Start here
The first step
Take one broken link and determine what content it previously led to. If the same offer still exists, it should have the correct new address indicated. Merely returning to the main page does not solve every situation.
Website addresses also live outside the menu. The customer can enter from an old email, company directory, QR code or search results. Therefore, receiving the new version should involve more than clicking through its current menu.
A 404 error doesn't always indicate a deployment error. Content deleted without a replacement may intentionally return information that the page is missing. The problem is the lack of decision: no one checked which addresses to keep, which to redirect and what to consciously withdraw.
| Old address | Decision | Result |
|---|---|---|
| /assembly/ | The offer is now under /services/installation/ | Permanent redirection to this offer |
| /contact/ | The address and purpose remain | The contact works at the same address |
| /promotion-2022/ | Content withdrawn, no equivalent | Agreed no page, e.g. 404 |
This is an example of planning. The right decisions come from your website content.
Similar symptom. Various reasons.
- Has the address of existing content changed?
- Then you need to redirect the old address to the corresponding new page. Google recommends mapping addresses and avoiding mass moving of unrelated content to the main site.
- Has the service been discontinued?
- Determine if there is an actual substitute. If it is not present, the page missing information may be correct. There's no need to pretend that all your old content still exists.
- Does the error only affect links on the new site?
- Then the menus, buttons and links in the texts should also be improved. Adding a redirect does not replace organizing new links.
Without changing files and settings
What you can check yourself
- Write down the full broken address and where you got to it.
- Find the corresponding content in the new version, if it exists.
- Select some important inputs: offer, contact, price list and links from ads or QR codes.
- Check whether the address ends on the correct page, and not just whether the browser showed anything.
What solutions make sense
A list of addresses and a decision is prepared for each relevant entry. It then implements the server's responses and checks the result. Addresses used in advertisements, business cards and current company materials are particularly important.
Changing addresses also requires checking new links, sitemap and indexation settings. Correct implementation is not a guarantee that all items will be retained. Changes in Google results should be assessed separately from the performance of the redirect itself.
What does this mean for migration from WordPress?
When migrating a simple page, you can often leave the existing address paths. If addresses change, a transition map should be created before publication. It should not be added only after reporting the first broken link.
From observation to the next step
Step by step example
Model scenario. It shows the way of reasoning, it does not describe the completed order.
The new menu works and the QR code on the leaflet leads to 404.
Let's assume that the former address /service/ has been replaced by /services/service/. Everything looks good in the new menu, but the leaflet still has the old QR code.
Entering from the menu works, entering from the leaflet does not.
The new menu only tests the new path. Does not repair previously saved addresses.
Next step: Add the old address to the relocation map. Also include links from Google, offers and news.
The old service still exists at the new address.
There is a specific counterpart to which you can schedule a permanent redirect. This is a different situation than a withdrawn offer without a successor.
Next step: Set the right goal. Don't automatically redirect all deleted addresses to your home page.
The redirection has been implemented.
Simply adding a rule does not confirm the entire customer journey.
Next step: Check out the original QR code and the final offer in the public release. Also confirm that the target is not a preview address. This is a check of the link's operation, without a guarantee of position in Google.
After the work is done
This is how you will know that the topic is proven
- Important old addresses link to the corresponding content.
- New menus and buttons use current addresses.
- Withdrawn content has consciously determined behavior.
- The list of checked addresses and exceptions left is known.
Prepare a description for reporting
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Technical basis
The guide helps you sort out the symptom. It is not a diagnosis of your installation. The details depend on the tool used and its version.