Google Approved URL Redirection

Google embraces URL redirection.

Redirection is the technique of diverting visitors intending to visit one Web page on to another. A URL is the entire address of a Web page, from the domain name (the site) through the directory structure down to the file name, and also any parameters fed into that file to get the desired Web page returned. Redirection contains many ways of consolidating search ranking and so Google's opinion of what is cheating and what isn't is of great interest to webmasters.

301 HTTP Code

Google recommends the use of HTTP redirection codes for forwarding. The Hypertext Transfer Protocol includes a range of standard error and status codes. Setting up such a redirection forces all the work of administering redirection onto the browsers of visitors to the site. Most Web server systems have a redirection facility, which means administrators do not need any programming knowledge to set up one of these redirects. A 301 redirection informs the browser that the requested page has been permanently moved to a new address. The message gives the new address and the browser is expected not only to reapply for the page at the new address, but also to register the change and apply the new address whenever a user types in the old address, or clicks on a link leading to the old address. The web surfer does not see any of this dialogue and does not know why or how the browser chose a different address to the one typed in.

302 HTTP Code

A 302 HTTP status code is a temporary redirect. The browser is given the new address but should use it once only. The next time it is sent to the original address it should go there again. This is because there is no mechanism for end dating a redirection, so if it isn't forever, it is temporary, and the browser should continue to ricochet off the original address to the substitute address until the redirection is lifted. Again, the browser's user sees the changed address but does not see any of the messaging that caused it.

Domain Masking

Google accepts Domain Masking. This technique involves forwarding the visitor to one Web site to another Web site, while keeping the first site's address in the address bar. One detraction of this method is that the displayed address is effectively frozen and does not alter as the user progresses around the menu structure. This makes it impossible to bookmark the address of an individual page.

DNS Canonical Names

Google recommends the use of the CNAME facility of the DNS server on a Web server. This enables several addresses to point to the same page. CNAME records also enable short aliases for long URLs.

References

• Google: Set up URL Forwarding
• Webopedia: CNAME
• Microtech: CNAME Record
• Google: Create a CNAME Record