Story Based Question
You’ve been managing an e-commerce store that sells high-end kitchen appliances. Over time, you’ve noticed that some of your products are getting outdated, and you need to remove or replace them with newer models. However, you’re worried about the impact these changes might have on your SEO—especially with product pages that already have traffic and rankings. You ask yourself, “How do I make sure my customers and search engines still find relevant products without hurting my SEO when I remove or replace product pages?”
After some thought, you realize the importance of managing redirects to maintain a smooth user experience and preserve SEO value during product changes.
Exact Answer
To manage and optimize redirects during product changes, use 301 redirects to send users and search engines from old product URLs to new, relevant pages. Ensure that the redirect is set up correctly to transfer the link equity and maintain SEO rankings. Keep the user experience in mind by redirecting to the most relevant product or category page and avoid redirecting to irrelevant pages or your homepage.
Explanation
When you change products, such as discontinuing old models or replacing them with new ones, it’s crucial to handle the redirects properly. Improperly handled redirects can result in broken links, lost traffic, or worse, a drop in rankings. Here’s why and how to manage redirects effectively:
- Use 301 Redirects for Permanent Changes:
A 301 redirect is a permanent redirect that tells search engines that a page has moved to a new URL. When a product page is discontinued, redirect the old URL to the most relevant new page (e.g., a similar product or category page). This ensures users and search engines are automatically directed to the right place and helps transfer the SEO value (link equity) from the old page to the new one. - Avoid Redirecting to Irrelevant Pages:
Redirecting to irrelevant pages, such as your homepage, can confuse search engines and users. For instance, if a customer is looking for a specific product (say, a discontinued blender) and is redirected to a category page for all kitchen appliances, it may not provide the best user experience. Instead, try to redirect to a similar product or a more closely related category page that keeps the customer engaged. - Ensure Smooth User Experience:
Redirects should not only help with SEO but also with user experience. Make sure the new page is as relevant as possible to the discontinued product. If you’re removing a product that had positive reviews and good traffic, redirecting it to a similar product helps maintain the customer’s intent and keeps them on your site. - Monitor Redirect Performance:
Once redirects are set up, track them to make sure they’re working correctly. Tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console can help you monitor traffic and performance of redirected URLs. If you notice any issues (such as broken links or pages that aren’t being crawled correctly), adjust the redirects as needed. - Update Internal Links:
When products change, don’t forget to update internal links. If you have any internal links pointing to a discontinued product, update them to point to the new page. This helps search engines and users find the new page directly without encountering unnecessary redirects.
Example
Let’s say your e-commerce store sells high-end coffee makers, and one of your popular models, the “BrewMaster 2000,” is being replaced with a new version, the “BrewMaster 3000.” Here’s how you would handle the redirects:
- 301 Redirect to a Similar Product:
You set up a 301 redirect from the discontinued product page (www.yoursite.com/brewmaster-2000) to the new version’s page (www.yoursite.com/brewmaster-3000). This way, anyone visiting the old product page is automatically sent to the new one, preserving their search intent. - Redirect to a Category Page If No Exact Match:
If the new version isn’t an exact match for the old one (e.g., a product upgrade but not identical in features), you might redirect the old product page to the coffee maker category page (www.yoursite.com/coffee-makers). This ensures that visitors are shown similar products in the same category, maintaining their browsing experience. - Update Internal Links:
You go through your site and update any internal links that were previously pointing to the BrewMaster 2000’s product page, changing them to point directly to the new BrewMaster 3000 or the coffee maker category page. - Monitor Performance:
You track the redirects in Google Search Console to make sure search engines are properly indexing the new page and that the traffic from the old page is flowing smoothly to the new product page. You also check your website’s bounce rate and other metrics to ensure users are finding what they’re looking for and staying engaged.
By managing your redirects this way, you can ensure that the product change doesn’t negatively affect your SEO or user experience. Instead, it boosts the relevancy of the pages while preserving the SEO value of the old page.