The mistake everyone makes with annual events
Every year, the same thing happens:
- The new gala is announced
- Someone spins up a brand-new page
- It goes live as /gala-2026 (or /gala2026)
- The old page gets deleted, redirected (maybe), or quietly forgotten
And then… Google keeps showing the old one anyway.
If you’ve ever had someone land on last year’s event page and email you “Is this still happening?” congrats, you’ve met the problem.
The right pattern: one permanent URL for the event
If the event happens every year, the event page should not change every year.
Use:
- /gala
- /conference
- /summit
- /golf-tournament
- /annual-meeting
That URL becomes the “home base” for the event.
Then you can handle the yearly content in one of two clean ways:
Option A (simplest): keep /gala updated
Update the content on the same page each year: date, venue, ticket link, sponsors, etc. When the event ends, the page becomes a recap and then gradually transitions into next year’s announcement.
Option B (best for archives): /gala as the hub + year pages underneath
- /gala (main event hub, always current)
- /gala/2026 (detail or archive page)
- /gala/2025 (archive)
- /gala/2024 (archive)
This keeps the main page strong while still preserving history for anyone who wants it (or for internal linking, sponsors, photos, recap posts, press, etc.).
Why /gala beats /gala2026 every time
1) You stop sending people to the wrong year
Deleting old pages doesn’t reliably fix this.
Search engines can keep old URLs in results for a long time, especially if:
- other sites still link to them
- they were indexed heavily
- they’re in someone’s bookmarks
- Google cached them and hasn’t rechecked recently
So even if you “remove” /gala2025, you can still have it surface in search and confuse people.
With /gala, there is no “old page” to find. There’s one page. It’s always the right one.
2) You build real SEO equity over time
A page that stays live year after year accumulates:
- backlinks (from sponsors, partners, local press, attendees)
- authority and trust
- a search history of engagement
- stronger internal linking over time
When you create /gala2026, you’re starting from zero every year.
When you keep /gala, you’re stacking wins. Google already knows the page, has crawled it, has context for it, and has a reason to keep ranking it.
3) It’s better for humans, not just Google
People guess URLs. They share links verbally. They type them from a flyer.
No one is guessing /gala2026 correctly.
But /gala? Easy. Memorable. Clean. Confidence-inspiring.
What to do about old year-specific pages
If you already have /gala2023, /gala2024, etc., don’t panic.
Here’s the cleanup path:
- Create /gala as the permanent hub (or confirm it exists)
- 301 redirect old year URLs to the best destination:
- If you’re not keeping archives: redirect /gala2024 → /gala
- If you are keeping archives: redirect /gala2024 → /gala/2024
- Update internal links so your site always points to /gala
- Make /gala the only URL used in promos (emails, socials, flyers, ads)
This is one of those small structural changes that pays you back every year after.
A simple rule you can steal
If the event happens again, the URL should not “expire.”
Use the year in the content, not the slug.
Quick examples
Good
- /gala
- /conference
- /events/annual-gala
- /gala/2026 (optional archive)
Not great
- /gala2026
- /gala-2026
- /annual-gala-jan-2026
- /2026-gala (especially cursed)
Make Next Year Easier
Annual events don’t need annual URLs. Give your gala one permanent home, redirect the old links, and you won’t have to play whack-a-mole with “Wait… is this the right page?” emails every year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should we use /gala or /gala-2026?
Use /gala for the main event page. It’s the permanent home that stays relevant every year. If you want archives, use /gala/2026 as a child page, not a brand-new standalone slug.
Won’t Google get confused if the page content changes every year?
No. Google expects pages to update, especially for recurring topics like annual events. In fact, a consistently updated page often performs better because it builds history, links, and trust over time.
What happens if we delete the old /gala2025 page?
Deleting is risky because the URL can still show up in search for a while (and external sites may still link to it). A better move is to 301 redirect it to the current hub page (/gala) or to an archive page (/gala/2025) if you keep archives.
What’s the difference between a 301 redirect and a 302 redirect?
Use a 301 for permanent changes (old year URLs should almost always be 301s). A 302 is temporary and usually not what you want for event page cleanup.
How do I actually set up redirects in WordPress?
If you’re on WordPress and need an easy way to manage 301 redirects without touching server configs, the Redirection plugin is a solid option. It lets you set up and track redirects from old event URLs (like /gala2025) to your main hub (/gala) or to an archive (/gala/2025), and it’s straightforward enough that you don’t need to be a developer to use it.
If you want this to be extra clean, label redirects clearly (ex: “Gala 2025 → Gala Hub”) so you can find them later when you’re doing next year’s update.
Should we keep archive pages for past years?
Optional, but often useful. Archives are great for sponsors, press, photo galleries, and “proof it happened” credibility. If you keep them, structure them under the hub: /gala/2024, /gala/2025, etc., and keep /gala focused on the current year.
If we keep archives, will they compete with /gala in search results?
They can if everything is optimized the same way. Keep /gala clearly positioned as the current event (current date, tickets, schedule), and make archive pages clearly labeled as recaps (2025 recap, photo gallery, winners, etc.). Internal linking should also point primarily to /gala.
How do we prevent the wrong year from showing up in Google?
Do three things:
-
Make /gala the only URL you use in promos and navigation
-
301 redirect old year URLs to the correct place
-
Clearly label archive pages as past events, and link them from /gala as “Past Galas”
Should the ticket link go on /gala or /gala/2026?
Put the primary ticket CTA on /gala. That’s the page you want everyone to land on from Google. If you use a year page, treat it like supporting detail or an archive, not the main entry point.
What if we already printed /gala2026 on flyers and emails?
Keep it live for now, but set up the proper structure:
-
Build /gala as the hub
-
301 redirect /gala2026 → /gala (or /gala/2026)
This way, the printed URL still works, but your long-term SEO structure is fixed.