A 302 Redirect, denoted by the HTTP response code “302 Found”, temporarily redirects users and search engines to a different URL than the one they initially requested. Unlike a 301 redirect, which signals a permanent move, a 302 informs that the change is only temporary, without affecting the site’s search engine rankings. This distinction is crucial for SEO, as search engines treat these two types of redirects differently, impacting how they index and transfer link equity.
To implement a 302 redirect, you can modify your site’s .htaccess file, located in the root directory, with a line of code specifying the old and new URLs (e.g., “Redirect 302 /old-page.html /new-page.html”). For WordPress sites, the Redirection plugin offers a straightforward solution.
The difference between 301 and 302 redirects lies in their permanence. Both redirect users seamlessly, but search engines distinguish between the temporary nature of a 302 and the finality of a 301. A 301 redirect tells search engines that a page has permanently moved, prompting them to update their databases and transfer any existing link equity to the new page. Conversely, a 302 signals that the original page will return, hence there’s no need to adjust the search engine’s index or link equity distribution.
Use 302 redirects in situations where the change is intended to be short-term. Ideal scenarios include conducting A/B tests, soliciting user feedback on new designs without affecting rankings, temporary content updates, maintaining user experience during site repairs, or redirecting traffic to promotional pages. It’s essential to reserve 302 redirects for these temporary purposes, as prolonged use might lead search engines to treat them as permanent 301 redirects.
How a 302 Status Code Affects SEO
From an SEO perspective, it’s important to understand how a 302 status code can impact your ranking and when you should use it.
Firstly, if the location of a page has changed and a redirect has not been set up, this can lead to a 404 status error (i.e., your page cannot be found) and affect your ranking. After all, Google won’t want to send users to a page that leads to nowhere.
One benefit of using a redirect like this is that you don’t have to sacrifice your ranking when you temporarily send users elsewhere.
Say you’re using it to redirect users from a sold-out product page to a relevant product page. You wouldn’t want your unavailable product’s page to drop in ranking, just because it’s currently unavailable. With a 302 status code, you can maintain your ranking.
However, this also means that your temporary URL will not benefit from any link juice because Google knows it won’t be there long.
For comparison, a 301 code typically sends most link equity to your new URL, but your page can experience some drop in ranking as a result of the redirect.
What Is the Benefit of a 302 Redirect?
The primary use for a 302 redirect is to improve your site’s user experience. You can temporarily send users to a new URL to make sure they don’t land on pages that are outdated, incomplete, or under construction. It can also preserve the rankings and link value of the original URL while the redirect is in place.
How Does Google Handle 302 Redirects?
Google treats a 302 redirect in much the same way as a 301. However, in cases where it’s seen as a temporary change, they will continue to show the original URL (not the new URL) in the SERP.
In this case, they won’t pass PageRank or links to the new URL unless it becomes clear that the change is most likely permanent.