Story Based Question
You’ve just launched a new promotion page for a limited-time holiday sale on your website. The sale runs for one month, and after that, the page will no longer be needed. While setting up the new page, you wonder: Should I use a 301 redirect to direct traffic from the homepage to this temporary sale page? Or is there a better option, like a 302 redirect?
Exact Answer
A 302 redirect is a temporary redirection method that forwards users and search engines to a different URL without transferring SEO value. A 301 redirect, on the other hand, is permanent and transfers the SEO value from the old URL to the new one. Use a 302 redirect for temporary changes and a 301 redirect for permanent moves.
Explanation
Both 301 and 302 redirects serve to forward users from one URL to another, but their purposes and SEO impacts differ significantly:
302 Redirect: Temporary and Non-Committal
- Purpose: A 302 redirect tells search engines and users that the move is temporary. The original URL remains indexed, and no link equity (SEO value) is passed to the new URL.
- When to Use: Ideal for situations where you expect to revert the redirection, such as:
- A seasonal promotion page.
- Testing a new design or feature on a different URL.
- Temporarily taking a page offline for updates.
301 Redirect: Permanent and Authoritative
- Purpose: A 301 redirect indicates that a URL has permanently moved. Search engines transfer nearly all the SEO value from the old URL to the new one, and they update their indexes to reflect the change.
- When to Use: Best for permanent changes, such as:
- URL restructuring or renaming.
- Merging or deleting content.
- Moving to a new domain or switching from HTTP to HTTPS.
Key Differences at a Glance
Aspect | 301 Redirect | 302 Redirect |
---|---|---|
Purpose | Permanent redirection | Temporary redirection |
SEO Impact | Transfers SEO value to the new URL | Retains SEO value at the old URL |
Indexing | Updates search engine index to new URL | Keeps old URL indexed |
Use Case Examples | URL restructuring, domain migration | Temporary sales, testing new pages |
Example
Imagine you run an online store, and during the holiday season, you set up a dedicated URL for a Christmas sale:https://example.com/christmas-sale
To direct traffic to this page, you temporarily redirect your homepage (https://example.com
) to the sale page. Since this is a short-term change, a 302 redirect is the correct choice. This ensures:
- Search engines continue indexing your homepage.
- SEO value remains attached to the homepage instead of transferring to the sale page.
Here’s how a 302 redirect might look in an .htaccess file:
Redirect 302 / /christmas-sale
After the sale ends, you remove the redirect, and your homepage returns as usual.
Now, let’s consider a scenario for a 301 redirect. Suppose you restructure your website, moving a product page from:https://example.com/shop/old-product
to:https://example.com/shop/new-product
This is a permanent change, so you’d use a 301 redirect to ensure visitors and search engines are sent to the new URL and that SEO value is transferred.
Understanding the difference between 301 and 302 redirects is crucial for SEO and user experience. Use 301 for permanent changes to preserve SEO equity and inform search engines. Use 302 for temporary shifts to keep the original URL indexed and maintain flexibility.