Posted on May 29th, 2010To know more about 301 redirect, you have to understand what to do with them when you experience them as well as what they really do. They are a technical method that provides a link to redirect to another link and site.
Most businesses will purchase multiple domain names to stop their competition from using the .com, .org, and .nets that are similar to their domain name that will attract their intended traffic. Some people even go as far as purchasing domain names with misspellings to secure their potential customers and limit their competition. The problem with this mentality for business domains is the major search engines frown upon it when businesses have multiple websites with duplicate or identical content.
To use the 301 redirect, place the redirect on your website. This then tells the search engines where to locate your preferred website. This also helps your business when someone mistypes the website domain so they will be directed to the right site you want them to locate. When you use the 301 redirect, you make the search engines happy and help you avoid needing to create multiple websites just to get your site traffic. Now to find out how to add the redirect to your site.
Some website hosts have the options within their tools for setting up the website. If you host does not offer this option, you can use JavaScript Meta refresh technique for the addition. Be careful with this method since spammers use this method and you do not want the search engines to get the wrong idea about what you are trying to accomplish with the true intentions.
Here is how to redirect the sites with both Linux and Windows platforms. The first are instructions for Linux with Windows following.
Linux:
- Go to the website you want to direct from. Example: www.mycompany1.com to www.mycompany 2.com. Then put the following information into the root directory of www.mycompany1.com.
- Create an .htaccess file using the code. “Redirect 301/directory-on-mycompany1.htm http//:www.mycompany2.com/”
- Remember to save the file in the root directory for the website as “htaccess.”
- Upload the file to your web server.
- Test the file by using the old site address to make sure it redirects you to the new site.
Windows:
- use the following code: < % Response.Status=”301 Moved Permanently” Response.AddHeader “Location”, ” http//:www.mycompany2.com “>
- Use the same methods of saving the file to the root directory and web server.
The new 301 redirect will safely let the search engines now to use the new site instead of the old site. The search engines will recognize the sites are the same without losing time locating the new site you want to use for your business. This technique allows for continued web traffic without wasting time to create more domains and websites.