In plain English
It is the instruction to update the index: forget the old URL, use this one. Almost all the accumulated value transfers.
Use it whenever a page has genuinely moved, been renamed, or been merged into another. Anything temporary needs a 302 instead.
What to know
Permanent
Search engines replace the old URL with the new one in their index.
Passes equity
Nearly all link value transfers through a single hop.
Cached hard
Browsers remember 301s aggressively, which makes mistakes awkward to undo.
Relevance matters
Redirect to the closest equivalent page, not to the homepage.
Why it matters
The 301 is the workhorse of every migration, rebrand and restructure. Used carefully it makes URL changes almost free; used carelessly it consolidates a site into a homepage that ranks for nothing.
Common mistakes
×Mass-redirecting removed pages to the homepage.
×Using 301 for a temporary change, then struggling to reverse it.
×Chaining 301s across successive migrations.
×Redirecting to a page that then redirects again.
FAQs
Does a 301 pass all the link value?
Nearly all of it, through a single hop. Chains lose more.
How long should redirects stay in place?
Indefinitely, if anything still links to the old URL. Removing them loses that value.
WRITTEN BY TARIQ SALLAM
Marketing Consultant. Entrepreneur. Content Creator.
I'm a marketing consultant, entrepreneur and content creator. I help businesses grow through practical marketing, websites, SEO, content and AI.
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