Fix Metadata, Redirects and Broken Links

A meta title is the title of a page that search engines usually show as the clickable headline in results. It should say clearly what the page is about, with the main topic near the start. In Apex®, give every page its own meta title so searchers and search engines can tell pages apart.

A good meta description gives searchers a reason to click by describing the outcome they get from the page. Keep it specific to that page, mention the main topic and write it for people rather than for keywords. Every page should have its own unique description.

Unique titles and descriptions help search engines understand how pages differ and help searchers pick the right result. Duplicates make pages look interchangeable, which can split attention between them and lower clicks. Write each one for the specific topic and outcome of its page.

A 301 redirect is a permanent redirect that sends visitors and search engines from an old URL to a new one. It tells search engines the move is permanent, so the value of existing links passes to the new page and people do not land on error pages.

Set up a redirect whenever you move a page to a new URL, remove a page, or merge two pages into one. Redirect the old URL to the closest matching new page with a permanent (301) redirect, so bookmarks, links and search results keep working.

Usually not. Redirect each old URL to the closest relevant new page instead, because a homepage rarely answers what the visitor was looking for. Search engines may treat irrelevant redirects like missing pages, so the value of the old page's links can be lost.

A redirect chain happens when one URL redirects to another URL that redirects again before reaching the final page. Each extra step slows the page down and adds a chance of failure. Point every redirect straight to the final page, and update old redirects when a page moves again.

A 301 redirect is permanent and tells search engines to replace the old URL with the new one. A 302 redirect is temporary and signals that the original URL will return. Use a 301 when a page has moved or been removed for good, which is the usual case after a site change.

Broken links send visitors to error pages, which frustrates them and makes them more likely to leave. They also waste the value of links pointing to your site and make it harder for search engines to crawl your pages, which can cost you visitors and rankings over time.

Apex® alerts you to broken links so you can fix or redirect them before they hurt visitors or rankings. When you get an alert, update the link to the correct page or set up a permanent (301) redirect from the broken URL to the closest relevant page.