Redirect (301 vs 302)
A 301 is a permanent redirect - tells search engines the page has permanently moved and to transfer ranking signals. A 302 is temporary. Using the wrong type can cost you rankings.
Why It Matters
Redirects tell both users and search engines that a page has moved. The distinction between 301 and 302 is critical: a 301 tells Google to permanently transfer all ranking signals to the new URL. A 302 says the move is temporary, so Google holds onto the ranking signals at the original URL.
Using 302 when you mean 301 (a very common mistake) means Google keeps waiting for the original URL to come back. Your new URL doesn't inherit the old page's authority. Rankings suffer.
In Practice
Use 301 redirects for: permanent page moves, domain migrations, HTTP to HTTPS, URL structure changes, and consolidating duplicate content. This is the redirect you need 95% of the time.
Use 302 redirects only for genuinely temporary situations: A/B testing, temporary maintenance pages, or seasonal content swaps where you plan to restore the original URL.
Avoid redirect chains (A → B → C → D). Each hop adds latency and can lose a small amount of equity. Redirect directly from the old URL to the final destination. Audit for redirect chains with Screaming Frog.
Common Mistakes
Using 302 when 301 is needed (the most common redirect error). Creating redirect chains through multiple migrations. Forgetting to update internal links after implementing redirects (they should point to the final URL, not rely on the redirect). Redirecting everything to the homepage instead of the most relevant equivalent page.
Related Terms
Glossary
Canonical Tag
Tells search engines which version of a page is the original when duplicates exist.
Glossary
Duplicate Content
The same content appearing on multiple URLs - confuses Google about which to rank.
Glossary
Crawl Budget
How many pages Google will crawl on your site in a given timeframe.
Glossary
Link Equity
The ranking value passed through links from one page to another - also called link juice.
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