Originally, a redirect (302 or any other) is a technique that directs the user or search engine to a page, other than the one they requested. You may have experienced this setup firsthand, on many low-grade websites. These redirects have two main varieties; 301 and 302.
Such redirects can be pretty annoying and can hurt the user’s experience of your site. Thereby, one must use them only in dire circumstances, that is if the given URL is broken or under some work.
What Does 302 Moved Mean?
A 302 redirect is a temporary signal that transports you from one page of a website to another. So, 302 moved means that the page you’re trying to access has been temporarily moved to another location.
Such a redirect helps the user to avoid running into a broken link and serves a backup page in its place.
The difference between a 301 and a 302 redirect is that the former is a permanent move, whereas the later only signifies a temporary redirection.
So, if the site is permanently moved or removed from existence, you’ll prefer using the 301 redirect. On the other hand, if you’re just temporarily taking it off for updates or work, you may prefer the 302 redirects.
When to Use 302 Forwarding?
302 forwarding, or a 302 redirect, is a temporary change only applicable for a short period of time. Such a forwarding is done when you intend to bring back the original page after some time. Some example situations to use a 302 redirect are listed below:
1. Using 302 redirect when updating your site
The first and foremost reason you’d be using a 302 forwarding is a site update. Maybe you think that the site has remained the same for quite some time. And you want to give it a whirl by redesigning or rebranding its content interface.
Such work will require hours of dedication, during which you’ll have to shut that page down. A 302 redirect helps you transfer the consumers to some other page on your website. It’s just as if you’re rerouting your vehicle after coming across a construction site on your way.
2. Fixing Issues with 302 redirects
Nothing is perfect. SEO, as we’ve seen, is a long-term inning. Its content changes and adapts, according to the ranking algorithms of search engines like Google.
Such shifts in dynamics can often cause issues in your site. Minor bugs can start creating damage to the SEO of your site. Such bugs and issues will need timely fixing and maintenance.
A 302 redirect will help you take the load of the page, while you work to fix the issues troubling your site.
3. Consumer Feedback
Lastly, many times website owners use a 302 redirect to collect feedback from their users. This is to test the page and see if it’ll work well with the users or not.
Many owners conduct this content feedback as an answer to whether they should launch or update a page or not. As this is a temporary transfer, so it can be shifted back once the results of the survey are in.
How Does 302 redirect Affect the SEO of Your Site?
Let’s take a look into how a search engine like Google differentiates between a 301 and 302 redirect:
In the case of a 301 redirect, Google identifies permanent redirection and removes your page from existence. It in turn transfers all the site equity and value to the new page.
However, this move can hurt your SEO rankings. Such a shift in URL is not readily welcomed by Google.
Rather, the search engine waits and analyzes the site before showcasing any major impacts in ranking. If you’re creating a new site or webpage, you’ll want to use 301 redirects in your stead.
