How It Works⚡️

Overview

Rapid301 is a tool that makes creating 301 redirect documents much, much faster. Simply enter your current site url and staging site url and Rapid301 will analyse the site structures and generate a redirect document. Then use the table to quickly check/confirm/update any redirects before exporting them as a .csv file or in the format needed for a .htaccess file.

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‍How to get the best results with Rapid301

For best results, be sure to rebuild pages on the current site that are driving traffic to the domain. That includes core pages, blogs/articles, case studies and the like. Once you have re-built/migrated the old pages and content across the new site, use Rapid301 to streamline the creation of the 301 redirect document.

It is a great idea to keep the url structure as similar as possible!

301-redirects. A step-by-step process

  1. Identify and rebuild pages with lots of traffic and link juice from the old/current site to the new/staging site, including blogs, case studies, articles and other CMS items.
  2. Enter the old/current url and new/staging url into Rapid301.
  3. Review Rapid301s results and make adjustments to your redirects in the easy-to-use table.
  4. Export your redirects as a .csv or text file, formatted so it can easily be copied into your htaccess file.
  5. Ensure the redirects are added to your site when you connect the domain to the staging site.
  6. Check the links to ensure they have been setup correctly.

Bonus: Upload the new sitemap to Google Search Console.

‍What you get

  • Sitemaps and links found on the current site and staging site, including all broken links.
  • Best matched redirects sorted by confidence score.
  • Easy to use table for reviewing and quickly updating your 301 redirect document.
  • Export as a .csv or text file in the required format for .htaccess
  • Dashboard for managing your migrations.

Important, please read!

It is important to mention that Rapid301 is a tool designed to streamline a the 301 redirect creation workflow, it is not a replacement for SEO experts.

If you don't have similar URLs or you notice a hallucination or something peculiar, make all the necessary adjustments before exporting the redirects. Before uploading any redirects, it is strongly recommended to thoroughly check each matched URL to ensure its accuracy.

It is also important to be aware that there may be some SEO implications when using Rapid301's services, and that some loss of ranking, traffic, or visibility may occur. Be sure to monitor the migration and address any potential issues that may arise to ensure the migration is successful. Always conduct a post-migration audit to confirm the migration was successful.

Please view our terms and conditions and privacy policy before using.

If you have any questions, click the button to get in touch.

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The Ultimate Guide to 301-Redirects in 2024

Introduction

When rebuilding or migrating a website, one of the most important but often overlooked tasks is setting up 301-redirects. So what are 301-redirects and why are they important?

Every link on the current site has a certain amount of "link juice" which has been earned as a result of hard-work in SEO, building backlinks etc.

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Links with large amounts of "link juice" are responsible for driving traffic to your site. It's critically important that we keep this "link juice" flowing to keep Search Engines happy and prevent loss of traffic to our site. 301-redirects (permanent redirects) are what do this.

This guide will take you through a step-by-step process of identifying key pages, creating your redirect document, and streamlining the entire process.

Why 301-Redirects Matter

301-redirects tell search engines that a page has permanently moved to a new location, ensuring that the authority and backlinks of the old URL transfer to the new one.

If the URL has changed and no 301-redirect has been setup, users will end up at a 404 page and bad things will happen.

Your site will have broken links, see a loss in traffic, and a decline in your site's SEO performance - your overall site authority can take a big hit.

To prevent this, each URL on the old site must have a corresponding page or 301-redirect setup on the new site.

(imagine doing this manually for sites with 100's or 1000's of pages!)

The 301-Redirect Process

Here’s a quick overview of how to approach creating your 301-redirect plan:

  1. Identify pages with authority and backlinks: Focus on high-traffic, high-authority pages.
  2. Rebuild those key pages: Make sure these pages are a priority in your site rebuild.
  3. Create a redirect document: Map out the old URLs to their new counterparts to maintain a smooth transition.

