SEARCH MARKETING
301 vs. 302 Redirects for SEO: Which Should You Use?
Redirects are simple. If you’re moving content to a new location permanently, use a 301 redirect. If you’re moving it temporarily, use a 302 redirect.
But you might be wondering, why does this even matter? After all, users can’t tell the difference between 301s and 302s. Both are identical in their functionality.
The answer is simple: Search engines view 301 redirects and 302 redirects differently. And choosing the wrong one can cause SEO issues that often go unnoticed for months or even years.
Things you should know:
* Further advice on when to use 301 and 302 redirects
* How to create 301 and 302 redirects
* How Google treats 301 and 302 redirects
* How to fix ‘accidental’ 302 redirects (and whether you should)
* When to use 301 redirects
Here are a few common use cases:
* You permanently change the URL of a web page.
* You permanently migrate to a new domain.
* You switch from HTTP to HTTPS.
* You want to fix non-www/www duplicate content issues.
* You permanently merge two or more pages or websites.
* You permanently change the URL structure of your website.
* When to use 302 redirects
Use cases for 302 redirects are few and far between, but there are some:
* You want to redirect users to the right version of the site for them (based on location/language).
* You want to A/B split-test the functionality or design of a web page.
* You want to get feedback about a new page without affecting rankings for the old one.
* You’re running a promotion and want to temporarily redirect visitors to a sales page.
Read more here.