Redirects are important when webpage URLs change on your website. There are many reasons why this could happen:
- your site’s root folder name may need to change because your department is going through a name change
- you may change the name of a folder or subfolder
- you may move a page, folder, or file
- you may delete a page, folder, or file
When any of these actions occur, it is important that a proper redirect is put into place. This ensures that the old URL continues to work for any users who find it or have it saved.
Redirects help preserve the search engine rankings that you have built up over time and shows search engines that you responsibly manage your website. A failure to place or request proper redirects can leave your users frustrated with 404 errors and can cause your search engine rankings to plummet, making it harder to find your website moving forward.
Placing or Requesting Redirects
If your website is in Modern Campus CMS, the UMC web team will manage redirects for you. All we need are two pieces of information:
- the old URL(s) (e.g.: https://www.mtu.edu/umc/services/web/)
- the new URL(s) (e.g.: https://www.mtu.edu/umc/services/digital/)
If you are deleting content, you may not have a new URL with the same content. However, the URL should still be redirected to something relevant (at a minimum, your homepage).
Email webmaster@mtu.edu with the redirect information and we will place your redirects for you.
If your website is not in Modern Campus CMS, you may still be able to request a redirect through Central IT. Email your website, old URL, and new URL to it-help@mtu.edu and they will let you know what they can do.