Web Forwarding using the '301 Redirect'
The 301 redirect is the recommended search engine friendly redirect to use. This redirect method is entirely Google friendly and recommended. Most importantly Google PR is passed to the target URL when a 301 redirect is performed. This is not the case with a 302 or Masked type.
If you have a primary website and wish to redirect alternative domain names to your website, this is the recommended forwarding method by Google:
"People access your site through several different URLs. If, for example, your home page can be reached in multiple ways - for instance, http://example.com/home, http://home.example.com, or http://www.example.com - it's a good idea to pick one of those URLs as your preferred (canonical) destination, and use 301 redirects to send traffic from the other URLs to your preferred URL. You can also use Webmaster Tools to set your preferred domain." - Google Webmasters
All of the major search engines treat 301 redirects in the same way. They all ignore the original URL and simply index the target URL. So, when are the best times to use a 301 redirect?
You should use a 301 redirect when:
- you have registered a new secondary domain for your primary site
- your primary site URL has changed
- you have moved your site to a different domain
- you have implemented a URL rewrite
We offer three different styles of web forwarding and redirection with every domain name:
- 301 Redirect (Permanent) Web Forwarding
- 302 Redirect (Temporary) Web Forwarding
- Masked / Cloaked Web Forwarding
The Masked, 301 and 302 Redirect features are provided at no additional cost with all domain names. For more assistance visit the Domain Help Sheet. If you have problems setting up your forwarding contact our Helpdesk.
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