301 Redirects: Redirecting your site, folders and pages
Submitted by paul on Tue, 2006-09-26 13:48.
This is just the beginning of this post. I will add much more later.
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How To Install a 301 Redirect
(This is for Apache servers ONLY - so check with your host if you’re not sure what you have. [ view hosts using apache servers ] If you have a MicroSoft server, I can’t help you… use our Google search box above to search for “301 Redirect using IIS”.)
The 301 Redirect : Class 101
A 301 redirect is typically the most spider and visitor friendly means for implementing a strategy to preserve your search engine rankings as well as pages that visitors have previously bookmarked - for pages that are no-longer there due to being moved, removed, or renamed.
For Apache based servers, a 301 redirect is coded into your .htaccess file.
What is a .htaccess file?
A .htaccess file is: a file typically located in your root directory that your web server checks for when a visitor or search engine spider requests a web page on your website. The .htaccess file contains specific instructions for certain types of requests, including security, redirection issues, missing pages and how to handle certain types of errors.
What is a 301 redirect?
The code “301″ is interpreted by the server and notifies the browser or search engine spider that the page(s) has “moved permanently”. Included in the code is the URL of the missing or renamed page(s), followed by the new location or file name.
How do I install a 301 redirect?
First, download the .htaccess file from the root directory of your website. If there is no .htaccess file there, you can simply create one with Notepad or a similar ASCII text editor. Be sure when you name the file that you put the “.” at the beginning of the file name. This file has no suffix for file type - just call it: .htaccess
If there is a .htaccess file already in your root directory, and it already contains lines of code, be sure NOT to change any existing code unless you are VERY familiar with the functions of the code.
Leave a line space after any existing code, then create a new line of code like this (using your domain and file names where applicable):
redirect 301 /oldFolder/oldPage.htm http://www.yoursite.com/newPage.htm
It’s that easy. Save the file, and upload it back into your server to test it out. You can do so by typing in the old address of the page you’ve changed/moved/removed. You should immediately be brought to the new page.
NOTE: Make sure NOT to add “http://www” to the FIRST part of the code (after ‘301′) - just input the path from the root level of your site to the page name.
Also, be sure that you leave a single space between these elements:
redirect 301 (the instruction that the page has moved)
/oldFolder/oldPage.htm (the original folder path and file name)
http://www.yoursite.com/newPage.htm (new path and file name)
Redirecting entire folders and sites with 301 redirect.
The 301 command is very powerful. You can redirect not just single files but entire folders, or even entire web sites - for example when changing domain names.
Redirecting Entire Folders:
Categories: Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
