As WordPress powers over 43% of all websites as of 2023, website owners increasingly need to understand URL redirection to manage growing sites. Implementing proper redirects is pivotal for avoiding negative SEO impacts and protecting user experience when updating site content and links.
This definitive guide will explore all facets of WordPress redirection to help you confidently manage URLs.
The Essential Role of URL Redirection
URL redirection automatically forwards visitors from old or changed web pages to new destinations. As WordPress usage continues to gain adoption for sites both small and large, redirects become essential for:
- Preserving SEO value when deleting or consolidating content
- Maintaining working links by redirecting changed URLs
- Seamlessly migrating sites to new domains or servers
- Temporarily sending pages to maintenance or coming soon pages
Per BuiltWith usage statistics, over 114 million live websites currently leverage WordPress. All those sites will eventually need to edit URLs for various reasons. Without proper redirects, broken visitor journeys lead to:
- Frustrated visitors reaching dead ends and 404 pages
- Lower rankings and lost organic traffic as internal links break
- Damaged user experience and credibility for site changes
Setting up correct redirects is not just best practice but essential for growing sites.
Types of Redirects
The specific type of redirect sends critical signals to visitors and search engines regarding the intended permanence of URL changes:
301 Redirects
301 redirects are the most common and indicate a page has permanently moved to a new location. Search engines will update their indexes to transfer any SEO value from the old URL and apply it to the new destination.
302 Redirects
302 redirects signal a temporary shift in URL. Search engines are instructed not to update the indexed page location, as it may revert back to the original address at any point.
Here are some additional redirect designations:
- 307 Redirects – Temporary redirects like 302s
- 303 Redirects – Prevent search engines from adding redirected pages to the index
- 404 Redirects – Send visitors to a custom 404 page
- Meta Refresh – HTML embedded browser redirects
Understanding the signals from redirect types allows implementing permanent shifts for deleted content while using temporary redirects for pages under development.
Getting the designation right is critical – according to Moz, over 50% of sites have some level of incorrect redirects causing issues.
Plugin Redirect Methods
For most users, WordPress redirection plugins offer the fastest way to safely manage redirects:
| Plugin | Redirect Types | Limitations |
| Redirection | 301, 302, 404 | 500 free redirects |
| Safe Redirect Manager | 301, 302, 307 | 500 free redirects |
| Simple 301 Redirects | 301 | 300 free redirects |
To demonstrate configuring redirects via plugin:
- Install and activate Redirection or another redirect plugin
- Navigate to Settings > Redirection
- Enter the old and new target URLs
- Choose 301 or 302 redirect type
- Save the redirect rule
- Use Fetch as Google in Search Console to validate
The benefit of plugins lies in easy UI without needing server access or coding knowledge. Downsides can include limits on redirects unless you upgrade.
Cloudflare Redirect Example
Cloudflare also offers flexible redirects:
- Log into Cloudflare and select your domain
- Navigate to the Page Rules tab
- Click Create Page Rule
- Enter the old URL under URLs to match
- Specify 301 or 302 under Settings
- Enter the new URL as the Forwarding URL
The key is selecting the specific redirect behavior needed from the available options.
SEO Impacts of Redirects
When managed effectively, redirects prevent negative SEO consequences from evolutions in site content and URLs over time. However, incorrect redirects also risk significant damage.
According to Moz, domains with known redirect errors show:
- 62% lower organic keyword visibility
- 24% average drop in ranking positions
- Increased landing page bounces from redirect chains breaking user experience
Conversely, proper redirects passed along SEO equity from old to new URLs.
Google also provides official guidance on use of redirects advising:
- 301 permanent redirects when deleting or consolidating content
- Targeting relevant pages with redirects to avoid confusion
- Allowing a short 5 second redirect delay for better UX
Following Google‘s recommendations avoids potential manual actions against sites violating their redirect guidelines.
Conclusion
As shown throughout this guide, URL redirection is a pivotal capability for managing evolving WordPress sites. Fortunately, WordPress offers flexible options for implementing 301, 302 and other redirects both via plugins and web server files like .htaccess.
The key is properly signaling intent to search engines whenever sites undergo changes in content or domain infrastructure. Maintaining user experience through redirects should remain top of mind for site owners as an indicator of overall brand quality.
Hopefully this guide has helped demystify the wealth of WordPress redirection options. Please share any feedback or questions on the latest best practices for managing redirects!
