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Technical

Redirects (301/302, chains)

Do your old addresses lead to the right place without unnecessary stops?

📖 Detailed description

Redirects are the signposts of the internet - they tell browsers and Google: "this page has moved here". When you change a page's address, move your site to HTTPS, or switch from www to non-www, redirects make sure nobody lands on a dead end.

The difference between types is crucial. A 301 (permanent) tells Google: "this is a permanent move, transfer all the SEO power here". A 302 (temporary) says: "this is only for a moment, do not move the ranking". Using a 302 where a 301 belongs is a common and costly mistake - you lose the position you worked hard to build.

Watch out too for redirect chains (A → B → C → D) and loops (A → B → A). Every extra hop slows the page down and dilutes SEO signals, while a loop blocks access entirely. Seometryka's SEO analysis detects chains and loops for you.

Most common problems

A 302 redirect instead of 301

Google treats the move as temporary and does not transfer the ranking

Redirect chains

A → B → C slows the page down and dilutes SEO power

Redirect loops

The page redirects in circles and never opens at all

No redirects after address changes

Old links lead to a 404 error

How to fix it?

Use a 301 code for permanent changes, not a 302

Redirect straight to the destination - avoid chains (one hop at most)

Set a single canonical version: https + your choice of www or non-www

After changing your URL structure, redirect the old addresses to the new ones

Regularly check that your redirects do not create loops

Examples

Good example

http://site.com → 301 → https://site.com (one hop, permanent code)

Bad example

site.com → www.site.com → https://www.site.com → https://site.com (a chain)

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