If you’re anything like me, a keen affiliate marketing fanatic, but have very little techie skills, then you might shy away from things like 301 redirects. However sometimes they are quite useful, as I will explain in this post.
So I have been backlinking a new site of mine, well actually 4 months old now, so not that new, and I noticed that one of the pages that was in position 7 in Google for a decent keyword had a spelling mistake in the URL! Pretty stupid mistake, and typical of me to be honest, as I have never one for attention to detail.
However having the exact keyword as your page URL does have a small SEO advantage and is worth spelling correctly!!
Anyway, I had backlinked this page pretty hard, and I couldn’t just change the URL now, otherwise I would lose my ranking, because all the links I had built were pointing to the URL that was spelt wrong.
However all is not lost, because you can call on the trusty 301 redirect, and redirect that wrongly spelt URL to a new correctly spelt URL page, and this is super easy when you use WordPress.
If you have fallen into a mistake like this yourself, and use WordPress like I do, then here is a plugin that fixes the issue in seconds: 301 WP Plugin.
Like all WordPress plugins, this thing is easy to use, all you do is tell it what page you want to redirect and also what page you want to redirect to, and that’s it, problem solved. What then happens is after a few days the wrongly spelt URL is replaced in the serps with the new correctly spelt one, and everything is sorted.
Not anything to mind blowing with this updates folks, but sometimes these little things can make all the difference, and perhaps one day you’ll need this trick too!
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Hey Matt
I love these little tech tips as I’m a dope technically myself. I needed this answer a while back so now I can archive it for my next mistake:)
Like the new blog theme!
Mark
That is great to know! I don’t have a domain with a wrong spelling at the moment but it could happen someday.
Matt, if you have deleted a page from a WordPress site and that page still shows when you type “site: http://www.yourdomain.com” in Google’s search box would this redirect work for that?
hi , great article I use wordpress as well
I did it once myself a few years ago. At the time I re-registered the correct domain and put it down to experience. Now I know better. Cheers Matt.
Hi Matt,
As a new affiliate marketer (thanks to you) I enjoy all these great tips. I am constantly catching myself misspelling my own web page.
I now have giant signs tacked to my wall above the computer with the “correct” website name!
Thanks,
Geoff
To be honest, I am an idiot in all these website or operation system technical stuffs. Apart from the 404 error that I know of, what else is there? So many “numbers” out there 🙁
Anyway, now that I’ve learnt what a 301 redirect is, perhaps one day I might be using it to save one of my problem sites.
Thanks Matt for the lesson.
Hi Matt,
Although I have been visiting your blog regularly this is my first comment. I must say you are the only Marketer that I keep coming back too. Thanks for the tip I will keep it in my “Remember” box.
Thanks
Hennie
Matt Carter Reply:
August 20th, 2011 at 9:35 am
thanks Hennie!!
Hi Matt,
That’s interesting information. I have done 301 directs using an aged domain before, but not on a single page.
That is well worth knowing.
Thanks
Tobias
Hi: Mattt
Thanks for the great tip, but where do I find that plugin?
I am also using wordpress, so this come handy as i have one wedding website Url that is spell wrongly.
Thanks for the tip, Matt. It’s worth noting that if you use Hostgator for your webhost (and possibly others), there is a function under “Domains” that allows you to set up permanent/301 re-directs, as well.
Matt Carter Reply:
August 21st, 2011 at 7:58 am
Cool thanks
Another useful tip. As a newbie I’m appreciating your regular email tips. With redirects I understand this is a strategy used to avoid affiliate links being sabotaged but I’m not sure if this is the same as what you refer to in this article. Perhaps you or one of your more experienced readers could enlighten me on that topic.
Hello Matt,
Thanks once again for the tip, I never even had a clue about 301 redirects,
its a neat little trick and sitting safe in my Matt Carter folder on the desktop.
Thanks
Jeff
Hi Matt,
Thanks for bringing this 301 redirect plugin up. I also use WordPress and have recently discovered this great plugin. Wow I love plugins, they are fabulous clever little inventions!
Regards
Catherine
Hey Matt, By the way I would like to let you know I have been linking to your site for some time. I think your site is excellent and I would be privileged if you would link to me too. My name is Catherine and my website is AffiliateMarketersCollege.Com
Thank You!! I am new to the Affiliate World and WordPress. I love your entire site. Thanks for all the great help!!!