301 vs. 302 Redirects: Which Should You Use?

Deciding between a 301 vs. 302 redirect can have a significant impact on your SEO. That’s why it’s so important to make the right choice.

A 301 redirect signals to search engines that your page has moved. You’ll use these when your URL has changed permanently.

302 redirects, on the other hand, inform search engines that your page move is only temporary. They’re best for when you plan to restore the original URL eventually.

This guide will show you how to use 3xx codes correctly on your site. But first, let’s learn more about what each code means and how they differ.

What Is a 301 Redirect?

A301 redirect is a status code that automatically sends users and search engines from one URL to another.

You should only use 301 redirects when making a permanent change to your site’s URL structure. Or when completely changing domains.

You can also use them to consolidate multiple similar pages into one longer, more comprehensive page.

Why is this useful?

Redirects stop users from landing on outdated pages.

This could be a page that has outdated information. It could also be a page that has become irrelevant or has been deleted completely.

For example, if you have a page with details on an event that has passed, you could use a 301 redirect to forward site visitors to a more useful, current page.

301 redirects are seamless. Whenever a web user clicks on an old link, they’ll be redirected to the new URL without any further effort on their part.

This improves user experience (UX)...