Welcome Back Fellow WA Buddies!

Before our 4th of July holiday hits, I promised to deliver you this post talking about what redirects are, explaining how they work.

SEO experts (search engine optimization folks) talk about redirects in 2 ways:

1)  URL rewrites

2)  301 redirects

Most Internet marketers talk about them but do they truly understand how they work?

Simple Explanation

Rewriting a URL means that the URL displayed in the browser changes so that it's more SEO friendly..., but it's also "user-friendly" to someone seeing your website (a viewer).

A 301 redirect is a permanent redirect.

Now, if you dig deeper to see how these redirects work together, I will explain.  Perhaps...when you read this..., you'll be able to piece this mystery together faster than I first did. 

Dealing With Messy URL's

1) With a website or even a blog, we often get messy URL's when we're using free to low-cost accounts (like blogger) or Word Press.com (FREE) and Word Press.org (self-hosted).

But..., inside of a website, there are numerous files that make up that website so it looks clean..., but there is a coded page.

2) That coded page will contain the long URL

3) We can take that coded URL out of the coded page

4)  Then make it friendly by changing the original URL

The idea is behind URL's to secure ...your domain, but to make your viewable URL's viewer friendly.

EXAMPLE:

I'll use one of my sites for this example.  Instead of seeing 

http://yourdomain.com/add7repsaday

people would see "add 7 reps a day.com" in their browser window.

5) The user will view that friendly URL... (which also happens to be SEO friendly)..

(NOTE: A URL should make sense to viewer and search engines.   When a viewer is looking at a website, they will read a headline at the top page that reads, "Add 7 Reps A Day".  The URL will show add7repsaday.com to confirm that person is on the site they want.   When the URL and the site name match, you have begun to optimize your website.

6)  But.., that new "SEO friendly URL" hits the server...

7)  The server modifies and rewrites the messy URL so that it looks clean

***  To the server, there is no difference in the URL...but

8) The server takes the new URL  and points it to the messy URL

9) The old URL pulls up the original code on the coded page

Bottom Line -- 

Redirects Can Be Had In 3 Ways:

1)... through a "php" redirect

... a fancy name for a very safe kind of redirect (designed to challenge hackers)

It is the most secure of all 3 forms.

2)  ...through html redirects

3) ...through Java

The type you choose has more to do with picking a redirect that will offer you optimum security (usually php)...relative to the computer you use as that computer works with Firefox or Windows Explorer.

A redirect can be used to hide a URL you don't want people to see by replacing it with the new URL..., but the steps I outlined here form a circular loop.

To create a redirect, use the WA cloaking, linking and masking tools.  Check out Kyle and Carson's tutorials for ultimate authority.  

If you have any questions, please post them and I will help wherever I can.  If there is something I cannot readily answer, research may be involved. In that case, give me a few days to reply.

Remember..., every baby step you take accumulates ! The smallest ones taken daily are the ones that propell you forward.

Toasting Your Success Using Proven IM Means,

bkb2012