Maintains your website’s reputation and authority.
• Helps search engines comprehend that the content is now available on another page within your website.
• Prevents the appearance of a 404 error message, which can damage your SEO and user experience.

How in the world do you get it done in WordPress?

Now that you know why using a 301 redirect is vital, it’s time to pull back the curtain and show you how to redirect 301 in WordPress. Fortunately, there are several ways to set up a redirect, such as:

Method 1: Redirection using the .htaccess file

The .htaccess file is a quirky and unusual configuration file that manages how your website behaves. It can be accessed through an FTP client or cPanel, and it’s located in the root directory of your WordPress installation. To implement a 301 redirect with the .htaccess file, here are the eccentric steps you need to follow:

1. Make a backup of your .htaccess file.
2. Create a redirect with the following code at the top:

   Redirect 301 /old-url/ http://www.yourdomain.com/new-url/

   Replace “old-url” with the actual URL of your page or post you want to redirect and “http://www.yourdomain.com/new-url/” with the new page or post URL.

3. Save the .htaccess file and upload it to the server, ensuring that you’re uploading it to the correct directory (usually /public_html/).
4. Test the redirect by visiting the old URL and verifying that it redirects to the new URL.

Method 2: Redirection using a plugin

If you’re not comfortable editing the .htaccess file, you can use a plugin. Several plugins exist for this purpose, but I highly recommend using Redirection because it’s straightforward and free. Here’s how to set up a 301 redirect using Redirection:

1. First, install and activate the Redirection plugin from the WordPress repository.
2. Go to Tools > Redirection in your WordPress dashboard.
3. Fill in the old URL in the Source URL field and the new URL in the Target URL field.
4. Choose “Redirect to URL” in the Action field and “301 Moved Permanently” in the Type field.
5. Click the “Add Redirect” button to save the redirect.
6. Test the redirect by visiting the old URL and verifying that it redirects to the new URL.

Method 3: Redirection using a WordPress SEO plugin

If you’re using an SEO plugin such as Yoast SEO or All in One SEO Pack, you can set up a 301 redirect from within the plugin. Here’s how to set up a 301 redirect using Yoast SEO:

1. Install and activate Yoast SEO from the WordPress repository.
2. Go to SEO > Redirects in your WordPress dashboard.
3. Fill in the old URL in the “Old URL” field and the new URL in the “New URL” field.
4. Choose “301 Moved Permanently” in the “Redirect Type” field.
5. Click the “Add Redirect” button to save the redirect.
6. Test the redirect by visiting the old URL and verifying that it redirects to the new URL.

Common mistakes to sidestep

As you go about setting up a 301 redirect in WordPress, there are some common mistakes you need to avoid to keep your SEO and user experience strong. Here are a few errors to sidestep:

• Not setting up the redirect correctly: Make sure your syntax is correct before committing changes.
• Redirecting to the wrong URL: Verify the URL is correct before publishing.
• Not updating internal links: Update internal links when you set up a redirect.
• No redirects for deleted pages: If you’ve deleted a page, set up a redirect to the most relevant new page on your website.
• Reducing the number of redirects: Too many redirects can slow down your website, so minimize as much as possible to improve your website’s speed and SEO.

Tools and plugins that make redirecting easier

If you’re struggling with setting up a 301 redirect in WordPress, several tools and plugins can help. Here are some options to consider:

• Redirect Mapper: Create a map of your website’s old and new URLs to speed up the redirecting process.
• Screaming Frog: Crawls your website to locate pages with 404 errors or broken links, making it simpler to set up redirects.
• Redirection: This plugin is easy to use and allows you to set up redirects from within your WordPress dashboard.
• Yoast SEO: Already an SEO plugin tool that has a redirect feature so that you don’t need to install another plugin.
• All in One SEO Pack: Another SEO plugin with a redirect feature.

In conclusion

Setting up redirects within WordPress can be complex and time-consuming, but it’s worth it to maintain your website’s SEO, user experience, and website authority. By following the steps we’ve highlighted above and using the recommended tools and plugins, you can easily set up a 301 redirect in WordPress and feel confident in your ability to optimize your website’s redirection correctly.