Setting up URL redirects can be an important part of managing your links, especially when you're making updates to your website or redirecting traffic for specific marketing campaigns. With URLShortly, you can easily set up URL redirects to guide users to the right destinations.
In this article, we’ll guide you through the steps of setting up URL redirects on URLShortly and explain why they are useful for your link management.
Step 1: What Are URL Redirects?
URL redirects, also known as URL forwarding, allow you to send users from one URL to another automatically. There are several types of redirects, including:
301 Redirect (Permanent): This tells search engines that the page has moved permanently and that they should update their index.
302 Redirect (Temporary): This tells search engines that the page has moved temporarily and they should continue to index the original URL.
Meta Refresh Redirects: This type of redirect is set through the HTML meta tag on the webpage and is often used for very short redirects.
URL redirects are especially useful when you need to:
Change the URL of a page but still want to maintain traffic to the original URL.
Consolidate multiple URLs into a single, more streamlined destination.
Track the effectiveness of different link destinations or marketing campaigns.
Step 2: Why You Should Use URL Redirects
Here’s why setting up URL redirects is important:
SEO Benefits: Redirects help you maintain SEO rankings by transferring link equity (or link juice) from the old URL to the new one.
Improved User Experience: If a page has been moved or deleted, redirects help guide users to the right content without encountering a 404 error page.
Link Management: With URLShortly’s redirection feature, you can manage and track all your redirects easily from a single dashboard.
Step 3: Log in to URLShortly
To set up URL redirects, first, you need to log in to your URLShortly account. Once logged in, navigate to the Short Links section of the dashboard.
Step 4: Create a Short Link
Before setting up a redirect, you need a short link to work with. If you haven’t already created a short link, you can do so by entering your long URL in the provided field and clicking Shorten.
Once you have the short link, click on the link you want to edit to manage its settings.
Step 5: Set Up the Redirect
In the link settings page, you’ll find an option to Set Up Redirect or Modify Redirect. Here's how to set it up:
Enter the Destination URL: This is the URL where you want users to be redirected. It could be a new page, a different website, or a specific landing page.
Choose the Redirect Type: URLShortly allows you to choose between different types of redirects:
301 Redirect (Permanent): Use this when the original URL has permanently moved to a new destination.
302 Redirect (Temporary): Use this if you only need a temporary redirection (e.g., for seasonal campaigns).
Save Changes: After entering the destination URL and selecting the redirect type, click Save to apply the changes.
Step 6: Test the Redirect
After setting up the redirect, it’s important to test it to ensure that it works correctly. Here’s how to do that:
Copy the shortened URL that you just created with the redirect.
Paste the URL into your browser.
Check if the link automatically redirects to the destination URL you specified.
If the redirect is working properly, the destination page should load without any issues.
Step 7: Monitor Redirect Performance
Just like regular short links, URL redirects can be tracked. URLShortly provides analytics for all your short links, including those with redirects. You can track:
Clicks: How many times users clicked the redirected link.
Geography: Where the clicks are coming from.
Devices: Whether users clicked on the link from a desktop, mobile, or tablet.
Referrers: Which websites or platforms referred users to the link.
This data can help you understand the effectiveness of your redirects and make improvements as needed.
Step 8: Use Redirects for Marketing Campaigns
URL redirects are useful for running marketing campaigns. Here are a few ways to use them:
Promotional Campaigns: If you’re running a time-sensitive promotion or sale, use a custom short link with a redirect to guide users to the landing page.
Affiliate Marketing: Use redirects to track which affiliates are driving traffic to your products or services.
Seasonal Updates: If your website changes based on the season (e.g., special deals during holidays), use redirects to send users to the appropriate page for the current campaign.
Step 9: Redirect Best Practices
To make the most of URL redirects, follow these best practices:
Use 301 Redirects for Permanent Changes: If a page or product has moved permanently, always use a 301 redirect to preserve SEO rankings.
Don’t Overuse Redirects: Too many redirects can slow down your website and create unnecessary complexity.
Monitor Regularly: Regularly check your redirects to ensure that they are still relevant and functioning as expected.
Use Descriptive Slugs: If possible, create short links with descriptive slugs that indicate the content of the redirected page.
Conclusion
Setting up URL redirects with URLShortly is an easy and effective way to manage your website traffic, improve user experience, and ensure that your links always lead to the right destination. Whether you’re handling a rebranding project, managing seasonal campaigns, or simply need to ensure smooth navigation for your users, URL redirects are an essential tool.
Start using URL redirects today to keep your links in top shape and boost your website's overall performance!