05 Feb Choose the Best 301 Redirect Plugin for WordPress 2021
A 301 Redirect is a mechanism to change the URL automatically from one to the other when the first one is accessed. It’s a common mechanism understood throughout the internet, used mostly for SEO purposes.
This mechanism can also control 404 errors, which occur when there is no content on a previously available URL. The content is either deleted or moved to a new URL.
If your website posts 404 errors for all the previous URLs, you need to check the existing permalink structure. You must have changed it, which reset the whole structure. Or if this issue is for few specific URLs, then go ahead and use any of the following plugins.
So, without going into any further details, let’s start with the plugins that can let you handle or implement 301 redirects on a WordPress website or blog.
#1 WP 301 Redirects
WP 301 Redirects is a plugin that allows you to solve all the problems regarding expired links and bad traffic. Whether you update your URL, change it, or have a typo in it, WP 301 Redirects has you covered. Besides making you look less professional, bad links, old content, and typos result in a loss of traffic, followed by a loss in conversions and users.
With WP 301 Redirects, you can again gain new users, have traffic and conversions. The plugin will boost meaningful traffic by redirecting the users to the actual website they wanted to visit instead of getting a 404 error. Also, you can rest easy knowing that bots are ignored by this and won’t access your website.
Furthermore, when you change your URL, WP 301 Redirects will ensure that users get redirected from your old URLs to new websites. Furthermore, it doesn’t matter if the URL is changed or you need outgoing affiliate links.
Another great feature this plugin offers is monitoring any post or page URL changes that may happen. If that occurs, WP 301 Redirects automatically creates a redirect rule. Finally, you can look at your performance with the built-in charts and have a complete analysis, which gives you insight into what is good and what needs improvement.
#2 Redirection
If you wish to do the redirection without the help of any plugin, then going through the .htaccess file can make it happen. But, it does require coding knowledge and the knowledge of Apache. If you lack it, then the plugin is the best way to move forward. After all, WordPress promised us simplicity. Believe me; it works in every situation, compatible with every well-coded theme and other plugins.
There is no pricing involved here, and it even keeps a proper log about 404 errors and the one redirected via 301 modes. It can redirect the 404 pages on automation and even let you put the same on existing URLs. The link juice and SEO value are maintained with this redirection, keeping the rankings intact. Moreover, it even allows putting 302 and 307 redirections manually and, it’s available in dozens of internationally known languages. Some support is also available via a dedicated forum.
#3 Affiliate Links Lite
If you’re using a website for affiliate marketing, then using this particular plugin can be helpful. It can take care of the redirection, 301, 302, and even 307 without writing any code and keeps proper stats of everything going inside. In addition, it allows setting nofollow and noindex tags and putting link categories for proper management.
If required, it can put an appropriate mask on a link, also known as link cloaking, and hide the usually long and boring-looking affiliate links. It’s a freely-available product with proper compatibility with the latest WordPress script version.
#4 404 to 301
A premium plugin that is available for free is the story of this particular product. Its codebase can be found on Github to support the open development and clearly reflects its premium. In addition, it can take care of the bad SEO score occurring due to an increasing number of 404 errors and can fix the issue with the setup of a proper 301 redirect.
The plugin works with an add-on that can properly keep a state of everything going after the setup and can even send weekly alerts via email, which can be set to any comfortable frequency. Furthermore, it allows exporting a PDF file of the error logs and is also compatible with the translation. Moreover, the product is super lightweight and can fix tons of other related issues.
#5 Blogger 301 Redirect
It’s another free plugin that can take care of the redirection for the 404 pages, and it can even handle post feeds, comment feeds, and even archive pages.
It keeps a proper statistic of every successful redirection done by the plugin. If you want, you can set the redirection to a custom URL other than the usual homepage. It comes with proper installation and setup instructions, and a dedicated support forum is also available.
#6 Trash Duplicate and 301 Redirect
So far, every plugin was handling the existing 404 pages and then redirecting them to a custom one or homepage. But, this plugin does one more related thing, i.e., it keeps track of duplicate posts and pages and can handle the redirection accordingly. Moreover, the plugin even supports custom post types and can take firm action like deleting duplicate content.
It can either function in a global setting or for a particular post. In addition, it allows adding and removing the redirection rules for specific posts, keeping a list of every active one. A built-in search tool is also available, and it’s compatible with other plugins and most of the themes.
#7 WP Cloaker
As you can judge from the name itself, it can cloak links to make them appear user-friendly rather than dull. And it can also take care of the 301 redirect correctly. It’s a recommended plugin for affiliate marketing, and it packs few other features without asking for any price.
It can shorten the URLs, categorize themes, and even put manual 302, 303, 307, and even JavaScript redirection. It even packs a built-in widget to showcase the top 10 links in the sidebar or footer area. Finally, it collects proper logs and can generate click reports with a single click, even filtered to find out the exact results we’re interested in reading.
#8 Simple 301 Redirects – Addon – Bulk Uploader
Finally, this is my last recommendation which is available for free, but it comes with a special feature. You’re allowed to upload all the 301 redirects via a CSV file, and the plugin will then automatically adjust the mentioned URLs. Cool, right?
Conclusion
All of these plugins are capable of the same functionalities, but if you don’t know which one to choose, we highly recommend you try out WP 301 Redirects. So let us know about your selection, and don’t forget to share this helpful guide with your marketer friends. Peace!
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