A 301 redirect sends visitors and search engines to a new URL permanently, while a 302 redirect sends them to a different URL temporarily, and you should pick the one that matches whether the move is meant to stick or is expected to revert.
Both are HTTP status codes your server returns along with a “Location” destination. In plain English: 301 tells Google and browsers “this page has moved for good,” and 302 says “this page is over here for now.” That choice affects what URL Google is most likely to show in search results and how quickly signals consolidate on the destination page.
| Redirect type | What it means | What usually shows in search results | Best use cases | Common risks if misused |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 301 | Permanent move | The new URL | Domain changes, URL cleanup, page replacements, consolidating duplicates | Hard to “undo” cleanly, can strand users if you point to an unrelated page |
| 302 | Temporary move | The original URL | Short maintenance windows, short promos, testing, temporary routing | Slower consolidation on the destination, can look inconsistent if left in place long term |
When we’re doing SEO work for Orlando businesses, we default to 301 any time the old URL should stop existing as a destination. Think site redesigns, switching from /services/ to cleaner service URLs, merging two similar pages, moving from an old blog post URL to a new one, or changing domains after a rebrand. A 301 is also the right call for “canonical cleanups” like forcing one preferred version (www vs non-www, http vs https, trailing slash rules) so your site doesn’t compete with itself.
Use a 302 when the original page should remain the “main” page long term, and you’re only sending traffic somewhere else for a limited window. Examples: you’re running a one-month special and want /dental-cleaning/ to temporarily route to /spring-special/, you’re doing short maintenance on a booking page, or you’re doing controlled tests where you need to switch traffic back without changing the long-term destination in Google. If you’re doing testing, keep it tidy and time-boxed. If a “temporary” redirect stays up for months, it usually turns into a permanent move in practice, and it’s better to change it to a 301 and clean up the intent.
Two practical rules we use to keep redirects from causing SEO problems: (1) redirect to the closest matching page, not the homepage, and (2) avoid redirect chains. If /old-page/ goes to /new-page/ and then to /newer-page/, Google and users hit extra hops, and things get messy. One hop is the goal: old URL straight to the best current URL.
If you’re deciding between a redirect and a canonical tag – a redirect moves the visitor, while a canonical tag is a hint about which URL should be treated as the main one when multiple versions exist. If you want that nuance, our FAQ on canonical tags explains when a redirect is the better tool.
If you’re not sure what your site is doing right now, check a few key URLs and confirm they return 301 or 302 (not 200), confirm the destination loads fast, and confirm internal links point to the final URL. That technical hygiene is part of what we cover in our technical SEO work so Orlando businesses don’t lose rankings during redesigns, migrations, or platform changes.
Want a quick sanity check? Send us the old URL list and the intended new URLs, and we’ll tell you which ones should be 301 vs 302 and which redirects should be replaced with a better target so your visitors land on the right page the first time.
