Note: These instructions are for Microsoft Windows Servers. Linux or Apache 301 Redirect Instructions can be found here.
Redirecting pages on a Windows Server can be complex, but it is still highly recommended to solve duplicate content, canonicalization, and link popularity issues. It is very imporant that a 301 (permanent) redirect be used for the redirection of old pages, or whole domains, since search engines do not pass value for 302 (temporary) redirects, meta refreshes, or domain forwarding. Ideally, redirects should be done by someone who is very familiar with the Windows Server Environment. Whenever possible, original configurations should either be noted or backed up, should any difficulties arise.
Overview
301 redirects for sites hosted on Windows servers are generally created within IIS, which is the administrative management system for Windows servers. Most sites on shared hosting accounts will not come with access to IIS, so 301 redirects for these sites will generally need to be set up by the hosting company or administrator.
If this is the case, simply send a request to the hosting company’s support department and ask them to set up a permanent redirect from http://domain.com to http://www.domain.com or from www.olddomain.com to www.newdomain.com, etc.
Creating a 301 Redirect from One Internal Page to Another
- Login to the Windows 2000 (or higher) server and access the desktop.
- Select Start > Programs > Administrative Tools > Internet Services Manager.
- Select the server with the site whose page you want to redirect.
- Select the site with the page you want to redirect.
- Right click on the page you want to redirect FROM and choose Properties. The Properties box will now appear. (See below this list for an example.)
- Change the redirect option to “A redirection to a URL” and type in the new URL in the box provided.
- Be sure to check the box marked “A permanent redirection for this resource”. If you leave this box unchecked, you will create a 302 (temporary) redirect, which is not permanent or beneficial from an SEO standpoint in this situation.
Creating a 301 Redirect from an Old Domain to a New One
- Login to the Windows 2000 (or higher) server and access the desktop.
- Select Start > Programs > Administrative Tools > Internet Services Manager.
- Select the server with the site whose page you want to redirect.
- Right click on the site you want to redirect FROM and choose Properties > Home Directory. The Default Web Site Properties box will now appear as shown in the image below this list.
- Change the redirect option to “A redirection to a URL” and type in the new URL in the box provided.
- Be sure to check the box marked “A permanent redirection for this resource”. If you leave this box unchecked, you will create a 302 (temporary) redirect, which is not permanent or beneficial from an SEO standpoint in this situation.
Creating a 301 Redirect to Solve Canonicalization Duplicate Content
When setting up a site in IIS, the normal process is to create one account for the site and add both www and non-www versions of the domain name to the host headers for the account. This creates a canonicalization issue, however, as the site will then be available at both www and non-www URLs.
The duplicate content issues associated with this setup can be eliminated by creating 2 accounts for the site within IIS: one with the www version of the domain in the host header and one with the non-www version of the domain. All of the site files can be placed in the preferred version and a single page in the other. The single page can then be redirected to the preferred version as if it was redirecting to a separate domain (using the process in the previous section).
Special note: As stated above, try to backup or note every change, in case you need to revert to your old code or setup. Make sure to test your site after the redirect is finished to ensure that all of your elements are working correctly.
Tags: 301 in iis, windows 301 redirect
