WordPress 301 Redirects: A Guide for SEO

301 redirects are crucial for website maintenance and SEO. They guide users from an old URL to a new one, preventing 404 errors and preserving SEO value. This involves permanently changing a URL, such as when a page is deleted or a site moves to a new domain. The article details three methods to implement 301 redirects in WordPress. The first involves directly editing the .htaccess file on the server, adding a line like ‘Redirect 301 /page-1 /page-2'. This method, while effective, is less practical for managing numerous redirects. A second approach utilizes Cloudflare's Rules feature. Within the Cloudflare dashboard, a redirect rule is created, specifying the old URL, the new URL, and the 301 status code. This method is advantageous for its ease of use and management without server access. Finally, the article highlights the use of the Yoast SEO Premium plugin, offering a user-friendly interface to manage redirects. This method allows adding, editing, and deleting redirects easily, even offering warnings to avoid redirect loops. The Yoast plugin also features an automated redirect option when deleting posts or pages. Each method effectively achieves the same result; however, the server-side .htaccess method is less scalable, while Cloudflare and Yoast SEO provide more user-friendly and manageable solutions, particularly for larger websites or blogs with frequent URL changes. Choosing the right method depends on technical expertise and website infrastructure. Ignoring 301 redirects can lead to broken links, impacting user experience and SEO rankings.

(Source: https://yoast.com/create-301-redirect-wordpress/)