Fill in the blank: If you want a page’s new URL to appear in search results, use _____________.
- a temporary redirect
- structured data
- a permanent redirect
- your website’s sitemap
Explanation: If you want a page’s new URL to appear in search results, use a permanent redirect. When you change the URL of a page on your website, it’s essential to inform search engines about the change to ensure that they update their index accordingly and direct users to the new URL when they search for relevant content. A permanent redirect, also known as a 301 redirect, instructs search engines that the original URL has permanently moved to a new location. This allows search engines to transfer the existing search engine rankings, authority, and traffic from the old URL to the new one, ensuring that users can still find the page in search results. Using a permanent redirect is crucial for maintaining the SEO value of the page and avoiding negative impacts such as broken links or loss of traffic. Temporary redirects (302 redirects) are used when a page has temporarily moved, and they do not pass on the same SEO benefits as permanent redirects. Therefore, selecting a permanent redirect correctly identifies the appropriate method for ensuring that a page’s new URL appears in search results and retains its search engine rankings and visibility.