If you’re new to building niche sites, you will need to learn . Getting it wrong can mess up your rankings and leave users confused about where the information they need is. Below are a few different solutions ranging from easy to highly technical to help you get it right.
What Are Page Redirects In A ?
Page redirects are the intentional (and sometimes unintentional, in the case of hackers and malware) forwarding of a URL to a new . This will send users and search engines to the new rather than the original the page was published under.
An example of this would be:
Page A: https://nichepursuits.com/understanding-google-penguin
A new, more comprehensive article is written covering Google Core Algorithm updates, and all previous articles on the topic need to be redirected. The new link now looks like this:
Page B: https://nichepursuits.com/google-core-algorithm-updates
Anytime someone lands on Page A, this is what will happen.
Page A → Page B
Why Pages or URLs?
There are various reasons that someone would want to learn . Most of the time, a page is no longer available, and the link needs to be forwarded to a , such as the .
Often, pages will be removed if they no longer serve a purpose, such as a one-time sales page that is no longer available or an article that is out of date and no longer relevant. If left redirected, these pages would lead to errors that could hurt user experience and SEO.
More complex SEO techniques such as link sculpting and siloing may require you to older pages to newer ones.
Why Not Use A ?
Redirecting pages isn’t ideal since it can slow things down for users. Many SEO experts also believe that any authority built up from the page isn’t fully passed on when redirecting one page to another, though there isn’t a consensus.
To avoid redirects, you must plan out your site architecture before starting building. This also entails having a solid content strategy with URLs mapped out.
Make sure that you change your URL settings in so that permalinks are the page title instead of the default permalink settings. Also, make sure that you have the exact URL set up correctly before you publish the page or post.
Even with previous planning and having everything mapped out, though, you will eventually have to a page.
When Do You Need a in ?
Anytime a page on your website moves from one URL to another; you must set up a .
Usually, this will be a , which tells crawlers that a page has permanently moved to the . This contrasts with a 302 that tells search engines a move is only temporary.
Even if you don’t have an intended URL to a page to, you shouldn’t leave it as-is. Try finding or a similar page on your website to fulfill the user’s intent. If no such page exists, then forwarding the page to your website’s homage is also a good option.
How to Set Up Page and URL Redirects in
There are a few different ways to learn . These range from using plugins and other tools to more complex manual methods.
If you aren’t comfortable changing things on the backend of your website, you may consider using a , which we will discuss later.
Setting Up Automated Redirects
Automatic redirects can be performed through many of the plugins in the directory. I recommend if you are looking for a robust and SEO solution. However, any of the below talked-about plugins will work.
The process of setting up automatic redirects will be different for each . Most will allow you to set up a rule such as automatic redirecting to the . However, you will need to view the documentation of your of choice to ensure you are doing it correctly.
Setting Up Manual Redirects
With automatic redirects, plugins and SEO plugins with capabilities such as Yoast SEO will allow you to manage the process manually. This can be handy when the fails to detect and rules to a page.
To set up manual redirects, you first must identify what the intended purpose of the page the error was detected on was. Many times, 404 errors are triggered by bots looking for your login page or similarly essential areas. These can often be redirected to the homepage.
However, you may also notice 404 errors when someone tries to search a page directly but mistypes the URL. These will need to be redirected to the correct page or the page with the closest ability to answer user intent.
Setting Up Wildcard Redirects
Wildcard redirects allow you to a set of URLs that share some kind of common elements. An example of this would be changing the structure of your permalinks. The wildcard will send people who land on a page with the old structure to the new intended structure.
A typical example of this would be if you’ve changed the permalinks for posts from /blog/post-name to /category/post-name. In this case, setting up a wildcard will ensure people land on the correct pages.
Many plugins will let you handle wildcard redirects. However, the feature is not standard across the board, so check the documentation to ensure it does what you need.
Best Plugins For Handling Redirects In
If learning manually proves a bit complex, using a is the next best option. Below are the top plugins for redirecting pages in , covering the pros and cons of each.
1. Yoast SEO
Yoast SEO is one of the most popular SEO plugins ever, with over 5 million active installs. Aside from general SEO automation, Yoast can give you complete reports about your technical SEO, content, and overall health.
The also allows you to automate redirects and has an automated 404 detector to help you avoid missing page errors. This is my recommendation for the best due to its extensive functionality.
Pros of Yoast SEO:
- Full SEO tool suite
- Automatic 404 detection
- Automatic redirects
Cons of Yoast SEO:
- Sometimes conflicts with other plugins
2. Rank Math SEO
Rank Math SEO is the new kid on the block and one of the top competitors with plugins like Yoast SEO and All in One SEO. One of the primary selling points of Rank Math is the robust free version.
There is a premium version, but many users will find they can get by without it. One major downside I’ve seen is the frequent updates that tend to break different aspects of your site.
Pros of Rank Math SEO:
- Feature-rich free version
- Automatic 404 detector
- Easy to use feature
Cons of Rank Math SEO:
- Updates often break site
3. Quick Page/Post Redirects
The Quick Page/Post Redirects provides a simple way to individual pages without all of the complex setup of an SEO . This is an open-source which means it’s offered free of charge.
