Guide

301 redirects: how to keep your Google rankings when a URL changes?

Around "how to rank first on Google", this is one of the questions that comes up most often. Here is a clear, actionable answer, without unnecessary jargon.

July 4, 2026

TL;DR

Every ranking URL is an asset: it has accumulated links, history, trust. Deleting or moving it without a 301 redirect throws that asset away — the traffic dies in 404 errors and the positions are lost. The 301 is the deed of transfer that passes the estate on. PageOneBoost applies this method for its clients — one-time yearly payment from €300, no monthly subscription, free audit.

What you need to understand

Understand what the 301 passes on : The permanent redirect tells Google the page has definitively moved: the accumulated signals — links, history — are transferred to the new address. It's the official preservation mechanism when a URL changes.

Redirect page to page, not everything to the homepage : Each old URL must point to the new page that matches it best. Redirecting everything to the homepage is treated by Google as a mass of disguised errors — the relevance of the transfer conditions its value.

Prepare the mapping table before any redesign : Export the full list of existing URLs, pair each with its destination, put the redirects live on switchover day. Redesigns that lose their rankings are almost always redesigns without a redirect plan.

The method, point by point

Avoid chains and loops : A redirects to B which redirects to C: every hop dilutes and slows. Update old redirects to point straight to the final destination, and fix your internal links to target the current URLs directly.

Keep redirects in place for the long haul : External links point at your old URLs for years: a migration's redirects are kept long-term, not for three months. Removing them too early reopens the 404s and abandons the links you'd earned.

Understand what the 301 passes on
Redirect page to page, not everything to the homepage
Prepare the mapping table before any redesign
Avoid chains and loops
Keep redirects in place for the long haul

What PageOneBoost does for you

Everything above takes time, method and experience. That's exactly what PageOneBoost does: a free audit to measure your potential, then the complete foundation built — technical, content, Google Business Profile, reviews, authority — to target the first page for the long run.

Our model is simple: a one-time yearly payment, from €300, with no monthly subscription. The service covers 12 months and renews by tacit renewal. 100% white-hat method, measurable results. To talk it through: +33 1 84 80 13 42.

Frequently asked questions

Does a 301 redirect lose strength?

Google has said 301 redirects don't cause PageRank loss in themselves. In practice, a well-run migration keeps most positions, sometimes after a wobbly phase during re-evaluation.

301 or 302: what's the difference for SEO?

The 301 is permanent and triggers the transfer of signals to the new URL; the 302 is temporary and suggests keeping the old one in the index. For any definitive change — the common case — it's the 301.

What about a deleted page with no equivalent?

If a topically close page exists, redirect there; otherwise, leave a genuine 404 (or 410) rather than a forced redirect to the homepage. An owned-up disappearance beats an artificial transfer Google will reclassify.

How much does serious SEO support cost?

At PageOneBoost, it's a one-time yearly payment from €300, with no monthly subscription: the service covers 12 months and renews by tacit renewal. The initial audit is free.

How long before you see results?

The first effects often appear within a few weeks on local or low-competition queries; rankings consolidate over three to six months. Your competition and your site's starting point make this timeline vary.

Get onto the first page of Google

Free audit, one-time yearly payment from €300, no monthly subscription. PageOneBoost builds your visibility to last.

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