When to use a 301 redirect
- A page has moved to a new URL, or you have merged two pages into one.
- You move a whole website to a new domain.
- You switch from HTTP to HTTPS, or between the www and non-www versions of your address.
- You delete a page that has a close replacement.
301 redirects and SEO
Google treats a 301 as a strong signal that the new URL should be shown in search, and links pointing at the old URL keep helping the new one. To get the most from them:
- Redirect each old URL to the most relevant new page, not everything to the home page.
- Avoid chains (A to B to C) and loops: point old URLs straight to the final address.
- Update your own internal links and your sitemap to use the new URLs.
- Keep redirects in place for at least a year, and ideally for good.
For a temporary move, use a 302 redirect instead. For a page that is gone with no replacement, return a 404 or 410 status code.