301 Redirect

A permanent HTTP redirect that passes link equity to the new URL and is the standard for SEO-friendly URL changes.

HTTP 301 (Moved Permanently) is the standard response for permanently relocated content. When Googlebot encounters a 301, it updates its index to the destination URL and consolidates link equity — the PageRank built up by inbound links to the original URL flows to the new URL. This transfer happens gradually over several crawl cycles, not instantly.

Use 301 redirects for: HTTP to HTTPS migration, domain name changes (rebranding), URL restructuring, removing trailing slashes (or adding them consistently), and merging duplicate pages. The old URL should ideally remain permanently redirected rather than returning to a 404 after some time.

Common mistake: using 302 (temporary) instead of 301 for what are actually permanent changes. This causes Google to retain the old URL in its index, split link equity between old and new, and delay ranking consolidation at the new URL.