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When we manage a website, choosing the right type of redirect is extremely important. This not only ensures user experience but also maintains SEO performance. In this article, we'll explain the difference between 301 (permanent) and 302 (temporary) redirects, provide practical examples of their use, and explain their impact on SEO.
Criteria | 301 Redirect | 302 Redirect |
---|---|---|
Definition | Permanent redirect to new URL. | Temporary redirect to new URL. |
Search engine effect | Link equity (ranking power) passes to the new URL. | Do not pass link equity to the temporary URL. |
When to use | Domain changes, content migration, URL aggregation. | A/B testing, site maintenance, limited-time offers. |
SEO transfer price | SEO transfers value and ranking. | The original page maintains SEO value. |
Indexing in Google | The new URL is indexed. | The original URL remains indexed. |
When you visit a website, your browser (like Chrome or Safari) requests the website's server to send the page. Search engines also request this information so they can index and rank the page. The server responds with a message that tells the browser or search engine whether the request was successful or whether there were any problems. These messages are called HTTP response status codes.
There are five main categories of HTTP status codes:
A 301 redirect tells browsers and search engines that a webpage has been permanently moved to a new URL. This signals that the original URL should no longer be used, and all traffic should be sent to the new location. According to Google's John Mueller, it's a good practice to maintain 301 redirects for at least a year. By doing this, any links related to the old URL do not get broken.
A 302 redirect tells browsers and search engines that a webpage has been temporarily moved to a new URL. This indicates that the original URL will be used again in the future.
Search engines treat 301 and 302 redirects differently. When using 301, Google transfers the ranking power and backlinks of the old URL to the new location. In contrast, with a 302, Google typically does not pass the ranking power of the old URL to the new URL.
Setting server-side redirects requires redirect headers with server configuration files (e.g., .htaccess file on Apache) or server-side scripts (e.g., PHP).
Understanding the differences between 301 and 302 redirects is important for maintaining your website's SEO and easily directing users to the correct pages. By choosing the right type of redirect, you can protect your site's ranking power.
A 301 redirect is a permanent redirect to a new URL. It tells browsers and search engines that a webpage has been permanently moved to a new location, passing SEO value from the original URL to the new URL.
Use a 301 redirect when changing a URL, fixing broken pages, switching domains, merging pages, or redirecting campaign landing pages to a permanent page after a promotion.
A 302 redirect is a temporary redirect to a new URL. It signals to browsers and search engines that the original URL will be used again in the future, without passing SEO value to the temporary URL.
Use a 302 redirect for A/B testing, temporary promotions, site maintenance, or when temporarily sending users to a different version of a page.
A 301 redirect transfers SEO ranking power and backlinks from the original URL to the new one, while a 302 redirect generally does not pass SEO value, keeping the original page indexed.
You can implement redirects by configuring server-side redirects, using an .htaccess file on Apache servers, or applying server-side scripts like PHP.
For WordPress, you can use plugins like 'Redirection' to manage 301 redirects and track 404 errors, or 'Simple 301 Redirects' to set up straightforward permanent redirects.