301 Redirects in subfolders

[Therealmattyd]

Hi, we're making our site into a static site but I would like to transfer the Google juice. Most of the links and database exist on subfolders though. Could I simply do 301 redirects on the subfolders and retain the value or does it have to be on the full domain?

[David-Kley]

As long as the url is accessible, it doesnt matter. You can redirect from a subfolder, or using root domain.

One thing to remember, make sure you redirect both www, and non-www versions. Are you using cpanel? It makes this a super easy process. If not, let me know, and I can supply you with some htaccess rules to get you started.

*Keep in mind, all link juice is not always transferred. Generally most will be passed through, but I just wanted to make you aware.

[AlanMosley]

You can 301 any page to anywhere, that not a problem, but before you waste any time, only 301 the pages that have external links, there is no value in 301'ing pages unless they do.

[Vacatia_SEO]

Alan, there is no value in redirecting pages without external links?

I am in the process of implementing a massive 301 redirect project as we are changing the URL structure of our site. Our site has been indexed fully by Google for quite some time but most pages do not have external links pointing to them. So if someone searches a KW that triggers a deep linked page, why would I not redirect that page to its new URL?

[AlanMosley]

Because google will drop that url and crawl the new one by itself.

If all you are doing is changing domain then one 301 will do all anyhow.

but if you are 301'ing page by page, then just do the ones that have external links.

[JaneCopland]

Hi Matt,

If you 301 one URL to another, the majority of the metrics previously afforded to the old URL will be transferred to the new URL. Various evidence, some of it quite anecdotal, says that not all the authority passes from the old to the new, but it's certainly the best option you have if you want to change URLs.

If you are moving to a new domain, you can write a rule in your .htaccess file (if using an Apache server) or in your control panel (if using an IIS server) that transfers every URL to its new location. Even if URLs have no external links, this will simply direct any traffic to the old URLs to their new locations.

[Vacatia_SEO]

what if someone bookmarked a page that you changed the URL for? That page might not have any links but it can still receive traffic.

It is my recommendation that if one is doing a massive redirect that all pages should have a rule written for it. Why risk a 404?

[AlanMosley]

In this very rare case, they would get a 404, with a link to the home page.

to 301 every page in case it has a bookmark is a waste of effort

[JaneCopland]

Honestly, doing site-wide redirects can be very simple if done correctly in .htaccess, avoiding anyone (bot or browser) encountering 404s. Redirecting properly avoids a 404 bloat in Webmaster Tools, allowing the webmaster to identify "real" 404s and fix them as well. I'd go with redirecting anything you plan to move.

[Vacatia_SEO]

I'm with you Jane. It's not that much effort and it avoids any confusion or 404s.

[AlanMosley]

As I said before, if you are changing just the domain, then you can do the whole site in one redirect, but if you have a different page structure and thousands of pages, it would be a waste of time to do any pages that does not have a external link.