Redirect — is an automatic redirection from one website address to another. A person opens one link but ends up on a different page, often without even noticing it.
Many familiar things on the internet rely on redirects. If a website moves to a new address, the old one automatically redirects to the new one. Short links like bit.ly work the same way: a short URL redirects to a longer one.
Types of redirects
The two most common types are:
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301 — permanent. This means the page has moved permanently, and search engines gradually start showing the new URL instead;
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302 — temporary. The page has moved for a short time, while the old URL remains the primary one.
These numbers are codes that the server uses to tell the browser to navigate to another page. You can see them in your tracker or hosting settings.
Redirects in traffic arbitrage
In traffic arbitrage, redirects are used constantly, although the person clicking on an ad doesn't see them. For example:
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a click first goes to a tracker, which records it and then redirects the user to the required page;
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an affiliate link directs users to the advertiser's website through the affiliate network's server so that the lead is credited to the affiliate marketer;
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a single link sends users from different countries to different offers.
Redirects are also used in cloaking, smartlinks and traffic back.
Important: every redirect adds to the page loading time. If users have to go through several redirects before reaching a website, some won't wait and will close the tab. That's why it's better to avoid unnecessary redirects in the chain.
