Redirects for moved pages

Every page that has been online for a while has built up value: it ranks in Google, other sites link to it and visitors may have bookmarked it. Change the URL without doing anything else and you throw that value away in one go. A redirect prevents that: visitors and search engines are automatically sent on to the new address.

When do you need a redirect?

• You replace an old website with a new one and the URL structure changes.
• You rename a page, for example from /services-2/ to /web-design/.
• You merge two pages on the same topic into one strong page.
• You remove a product or service, but there is a good alternative.

How it works in Obelisk

In Obelisk you set up a redirect from an old address to a new one. A permanent redirect (308) tells Google the move is final, so the value you've built up transfers to the new page. Got lots of old addresses that follow the same pattern, such as /news/2019/article-name/? Then you don't have to enter them one by one: a single pattern redirects the whole series at once. An existing page always takes priority over a redirect, so you can never accidentally make a live page unreachable.

Renaming a page through the assistant? Ask straight away: "Also add a redirect from the old address to the new one." That way you'll never forget.

A concrete example

A bakery moves from an old system to Obelisk. Its cakes page lived at /index.php?page=cakes and ranked well for "order cake Deventer". Redirecting that address to /cakes/ keeps the ranking intact. Without a redirect, Google would eventually hit a 404, drop the page from its results, and the new page would have to start from scratch.

Common mistakes

• Sending everything to the homepage. Better than a 404, but a visitor looking for a specific page is still lost. Point to the most similar page instead.
• Redirect chains. A to B to C slows things down and loses signal. Send A straight to C.
• Temporary where it should be permanent. Only use a temporary redirect if the old page really is coming back.
• Forgetting internal links. Update links within your own site to the new address, so visitors don't needlessly pass through a redirect. Read more about internal link building.

Make it a habit

Before a big move, make a list of all existing URLs, for example from the old sitemap or your Search Console, and map each address to a new destination. After launch, check for a few weeks whether any 404 errors still come in and add the missing redirects. That way you move without denting your visibility. Choose your new addresses well from the start: tips are in readable URLs.