A temporary redirect that does not fully pass SEO equity.
Ever feel like you need to change a page on your website for a little while, but you are worried it will hurt your SEO? I know how scary that can be. But what if I told you there is a simple way to do this without losing any of your hard-earned traffic? I am talking about something called a 302 Redirect. I have been in this game for 15 years, and I have seen firsthand how useful this can be. I am going to explain exactly what is a 302 Redirect and give you some simple, actionable tips to use it correctly. You will walk away with a clear plan to handle temporary page changes like a pro.
So, what is a 302 Redirect? It is a temporary redirect from one URL to another. When a user or a search engine tries to visit the old URL, the 302 redirect automatically sends them to the new one. The “302” is a status code that tells search engines that this is a temporary move and that they should not transfer the SEO value from the old page to the new one. The search engine should keep the old page in its index and check back later to see if it is back.
Using a 302 redirect is a major part of good SEO because it helps you handle temporary changes without losing your long-term ranking. If you just delete a page or use a permanent redirect for a temporary change, you can lose a lot of your SEO power. A 302 redirect is the right way to tell Google that the change is not permanent and that you want to keep the old page’s authority.
How a 302 Redirect Impacts Different CMS Platforms
The principles of a 302 redirect apply to every website, no matter the CMS. Your platform is just the tool you use to create and manage the redirect. I am going to show you how to think about this with some of the most popular platforms. The goal is to make sure you are not losing any of your SEO power.
WordPress
WordPress is a great platform for a 302 redirect because there are a lot of plugins that can help you. I recommend you use a plugin like Redirection or Yoast SEO. They make it super easy to set up a temporary redirect without having to touch any code. You just type in the old URL and the new URL, and the plugin does the rest.
Shopify
For Shopify, you can set up a 302 redirect in your admin panel. Just go to “Online Store” > “Navigation” > “URL Redirects.” You can then add a redirect from an old URL to a new one. This is a great way to handle products that are temporarily out of stock or that you are running a special promotion for.
Wix
Wix makes it easy to set up a 302 redirect in their SEO settings. Just go to “SEO” > “SEO Tools” > “URL Redirect Manager.” You can then add a redirect from an old page to a new one. This is a great way to make sure you are not losing any traffic to a page that you have changed the URL for in a temporary way.
Webflow
Webflow has a very simple and easy-to-use redirect manager. You can set up a redirect from an old page to a new one in a few clicks. I would also recommend you check a page in Google’s Search Console to make sure the redirect is working correctly and that there are no errors.
Custom CMS
With a custom CMS, you have the most control to set up a 302 redirect. You can build a system that automatically creates a redirect when you change a page’s URL. I would also recommend you build in a way to easily check for broken links and a way to redirect them to a new, relevant page.
How a 302 Redirect Applies to Different Industries
The concept of a 302 redirect is the same for every business, but the way you use it changes depending on what you do. It is all about making sure you are not losing any of your hard-earned SEO power. I am going to show you how to do this for a few key sectors.
Ecommerce
In ecommerce, a 302 redirect is perfect for a product that is temporarily out of stock or for a seasonal promotion. You can redirect the old product URL to a similar product or a product category page. This helps you keep all the SEO power from the old page and guide your customers to a new one when the old product is back in stock.
Local Businesses
For a local business, a 302 redirect can help you when you change a service page or a location page for a short period of time. You should redirect the old URL to the new, relevant page. This helps you keep all the SEO power from the old page and not lose any of your local traffic when the old page is back.
SaaS
For a SaaS company, a 302 redirect can help you when you change the URL of a blog post or a landing page for a temporary promotion. You should redirect the old URL to the new, relevant page. This helps you keep all the SEO power from the old page and not lose any of your qualified leads when the promotion is over.
Blogs
For a blog, a 302 redirect is a perfect strategy for an old article that you have updated or deleted for a short period of time. I recommend you redirect the old article URL to a new, more comprehensive article. This helps you keep all the SEO power from the old article and guide your readers to a better one when the old one is back.
FAQ Section
What is the difference between a 301 and a 302 redirect?
A 301 redirect is a permanent redirect that tells Google to pass all the SEO power to the new page. A 302 redirect is a temporary redirect that tells Google that the change is not permanent. You should almost always use a 301 redirect unless the change is temporary, like for a seasonal promotion.
When should I use a 302 redirect?
You should use a 302 redirect when you have a temporary change, like a product that is out of stock, a page that is being updated, or a seasonal promotion. This helps you keep all the SEO power from the old page and not lose any of your rankings when the old page is back.
How can I check if my redirect is working?
You can use a few simple tools. Google’s Search Console has a “URL Inspection” tool that can tell you if a redirect is working correctly. You can also use a free online tool to check the redirect status of a URL to make sure it is a 302.
Does a 302 redirect pass all the SEO power?
No, a 302 redirect does not pass the SEO power to the new page. This is the main difference between a 301 and a 302 redirect. A 302 redirect is designed to tell Google that the change is not permanent and that the old page should still be in the search index.
