Redirects Done Right: Keeping Your SEO When URLs Change

Whenever a page’s URL changes — during a redesign, a tidy-up, or a move to a new site — anyone who follows the old address needs to be sent to the new one. That is what a redirect does, and getting it right protects both visitors and your rankings.

Redirects sound simple, and the right one is, but the wrong type or a tangled set of them can lose traffic, confuse Google and create slow, broken journeys. A little care here prevents a lot of pain later.

Permanent versus temporary

A 301 redirect tells Google the move is permanent. It passes the old page’s ranking signals to the new URL, which is what you want when a page has genuinely and lastingly moved.

A 302 is for temporary moves and tells Google to keep the old URL in mind. Using a 302 for a permanent change is a common mistake that can stop the new page inheriting the old one’s authority properly.

Avoiding chains and loops

A redirect chain is when page A redirects to B, which redirects to C. Each hop slows the journey and dilutes signals. Always redirect straight to the final destination rather than through old intermediate URLs.

A redirect loop — where pages redirect back and forth endlessly — breaks the page entirely. Both are easy to create accidentally over years of changes, so it is worth auditing redirects periodically and flattening any chains.

Redirecting the right way

When you move a page, redirect it to the most relevant equivalent, not just the homepage. Sending every old URL to the homepage frustrates visitors and wastes the signals the old page had earned.

During a site migration, map every old URL to its new home before launch. Missing redirects are one of the biggest causes of traffic drops after a redesign, and they are almost entirely preventable with proper planning.