SEO demands simplicity. Content should be consumer-friendly; layouts should be responsive; and links should never redirect.

That last point often proves the most difficult to achieve.

Redirection is the process of forwarding a web page to another URL. It typically occurs when links are broken (whether by new codes, changed domain names or accidental duplications). Many companies suffer from this problem, but few spare the time to fix it.

This is a mistake.

Redirects negatively impact SERP rankings, undoing even the best SEO efforts. As web-crawlers scan a site’s internal coding, they eventually stumble upon the broken links. This causes confusion, with the crawlers unable to determine the proper locations of specific pages. Thinking this could be a black-hat technique, they flag the links and deliver a warning.

If that warning is ignored - or if the redirected pages remain - penalties can often be issued, resulting in lowered SERPs and weakened credibility.

It’s imperative, therefore, that companies maintain their URLs. Avoid redirects whenever possible and regularly test all links. Don’t let one awkward code create a bevy of problems.

To learn more about redirection and its impact on SEO contact Webstager.