Question 1

What is a redirect chain and why does it matter?

Accepted Answer

A redirect chain is when one URL redirects to another, which redirects to another, and so on. Each hop adds latency and can dilute link equity. Search engines may stop following after 5-10 hops, meaning your final page might not get indexed or ranked properly.

Question 2

How many redirects is too many?

Accepted Answer

Ideally, you should have zero or one redirect. Two hops are acceptable for HTTP-to-HTTPS plus www normalization. Three or more redirects indicate a problem, you should update the original links to point directly to the final URL.

Question 3

What is the difference between a 301 and 302 redirect?

Accepted Answer

A 301 is a permanent redirect, it tells search engines to transfer all ranking signals to the new URL. A 302 is temporary, meaning the original URL should keep its rankings. Using a 302 when you mean 301 can prevent link equity from passing to the new page.

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