A web browser user might mis-type a URL—for example, "exampel.com" and "exmaple.com". Organizations often register these "mis-spelled" domains and re-direct them to the "correct" location: example.com. For example: the addresses example.com and example.net could both redirect to a single domain, or web page, such as example.org. This technique is often used to "reserve" other top-level domains (TLD) with the same name, or make it easier for a true ".edu" or ".net" to redirect to a more recognizable ".com" domain.
Moving a site to a new domain
A web page may be redirected for several reasons:
A web site might need to change its domain name.
An author might move his or her pages to a new domain.
Two web sites might merge.
With URL redirects, incoming links to an outdated URL can be sent to the correct location. These links might be from other sites that have not realized that there is a change or from bookmarks/favorites that users have saved in their browsers.
The same applies to search engines. They often have the older/outdated domain names and links in their database and will send search users to these old URLs. By using a "moved permanently" redirect to the new URL, visitors will still end at the correct page. Also, in the next search engine pass, the search engine should detect and use the newer URL.
Moving a site to a new domain
A web page may be redirected for several reasons:
A web site might need to change its domain name.
An author might move his or her pages to a new domain.
Two web sites might merge.
With URL redirects, incoming links to an outdated URL can be sent to the correct location. These links might be from other sites that have not realized that there is a change or from bookmarks/favorites that users have saved in their browsers.
The same applies to search engines. They often have the older/outdated domain names and links in their database and will send search users to these old URLs. By using a "moved permanently" redirect to the new URL, visitors will still end at the correct page. Also, in the next search engine pass, the search engine should detect and use the newer URL.