What is a 301 redirect?
A 301 redirect is an HTTP response that indicates a resource has permanently moved to a new URL, passing on to that new address most of the SEO value accumulated by the old one.
Why it's essential on an online store
A store evolves: categories get renamed, the URL structure changes, a platform migration happens, or the domain name changes. With every address change, old external links, results already indexed by Google and customers' bookmarks still point to the old URL.
Without a 301 redirect, those visitors land on a 404 error and the rankings earned by the old page (backlinks, age, positioning) are lost. With a 301 redirect, traffic is automatically sent to the new page and most of that SEO capital is transferred to it.
A concrete example
During a migration, an old URL such as /index.php?id_product=42&controller=product can be redirected with a 301 to a clean new URL such as /housse-coussin-lin.html. These rules are usually defined in the server configuration (the .htaccess file on Apache) or via a dedicated redirects module.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a 301 redirect and a 302 redirect?
How long should a 301 redirect be kept?
Can several 301 redirects be chained together?
Describe your need in one minute
A few targeted questions so I can reply with an estimate rather than another questionnaire.