In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, a website is more than just a business card—it serves as the vital link connecting customers to your brand. However, website redesigns can pose significant risks, including drops in SEO rankings and loss of traffic. At Landelion, we understand these challenges and have developed a comprehensive 301 redirect SEO strategy to ensure your site maintains its search visibility and continues to attract potential customers after a redesign.

I. The Redirect Challenge During Website Redesigns

Websites often undergo redesigns to align with business changes, evolving user needs, or technological advancements. Yet, one of the most common pitfalls following a redesign is a decline in SEO rankings. A key factor contributing to this issue is improper handling of URL redirects. Landelion specializes in 301 redirect strategies to help you mitigate this risk.

What is a 301 Redirect? A 301 redirect, also known as a permanent redirect, is an HTTP status code that indicates a webpage or resource has been permanently moved to a new URL. When search engine crawlers access an old URL with a 301 redirect, they are directed to the new URL, and the search engines transfer the old URL’s authority and ranking signals to the new one. This process is essential for maintaining SEO performance during website redesigns.

II. 301 Redirects: Ensuring Seamless Transfer of Traffic and Authority
Before addressing redirect issues, it’s crucial to understand the types of URL and structure changes that may occur during a website redesign. This knowledge is vital for selecting the appropriate redirect method. Types of URL and structure changes:

• URL Remains the Same, Structure Changes: This common scenario occurs when the domain remains unchanged, but the page names or paths differ. For example, the original product page URL of the website was https://XXX.com/product.php, and after the redesign, it changed to https://XXX.com/goods.php. While the domain name remains the same, the page name at the end has been altered. In such cases, individual page redirects must be set up to ensure search engines correctly map the old URLs to the new ones, preventing traffic loss and rank declines.

• URL Changes, Structure Remains the Same: If your website changes its domain but keeps the same structure (e.g., from https://XXX.com/ to http://YYY.com/), the search engine will treat it as a new site. To preserve the website’s authority, you should implement domain-level redirects using methods like .htaccess and notify search engines via platforms like Google Search Console to transfer the site’s ranking power.

• Both URL and Structure Change: This is the most complex scenario, where both the domain and the site structure are altered. For instance, a simple informational site might be redesigned into a feature-rich e-commerce platform, with the URL changing from https://XXX.com/ to http://ZZZ.com/. In addition to notifying search engines of the domain change using Google Search Console, you must set up individual page redirects to ensure proper mapping of old URLs to new ones, safeguarding traffic and rankings.

III. Methods for Implementing 301 Redirects

• HTML Redirect: Implement the redirect directly in the new file by writing the redirect syntax.

• JavaScript Redirect: Use JavaScript within the <script> tags to perform the redirect, suitable for files that support JavaScript execution.

• PHP/ASP.NET Redirect: Implement redirects using server-side languages like PHP or ASP.NET for efficient and reliable redirection.

• .htaccess Redirect (Apache Only): Configure multiple redirects in the .htaccess file for Apache servers, offering a streamlined and effective solution.

IV. The Advantages of Landelion’s 301 Redirect SEO Strategy

• Precise Analysis: We conduct a thorough analysis of your website to determine the most suitable redirect approach.

• Professional Execution: Our team of experienced SEO experts ensures that all redirects are implemented accurately and without errors.

• Continuous Monitoring: Post-redirect, we continuously monitor your site’s performance and make necessary adjustments to optimize results.

• Guaranteed Results: With our 301 redirect SEO strategy, we ensure that your website maintains or even improves its SEO rankings after the redesign.

At Landelion, we understand the complexities of website redesigns and are committed to providing the most professional 301 redirect SEO solutions, ensuring your website continues to thrive online after the redesign. Choose Landelion to keep your brand at the top of search results and continue attracting potential customers!