301 Redirects are an SEO friendly way to move webpages from one URL to another.
Add 301 code to the apache config file, and the server automatically redirects visitors from one page to another. The code also notifies search engines where the new page is located, which is good for SEO if the old page has been indexed. Additionally, the 301 redirect is an efficient way to convert a short and readable link into a longer URL string. For example, the print publication may include domain.com/offer which redirects the user via 301 to domain.com/special-offer-from-december-print-piece.com.
RewriteRule ^/old1/(\/?)$ \
http://domain.com/new1/?utm_source=migr&utm_medium=301&utm_campaign=Redirects [R=301,L]
Once you start using 301s regularly, you need a system to keep track of them. A bunch of redirects may slow down the server and page load time, so it is good to remove ones that aren’t being used. If you are using redirects as part of your marketing efforts, you also need a system to measure your efforts.
There is a spreadsheet with formulas that add the Google Analytics tracking as well provide the necessary code for the .htaccess 301. On the document, there is a tab for marketing staff to enter details and another tab that generates the 301 code for ITS to copy and paste onto the server.