What is a good redirect vs. a bad redirect, change your webpage or website without losing Google juice - Unknown Secrets of SEO E-Webstyle Number 26

A 301 redirect is a server-level redirect that transfers Google ranking credit from an old URL to a new one. Use it whenever you move a page to a new location, change a domain name, or reorganize internal site folders, so existing link value is not lost.

An HTTP meta-refresh redirect placed in a default HTML page is a bad redirect because Google penalizes it. The server delivers the default page and that page tells the browser to load a different URL, which search engines flag as a manipulative technique.

The site used CSS to hide a large block of text from visitors while keeping it visible to search engines, a technique called hidden text combined with keyword stuffing. Google specifically banned the site for those black-hat techniques, including irrelevant terms like Texas BBQ Pit and chicken fried steak recipe.

Move the homepage content into the default or index HTML file so the root directory loads it directly. Then set up a 301 redirect from the old inner page to the new default page, preserving any link credit the inner page had already accumulated.