Redirects play a crucial role in maintaining the search engine ranking and user experience of a website. They ensure that users and search engines can access the correct pages on a website and avoid encountering errors. Redirects are especially useful when you are migrating your website from one platform to another or restructuring the website’s URLs. If you are using WordPress, you can easily set up redirects using various plugins or manual coding. In this article, we will discuss how to redirect in WordPress and some best practices to follow.
Here are the steps on how to Redirect in WordPress:
Using a Plugin
WordPress offers several plugins that make the redirection process simple and effortless. Some of the most popular ones are:
Redirection: This plugin is free and offers various redirection methods, including 301, 302, and 307. It also provides a log of all the redirects and errors encountered.
Yoast SEO: This plugin is primarily an SEO tool, but it also includes a redirect manager. It allows you to set up redirects easily and also provides a detailed overview of your website’s SEO.
Simple 301 Redirects: As the name suggests, this plugin is simple and effective for setting up 301 redirects. It is also free and easy to use.
Manual Coding:
If you prefer to do things manually, you can set up redirects by adding code to your website’s .htaccess file or functions.php file. Here’s how:
To add redirects to .htaccess file, access your website’s root directory via FTP or file manager and add the following code to the end of the file:
Redirect 301 /old-page-url/ http://www.example.com/new-page-url/
To add redirects to functions.php file, access your website’s theme directory via FTP or file manager and add the following code to the end of the file:
function custom_redirects() {
wp_redirect( 'http://www.example.com/new-page-url/', 301 );
exit;
}
add_action( 'template_redirect', 'custom_redirects' );
Best Practices for Redirects:
Use 301 redirects: A 301 redirect is a permanent redirect that tells search engines that the old page has been permanently moved to the new page. It ensures that all the SEO value of the old page is transferred to the new page.
Keep the redirect chain as short as possible: A redirect chain occurs when multiple redirects are set up to reach the final destination. It can slow down the loading time and also affect the search engine ranking. Try to avoid redirect chains and set up direct redirects.
Test the redirects: Always test the redirects to ensure that they are working correctly. You can use various online tools such as Redirect Checker or Screaming Frog to test your redirects.
Conclusion
Setting up redirects in WordPress is easy and crucial for maintaining the website’s SEO and user experience. You can use plugins or manual coding to set up redirects. Remember to use 301 redirects and keep the redirect chain as short as possible. Also, test the redirects regularly to ensure that they are working correctly. By following these best practices, you can ensure that your website’s redirects are optimized and effective.
Things To Consider When Redirecting In WordPress
Here are some additional things to consider when setting up redirects in WordPress:
Don’t Overuse Redirects: While redirects are useful, overusing them can lead to a poor user experience and hurt your website’s SEO. Avoid setting up redirects for every minor URL change or for pages that have little traffic. Only set up redirects for important pages that receive significant traffic or backlinks.
Redirect Broken Links: Broken links can harm your website’s SEO and user experience. Use a tool like Broken Link Checker to find broken links on your website and set up 301 redirects to the appropriate pages. This will ensure that users and search engines can access the correct pages on your website.
Update Internal Links: When you set up redirects, don’t forget to update your internal links to point to the new URLs. This will ensure that users can access the correct pages from internal links on your website. You can use a plugin like Velvet Blues Update URLs to quickly update internal links.
Redirect Mobile Traffic: If you have a separate mobile version of your website, make sure to set up redirects for mobile traffic. This will ensure that mobile users are directed to the mobile version of your website, which will provide a better user experience.
Consider the Timing: If you are planning to migrate your website to a new platform or redesign your website, it’s important to set up redirects before making any changes. This will ensure that users and search engines can access the correct pages during the transition period.
By considering these additional factors, you can optimize your website’s redirects for a better user experience and improved SEO.
