redirect mistakes

Website migration or redesign on the horizon? Your success might hinge on something seemingly small: your redirect map. One of the costliest redirect mistakes happens before launch, with no plan for your old URL.

Strategic redirects are about preserving equity and user trust. A common and damaging error is lazily redirecting all old pages to the homepage. This destroys the specific relevance and SEO value of those archived pages, confusing users and search engines alike.

The correct approach is a meticulous, page-by-page mapping of old URLs to their most relevant new counterparts. This prevents a future of broken links and 404 errors that can tank your post-launch traffic.

Another subtle but serious redirect mistake is using the wrong type. Always use a 301 (permanent) redirect for permanent moves like migrations.

Using a 302 (temporary) can prevent link equity from properly transferring to the new page, starving it of ranking power. This is a foundational technical rule that can make or break your new site's visibility.

Have you created and tested your redirect map yet, or is that looming as a last-minute panic task before launch?