URL restructuring + 301 redirects

URL restructuring is putting the site’s page addresses in order. Instead of long, unclear addresses like site.com/index.php?id=345&cat=12, we make clean, friendly URLs: site.com/catalog/red-shoes/. At the same time we remove duplicate addresses (when one page is available at several URLs) and build a clear section structure. The main thing when changing addresses is not to lose SEO, so from all the old addresses we set up 301 redirects to the new ones (301 means “the page has moved permanently”, and the search engine transfers the rankings to the new address). Honestly and importantly: any URL change carries an SEO risk, so if the addresses are already logical and working, there is no point changing them without a good reason — we take on a restructuring only when the benefit (a clean structure, removed duplicates) outweighs the risk, and we will say directly if it should not be touched. Unlike a CMS migration (see the “CMS migration” service), where the platform itself changes, and a hosting move (see the “Website hosting migration” service), where the server changes, here only the URL structure changes — the files, the database, the functionality and the server are not touched. Picture an online store with a mess of numbers and parameters in its addresses: we bring them into a readable form, the pages become clearer to people and rank better, and 301 redirects carry over the accumulated rankings. The base price starts from 25,000 ₽ for small sites; for stores and portals with thousands of addresses the cost is noticeably higher and is calculated by volume.

• Page addresses are ugly and unclear (numbers, parameters) — this is bad for SEO and user trust.
• One page is available at several addresses — the search engine gets confused, rankings get “smeared” (duplicates).
• The section structure is illogical — it is hard for both the user and the search engine to understand the site.
• You are afraid to change addresses — without correct redirects you can crash the traffic.

• An audit of current addresses: where the junk, duplicates, illogical structure are — and whether a change is needed at all
• Designing a new, clear URL structure and clean, readable addresses
• A mapping of “old URL → new” — 1:1 for each page
• Setting up 301 redirects from all old addresses to the new ones
• Canonical addresses — removing duplicate pages
• Updating internal links, sitemap and robots for the new structure
• A check: no broken links or redirect chains, correct 301 (not 302), indexing is going
• Monitoring rankings after the changes and prompt fixes

• Addresses are clean and logical — better for SEO and user trust
• Duplicates are removed — rankings are not “smeared” across different URLs
• With correct 301s the accumulated rankings are mostly carried over to the new addresses (the risk of a drop when changing URLs cannot be fully excluded — that is why we monitor)
• The site structure is clear to both people and search engines

• You leave a request and give access to the site
• We audit the addresses: assess whether a change is needed; design the new structure and the redirect map
• We implement the new URLs and 301 redirects, check and monitor the rankings

• Will rankings drop when the addresses change?

  Changing URLs without redirects will definitely crash the traffic — that is why the essence of the service is correct 301 redirects: each old address leads to its own new one by a 1:1 map, and search engines carry over the accumulated rankings. But honestly: when changing addresses, temporary fluctuations are almost inevitable, and in complex cases longer drops are possible — the risk cannot be fully excluded. So we do it carefully and only when there is a real benefit, and we monitor the result.

• How is this different from a CMS migration or a hosting move?

  A CMS migration (see the “CMS migration” service) changes the platform, a hosting move (see the “Website hosting migration” service) changes the server. URL restructuring touches neither the platform, nor the server, nor the files, nor the database — only the scheme of page addresses on the same site changes. It is the most “surgical” of the three services.

• What is a 301 redirect and why is it needed?

  A 301 redirect is a technical command “the page has moved permanently to a new address”. When a user or a search engine visits the old URL, they are automatically redirected to the new one, and the search engine transfers the accumulated rankings to the new address. Without a 301, the old addresses would drop out of search, and the new ones would start ranking from scratch. It is important to use exactly a 301 (permanent), not a 302 (temporary) — that is a common mistake that loses rankings.