A 301 redirect tells browsers and search engines a page moved for good, while a 302 redirect says the move is temporary, so you use 301 for permanent URL changes and 302 for short-term detours.
In plain terms, redirects are instructions your server sends when someone (or Googlebot) requests an old URL. The status code matters because it signals which URL should be treated as the “main” version in search results over time. For most Orlando businesses, redirects come up during rebrands, website rebuilds, platform switches (like moving from Wix or Squarespace to WordPress), cleanup of messy URLs, or when you retire a service page and replace it with a better one.
301 vs 302 at a glance
| Redirect type | What it signals | What Google typically keeps indexed | Best use cases | Common SEO risk if misused |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 301 | Permanent move | The destination URL (new page) becomes the one shown in results over time | Domain change, HTTPS move, URL structure change, page replacement, merging sites, removing a page and sending users to the closest match | Hard to “undo” cleanly if you picked the wrong target, or if you redirect to an unrelated page like the homepage |
| 302 | Temporary move | The original URL is usually kept as the one shown in results while the redirect is temporary | A/B testing, short maintenance detours, limited-time campaigns where you plan to bring the original URL back | If left in place too long, it can confuse your indexing signals, and you may end up with the “wrong” URL showing |
When we use a 301 redirect
Use a 301 redirect when you truly want the old URL retired and replaced. Examples we see a lot with local service businesses in Central Florida:
- Rebrand or domain change: moving from an old practice name domain to a new one.
- Website rebuild with cleaner URLs: changing /services.php?id=12 into /services/emergency-plumbing/.
- Page consolidation: combining two thin pages into one stronger page and pointing the weaker URL to the better replacement.
- Deleting a page: redirecting to the closest equivalent page (not the homepage unless the homepage is truly the best match).
When you do this as part of a rebuild, we usually pair it with a technical pass so internal links, canonicals, and sitemaps line up. That’s the type of work baked into our SEO services when a site has lots of legacy URLs.
When we use a 302 redirect
Use a 302 redirect when you expect to switch back. The cleanest examples are experiments and short-term routing:
- A/B tests: temporarily sending some users from Page A to a test version of Page A, then reverting.
- Short maintenance detours: moving traffic to a temporary notice page while a specific URL is being fixed.
- Very short campaign swaps: replacing a landing page for a limited window, with a clear plan to restore the original URL.
If the “temporary” situation keeps stretching into months, we usually convert it to a 301 or revisit the plan. Long-running 302s can be treated more like permanent moves by search engines, which is rarely what you intended.
Redirect rules that keep you out of trouble
Most redirect problems are not the code choice, they’re the mapping and the cleanup work around it. Here’s what we recommend:
- Map old to new one-to-one: redirect each old page to the closest matching page, especially for service pages and location pages. Sending everything to the homepage is a common mistake.
- Use server-side redirects: they’re the most consistent for users and crawlers.
- Avoid redirect chains: Old URL → URL B → URL C wastes crawl time and can slow down consolidation.
- Update internal links: your menus, buttons, and in-page links should point straight to the final URL, not to a URL that then redirects.
- Keep canonicals consistent: if you’re using canonicals, they should point at the same final URL you want indexed. If you want a refresher, our FAQ on the canonical tag explains how it fits with redirects.
If you’re unsure which redirect you need for a specific change, tell us what’s moving and whether you want the old URL to come back. That one detail usually makes the 301 vs 302 decision obvious, and it helps us keep your migration clean, especially if you’re also changing hosting or doing a rebuild alongside WordPress hosting.
