How to Implement 301 Redirects for a Site Migration
301 redirects are what carry your users and ranking signals to the new pages. Here is how to set them up correctly, the difference between a 301 and a 302, and how Google handles 301s and link equity.
You implement 301 redirects by taking your completed URL map and creating a permanent redirect from each old URL to its new one, applied at server or platform level, then testing every one. A 301 is a permanent redirect and a 302 is temporary, so migrations almost always use 301s. Google follows the 301, updates its index to the new URL, and passes ranking signals (link equity) from old to new when the redirect points to a genuinely relevant page. Avoid redirect chains and errors, and test that each old URL returns a 301 to the correct page.
How to set them up, and 301 versus 302
You implement 301 redirects for a migration by taking your completed URL map and creating a permanent redirect from each old URL to its new one, applied at the server or platform level, then testing every redirect to confirm it points to the right place and returns the correct status. Working from a verified URL map means each rule is accurate; because 301s are what carry users and ranking signals to the new pages, setting them up correctly and testing them is central to a safe migration. The difference between a 301 and a 302 redirect is that a 301 is a permanent redirect that tells search engines the page has moved for good, while a 302 is a temporary redirect that signals the move is only for now, so for a migration you almost always want 301s. Using a 302 when you mean a permanent move can confuse search engines about which URL to keep; because migrations are permanent changes, 301 redirects are the correct choice for moving pages to their new homes.
Permanent (301)
The right type for a migration.
Relevant target
Point to the true equivalent.
Direct and tested
No chains, no errors.
How Google handles 301s, avoiding chains, and testing
Google handles 301 redirects by following them to the new URL, updating its index over time to the new address, and passing the ranking signals, often called link equity, from the old page to the new one, provided the redirect points to a genuinely relevant page. Redirecting to a closely matching page preserves far more value than sending everything to the homepage; because relevance affects how well signals carry across, pointing each 301 to its true equivalent is what protects rankings. You should avoid redirect chains and errors because chains, where one redirect points to another before reaching the final page, slow things down and can weaken how signals pass, while redirect errors leave pages unreachable, so both should be found and fixed. Clean, direct, single-hop redirects are the goal, and catching problems early is part of handling redirect errors after migration; because chains and errors undermine the very thing redirects are meant to protect, keeping redirects direct and error-free is an important part of implementation. You test redirects by checking that each old URL returns a 301 and lands on the correct new page, using crawling tools and spot checks across templates and your most important pages, before and after go-live. Testing catches missed mappings, wrong destinations and chains before they cost you. Because a redirect that is wrong is as damaging as one that is missing, thorough testing is an essential final step.
Redirects done right.
Signals carried across.
301 redirects are how your rankings travel to the new site. We build them from a verified URL map, use permanent 301s pointing to the true equivalent of each page, keep them direct with no chains, and test every one before and after go-live, so your link equity carries across cleanly.
Everything included in your plan:
One clear retainer. No setup fee.