How to Identify Pages That Need to Be Rebuilt

To determine which pages to prioritise, use these tools to analyse page authority and backlinks:

  • Google Search Console: A tool to see which pages are driving the most traffic (free)
  • ScreamingFrog: Crawl your site and assess the importance of each URL. (free for 500 pages)
  • Semrush: Semrush is a powerful SEO tool that provides comprehensive insights into your website’s performance, including backlink profiles, keyword rankings, and site audits. (paid)
  • Neil Patel’s UberSuggest: UberSuggest is a more user-friendly and budget-friendly alternative that offers backlink analysis, keyword suggestions, and competitor research (paid)
  • Ahrefs Webmaster Tools: Offer basic insights into backlinks and site performance without requiring a paid subscription (free or paid)

Considerations for Changing Site URL Structure

When rebuilding, it’s always a good idea to keep the link structure as close to the original as possible, especially for blogs, case studies, and other content-heavy sections. This not only helps with SEO but also makes it easier for tools that can help automate the creation of 100's or 1000's or links way more accurate.

For example:

Old site: https://mydomain.com/blogs/the-best-way-to-manage-redirects
New site: https://mydomain.com/articles/the-best-way-to-manage-redirects

Note that although blogs changed to articles, the rest of the url path has been kept the same.

What If the Old Service or Content Is No Longer Available?

If a service or product is no longer offered, redirect the old URL to the most relevant or similar page on your new site. If no direct replacement exists, redirect to a resource page or your homepage to keep the traffic flowing.

For example:

Old site: https://mydomain.com/services/service-that-does-not-exist-anymore
New site: https://mydomain.com/services

Note that as the service doesn't exist, it redirects to services - not the home page.

The Traditional Approach to Creating 301-Redirects

Previously, creating 301-redirects involved manually scraping the old site, identifying relevant new pages, and matching URLs one by one. This method required tools like Google Sheets and custom scripts to map out the old URLs to the new ones, and while it worked, it was a labor-intensive and error-prone process.

The Modern Solution: Rapid301

Enter Rapid301, which automates the entire process, saving you hours of manual labor.

Rapid301 scrapes both the old and new sites, automatically matches the most relevant pages, and provides an easy-to-use interface where you can quickly review and adjust the redirects.

Then you can simply export the CSV file or .htaccess (more on this later) and add the redirects to the platform the new site is built on.

File Types for 301-Redirects: CSV and .htaccess

When dealing with bulk redirects, different platforms use different file formats. The format you need to use will be determined by the platform you are building the new website on.

CSV Files: CSV files are simple text files used for bulk uploading data, including 301-redirects. Each line represents a record, with old and new URLs separated by commas. They're easy to manage using spreadsheet tools and are ideal for handling large numbers of redirects efficiently.

.htaccess Files: .htaccess files are configuration files used by Apache servers, commonly in WordPress. They control server behavior, including 301-redirects, through rewrite rules. Unlike CSVs, .htaccess files are more technical and allow for advanced redirection setup

Platforms and Their Preferred File Types

Here’s a quick overview of popular platforms and the file formats they support for managing 301-redirects:

  • Webflow: CSV files
  • WordPress (Apache-based): .htaccess files
  • Shopify: CSV files
  • Squarespace: Manual redirects (can support CSV through third-party tools)
  • Wix: Internal tool for redirects (manual bulk uploads may not always be available)

301-Redirects In Webflow

If you’re handling many redirects in Webflow, consider using Finsweet’s 301-Redirect Bulk Uploader, which makes bulk uploading 301s straightforward and efficient. It’s a great way to ensure all your important pages are redirected without a hitch.

IMPORTANT: Make sure you do this before adding the custom domain / changing the DNS settings of the old site.

Here's the process:

  1. Open the project settings.
  2. Select Publishing.
  3. If you wish to use FinSweet for Bulk Upload of 301's, make sure the browser extension extension is installed and it the permissions set correctly on Webflow (the button will appear)
  4. Click Bulk Import
  5. Upload the redirect CSV file you created/exported from Rapid301.

Conclusion

301-redirects are an essential part of any site migration or rebuild, and they play a critical role in preserving your hard-earned SEO.

Using tools like Rapid301, you can automate the tedious and time-consuming aspects of process, reduce errors, and save valuable time.

If you want to ensure your redirects are setup correctly and efficiently, give Rapid301 a try today —streamline your migrations and keep your site’s SEO intact!

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