How to Implement a 301 Redirect in .htaccess

In a nutshell, a 301 redirect is used to push a link hitting an existing 404 page not found error or a page that will eventually be a 404 to a new page.  It is simple to implement if you are on Apache.  First, you need to create a file in notepad called .htaccess.  Then you write:

RewriteEngine On

redirect 301 /branding-marketing.php /design-services/graphic-design/

This will redirect the old URL : /branding-marketing.php to the new one : /design-services/graphic-design/

Doing this preserves the link popularity of the old URL.  If you want to see how many 404 pages you have, get a Google Webmaster Tools account. They are free and give you great info on your website.