@mabelle
Changing a website's URL without using a 301 redirection is not recommended, as it can result in broken links, loss of search engine rankings, and a poor user experience. However, if for some reason you cannot use a 301 redirect, here are a few alternative options:
- Canonical Tags: You can use canonical tags to indicate the preferred URL for a particular page. This tells search engines which version of the page to index, which can help prevent duplicate content issues.
- Meta Refresh: You can use the meta refresh tag to redirect users from an old URL to a new one. However, this is not a recommended method as it can cause page load time issues and negatively impact SEO.
- Server-Side Scripting: You can use server-side scripting to check the requested URL and then redirect the user to the new URL. This method can be effective but requires technical knowledge and can be time-consuming.
Again, the best practice is to use a 301 redirect whenever possible. This is the most effective way to ensure that users and search engines are properly directed to the new URL.