As the mobile web continues to grow, it’s important that website owners take into account the different ways users might access their content. One way to ensure your site is accessible to as many people as possible is by using a server-side device detection script to redirect mobile user agents to a dedicated mobile URL. This can be done without affecting your site’s SEO, as long as you follow a few simple guidelines.
When setting up your redirection, it’s important to use either 301 or 302 HTTP status codes. A 301 redirect indicates that the page has been permanently moved, while a 302 redirect indicates that the move is only temporary.
It’s also important to ensure that your redirection script only targets mobile user agents, and not desktop browsers. The easiest way to do this is to check the HTTP_USER_AGENT header, which all browsers send with each request.
Assuming you’ve followed the above guidelines, using a server-side device detection script to redirect mobile users is a perfectly valid way to improve the mobile experience on your website.