Redirection is the process of forwarding one URL to a different URL. A redirect allows you to send visitors and search engines to a different URL from the one they originally requested.
BL.INK offers the option to use either 301 redirects or 307 redirects for short links.
NOTE:
By default, BL.INK short links are 307 redirects. Accounts on the SMB plan or higher have the option to switch the default redirect type from the account preferences page.
The Two Redirect Types in BL.INK
301 Permanent Redirect
A 301 redirect is a permanent redirect that passes SEO ranking power to the redirected page. 301 refers to the HTTP status code for this type of redirect.
307 Temporary Redirect
307 is the HTTP status code that is sent when a document is temporarily available at a different URL. 307 tells search engines that this redirect may change in the future, so they will not index the link and always check for the most recent content. 307 type redirects are handy if the Target URL may change at some point.
So which one should you choose?
It really comes down to individual needs. The perception is that 301 redirects are better for SEO and Page Rank. If SEO is more important, choose 301 redirects. They are called 'permanent' because search engines, like Google, expect that the destination URL will never change. This means that they may cache the URL. However, proxy and caching servers (including most browsers) may cache the destination URL as well, which may not give accurate click counts.
If the URL is expected to change periodically and click counting is more important than SEO, then 307 Temporary Redirects may be the way to go.
For example, a sweepstakes link such as http://b.link/contest in which the giveaway content will change monthly. Or, a link to a special offers page that changes as different promotions run.
For more accurate click tracking, use 307 Redirects in channels with low or no SEO, such as Twitter, emails, advertisements, any site that requires a login, and links in social networking profile pages.
Changing the redirect type on a new or existing link
When creating a new link, the redirect type can be changed from the settings on the right side.
Click the drop-down, and select the redirect type. Then click Save.
To update an existing link's redirect, navigate to Links > My Links, then find your link, and click the edit (pencil) icon on the right.
On the right side, click the drop-down, and select the redirect type. Then click Update.
NOTE:
If you're switching from a 301 to a 307 redirect, it may take some time to reflect the changes in your browser because of the caching that the 301 redirect causes.
How to update the default redirect type
BLINK offers the ability to update the default redirect type directly within the My Account page. To update this setting, click on your name in the upper right of the BLINK dashboard, and click My Account.
On the right side, find Default Redirect Type and select the dial for your preferred redirect type. Then click Update to save your changes.
This can be changed for any user on an account, and is an option to select when creating a new user.
Still have questions? We’re here to help! Reach out to BL.INK Support we’d be happy to help advise on which redirect type is best for your particular use case.