For international users, the is available in seven languages, including Dutch, German, English, and multiple dialects of Spanish. The interface is simple to use for less experienced users.
Pros of Quick Page/Post Redirects:
- Simple interface
- Free, open-source
- Easy to setup redirects
Cons of Quick Page/Post Redirects:
- Infrequent updates
Check Out Quick Post Redirects
4. WP 301 Redirects
WP 301 Redirects is a freemium that allows you to monitor for broken and quickly fix them. While not as feature-rich as Yoast SEO and similar plugins, many valuable tools can help your SEO efforts.
Aside from a 404 monitor and option, the premium comes with an outbound link checker. This will let you know about any broken links or links to potentially malicious websites:
Pros of WP 301 Redirects:
- Active 404 monitor
- Outbound link analyzer
- Easy settings
Cons of WP 301 Redirects:
- Similar price to more feature-rich plugins
5. Redirects
Redirects is one of the most popular plugins in the directory for dealing with 301-page redirects. The has over two million downloads and has remained free over the years.
The comes equipped with a interface and the ability to create conditional redirects. There is also a 404 monitor ensuring that you won’t miss any pages that need to be redirected.
Pros of Redirects:
- Thorough 404 monitor
- Simple and conditional redirects
- Completely free
Cons of Redirects:
- Need for other plugins to handle SEO
is a good option if you’re looking for a no-frills but easy-to-use . The provides a minimally designed interface stripping out the extra features other plugins have.
The downside here is that you may need other plugins such as Yoast SEO if you want to take care of different aspects of your website quickly. Also, note that this does not contain an error monitor, which may be an issue for some.
Pros of :
- Simple interface
- No unnecessary features
- Actively updated
Cons of :
- Lacks an error monitor
Check Out Safe Redirect Manager
7. All In One SEO
All In One SEO is another full SEO suite and another of the most popular plugins for handling optimization on . The has over three million active installations and is marketed towards less experienced users looking for an easier way to manage SEO tasks.
The offers active 404 monitoring and lets you set up easy 301 redirects. More experienced users can also benefit from the ability to set up more complex redirects such as 302 and 307 redirects.
Pros of All In One SEO:
- Complete SEO suite
- Active 404 monitoring
- Simple and complex redirects
Cons of All In One SEO:
- No content analysis like Yoast SEO
8. SEO
SEO Manager is another that allows you to handle both complex and straightforward redirects. The handles simple 301 redirects and will enable you to set 302, 307, and wild card redirects.
The is actively updated and is open source, giving you everything you need without the high price tag. Note that this doesn’t come with a 404 monitor or some other standard features usually included with plugins.
Pros of SEO :
- Simple and complex redirects
- Handles wild card redirects
- Easy to use interface
Cons of SEO :
- No 404 monitor
9. 404 Solution
The 404 Solution for provides a simple to use and easily configurable solution for dealing with 404 errors. This is a newer but offers an excellent alternative to complete SEO tools like Yoast and All In One SEO for people who don’t need those features.
You can actively monitor 404 errors in real-time and set up quick redirects to ensure that users aren’t landing on the wrong pages using the . The is free, actively updated, and shouldn’t slow down your website.
Pros of 404 Solutions:
- Active 404 error monitor
- Simple to set up redirects
- Easy to automate
Cons of Using 404 Solution:
- More complex features
Common Questions About
While the above information covers extensively , here are the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions on the topic to make things even easier.
What Are The Different Types Of Redirects?
In total, there are five different types of page redirects that you can use in or any other CMS or custom-built website. The types include:
- 301 – Permanent Redirects
- 302 – Found Redirects
- 303 – See Other
- 307 –
- 308 – (Similar to 307)
You will only find yourself using 301 redirects for the average . Unless you’re an experienced web developer, avoid using any others.
How Do Redirects Affect SEO?
Redirects affect SEO by telling a that a page is no longer active and has moved. This is especially important when a page is well-ranking and getting search traffic.
Redirecting that page to another appropriate page helps the understand that this is intended to fulfill the search intent of the redirected page. When done incorrectly, redirects can cause a website to lose considerable traffic.
How Do Redirects Affect User Experience?
Redirects affect user experience by ensuring that anyone who visits your website doesn’t land on an error page. Done correctly, redirects can help users satisfy search intent by sending them from an inactive page to another similar page.
Improper redirects to irrelevant pages can lead to a negative user experience and higher bounce rates, potentially affecting your search rankings.
Should I Use A For Redirects?
You should use a for redirects if you don’t feel comfortable modifying your website’s ..
It is possible to mess up your website by improperly applying redirects through .. While it isn’t hard to learn how to do this, always make sure you back up your website.
Final Thoughts:
Learning is essential if you plan on managing your website. All website owners, whether you operate an authority site, niche website, or eCommerce website, will benefit from learning this skill.
While it’s optimal to learn how to pages manually, less technically-inclined site owners can still benefit from plugins that perform the task. What’s essential is that you your pages to other relevant pages on your website that fulfill user intent.
Ultimately, learning will be a net positive that can help you avoid losing traffic or other potentially catastrophic issues.
