Member Avatar for saudamini.raman

Hi,

Could anybody please guide me on how search engines behave with the redirect URLs? Is the ranking lost if the target URL is changed?

Thank you,
Saudamini

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Following up on : and are correct that a server-side permanent redirect is the right tool for a permanent URL change. Beyond that simple rule, there are practical steps to avoid losing rankings or link value when you move pages or a whole site. Google’s official guide on redirects is a good reference: .

Checklist to implement safely:

  • Use a true HTTP 301 for permanent moves (server-side), not meta-refresh or JavaScript.
  • Keep the redirected page’s content closely relevant to the original URL so relevance signals stay intact.
  • Update internal links, XML sitemaps, and canonical tags to point to the final URL.
  • For domain-wide moves, use the Search Console change-of-address workflow and update key external backlinks where possible.
  • Remove redirect chains and avoid redirect loops; aim for a single hop from old to new.

Quick verification and troubleshooting:

  • Verify the header with curl:
    curl -I https://example.com/old-page

    Confirm it returns a 301 and a Location header with the new URL, and that the final URL returns a 200. Use a crawler (Screaming Frog, Sitebulb) or log analysis to find chains and broken redirects. Check Search Console coverage and the “URL Inspection” tool to see how Google sees the new URLs.

What to expect after a move:

  • Temporary ranking or traffic fluctuations are common; properly implemented redirects normally restore signals within days to weeks. Persistent drops usually trace to redirect chains, wrong status codes, content mismatch, or accidental noindex/robots blocks—so focus on those during troubleshooting.

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Member Avatar for AirForceOne

I think a 301 redirection would not have negative effects on your sites and it is also recommended by search engines.

Member Avatar for jay 11

I think a 301 redirection would not have negative effects on your sites and it is also recommended by search engines.

I agree. A 301 (permanent redirect) tells the engines you "permanently" have a new destination.

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