A guide to 301 vs 302 redirects for SEO
If you have a defunct page or one that’s not yet ready for customer’s eyes, you may want to use one of these redirects. It’s a common technical SEO practice – but which should you go for?
Here’s a simple guide to compare 301 vs 302 redirects and how each can affect your search visibility and performance.
301 vs 302 redirects: What’s the difference?
First, we’ll quickly define each type of redirect, and then set the ground rules for when you should use them.
301 redirect
A 301 redirect indicates that a webpage has been moved permanently. Say you’ve got a webpage with completely out-of-date content or one that’s material is duplicated elsewhere on the site (on a better-performing page, for example), you might want to use a 301 direct to steer traffic to your preferred page. So, users will now see the new URL and this one will appear on the SERP as opposed to the old one.
Key SEO considerations
- As a 301 redirect is permanent, it passes 90-99% of its link equity from the old page to the new one (note: this passing of equity is not instant and will take time).
- Can be used to consolidate multiple pages and assist with canonicalisation.
- John Mueller recommends that you should keep 301 redirects in place for at least a year.
302 redirect
A 302 redirect indicates that a webpage has been moved temporarily. You might have a page that’s currently under construction or in need of an update, but you’ve not yet got time to do it – in these instances, a 302 direct could be put in place until the preferred page is ready.
Key SEO considerations
- As a 302 redirect is temporary, the original page preserves its link equity – ready for when it will be reinstated.
- Because link equity is retained, the page holds onto its traffic value, keyword ranking, and authority.
- If left in place too long, the original URL might remain indexed and compete with the new URL, leading to duplicate content issues and confusion.
301 or 302 redirects: Which to choose?
Depending on your intention with the webpage in which you intend to apply the redirect, either a 301 or 302 redirect could be most appropriate.
Common use cases
| Reason | 301 Redirect | 302 Redirect |
| Permanently replacing a webpage or consolidating content | ✓ | |
| Running short-term marketing campaigns | ✓ | |
| Scheduled maintenance or updates | ✓ | |
| Site migration or change of domain names | ✓ | |
| To address instances of canonicalisation | ✓ | |
| A/B testing of webpage variations | ✓ | |
| Redirecting deleted or expired content temporarily | ✓ |
Is it possible for Google to treat a 302 redirect as 301?
Often, Google can land on a decision independently – even if it’s not the one that we intended. That’s why it’s so important to use redirects carefully.
If Google thinks that you’ve misapplied a 302 redirect to a page that you have no intention of reinstating, it might treat it as a permanent 301. If it does this, the new page could be indexed, and the link authority funnelled into it.
How does Google treat your URLs?
You can use the GSC’s URL Inspection tool to access this information.
Steps to take:
- Open Google Search Console
- Go to ‘Links’ – followed by ‘External Links’ and ‘Top linked pages’
- Locate your ‘new’ URL in the report and click it
- Filter the links by ‘Site’ and paste in the old page’s referring domains one by one
If you get no matches, Google is likely treating the 302 redirects as a soft 404, a confusing error.
However, if you do get matches, you can then click on the URL to see the actual links. If one of the links is in the ‘Target URL’ column, this means that the 302 is functioning properly and Google is consolidating the old with the new.
Common redirect mistakes
As with any area of SEO, things can get a little messy, and sometimes tricky depending on what position you find yourself in. So, we’ve given you some common redirect mistakes that you can hopefully steer clear of during your redirect journey.
Redirect loops
Your user can’t physically get anywhere when a redirect loop happens. This risks having your pages deindexed, which is a big loss if the redirect happens to your homepage or top-ranking page, and overall ruins the user experience.
Too many redirects in one chain
You ideally want a single redirect from the old URL to the new URL, rather than it still going through all the middlemen in between. This not only slows down your site, but as mentioned, it tarnishes the journey of the user.
Mixing up your 301s and 302s
Perhaps you’ve opted for a 302 redirect when what you really need is a 301 status code, or vice versa. By accidentally swapping the two around, you could have significant traffic loss and risk your site disappearing from the SERP.
Only redirecting to your homepage
Redirecting everything to your homepage risks removing the value of your old content. It can also cause several 404 errors that of course do way more harm than good.
Key considerations
Consistency
Taking your time and making sure everything is implemented consistently and properly will help future you, and you’ll thank yourself later.
Testing and monitoring
By testing and monitoring your redirects, you remain in the ‘loop’ of what’s going on with them. You can detect any broken links that are harming your site and swiftly fix them, while also checking that recent redirects you’ve implemented are running smoothly.
Using relevant pages
Redirecting to related or close-match content makes the most sense for a user and for keeping your site coherent. There’s zero point in redirecting to a page that has no relation or similar intent to the previous page.
Redirect your SEO to Embryo
At Embryo, we understand the importance of getting redirects right, and our SEO experts know just how to do it for you. Whether it be a 301 or 302, we know just what you need and can get your site’s SEO up to scratch.
If you need a hand with redirect implementation, or SEO in general, then why not get in touch?
