![Words-based SEO](https://karen-callahan.com/wp-content/uploads/preserving-seo-deleting-pages-702x526.jpg)
301 Redirects when Deactivating web pages
So the funniest thing happened to me this morning.
On my way to a meeting, it dawned on me that I should have a video handy. In order to view that video, I needed a password, so, I got that and opened a browser to test it.
I could not remember the exact name of the page, so, I did a search on Google.
Well, well, well…I found the page I wanted, PLUS a page that I had no idea was listed in Google.
![search results for simple & sustainable SEO system](https://karen-callahan.com/wp-content/uploads/redirect-test-page-google-2022-08-04.jpg)
The page name was “test”.
Evidently, in May, 2020, I was testing how the syllabus of my online SEO course would look on a page.
![test of SEO course syllabus display](https://karen-callahan.com/wp-content/uploads/page-404-example-2022-08-04-1024x985.png)
I guess I didn’t like it since the page had not been renamed nor linked to nor added to a menu, and, instead, had been totally forgotten.
Naturally, this morning, I wanted to deactivate the page right away, but, I couldn’t because 1) I was heading into a meeting and didn’t have the time, and, 2) I know the proper way to deactivate pages so that I preserve SEO, and that takes a couple more steps than just logging in and deactivating a page. The “test” page had been listed in Google for over 2 years.
I needed a 301 Redirect!
And, this website had no plugin for adding 301 redirects, so I installed one.
![adding a plugin](https://karen-callahan.com/wp-content/uploads/add-plugin-2022-08-04.jpg)
Once the suggested plugins displayed, I selected Redirection by John Godley.
This is my favorite 301 redirect plugin. It is very popular and has over 2 million installs.
When the Redirection plugin loads for the first time, it provides simple 301 redirect instructions on its Welcome Page. Basically, you need two things for a 301 redirect; a source URL and a Target (destination) URL.
![Redirect plugin instructions](https://karen-callahan.com/wp-content/uploads/redirection-set-up-2022-08-04.jpg)
Read those, and click Start Setup. Setup is easy. Here’s the choices I made for this website.
![Redirect plugin Basic Setup](https://karen-callahan.com/wp-content/uploads/redirection-basic-setup-2022-08-04.jpg)
How to add a 301 Redirect to your WordPress website
Once the setup was complete, I clicked on Redirect, then Add New.
Before filling in the blanks, I copied my Source and Target URLs into Notepad so that I had them handy.
![Addresses used for 301 redirect](https://karen-callahan.com/wp-content/uploads/redirect-addreses-2022-08-04-1024x469.jpg)
I returned to the website Dashboard and added a 301 redirect. I copied the slug from the Source address and pasted that into the Source URL. Then copied the entire destination URL and pasted that into the Target URL space and saved.
![Redirection screen for adding a 301 redirect](https://karen-callahan.com/wp-content/uploads/redirection-2022-08-04-1024x297.jpg)
After saving the 301 Redirect, I edited the “test” page and changed the page status to Draft.
Then I went into Google and repeated the original search. The page was still listed as “test”. When I clicked on the link, the destination URL (I put in the 301 Redirect) displayed.
So that is the process I used to remove the page from Google while maintaining my SEO value.
One issue I encountered on this website is that it is my programs website and does not have content nor blog pages; just sign-up and enrollment pages. Choosing a destination page (target URL) for my 301 redirect was a little more challenging. In the end, I chose to redirect the “test” page to the enrollment page for my words-based SEO course for non-techs which is my longest running and most popular course.
Try using this process and let me know your success, questions, and comments.
Coincidentally, I hosted a webinar last week on this exact subject of adding 301 redirects. It was called, Preserving SEO when Deleting Pages. Deactivating pages is effectively deleting pages. I can’t help but notice the serendipity of how this happened today. Just sayin’.