Question 1

What is a redirect chain and why is it bad for SEO?

Accepted Answer

A redirect chain occurs when a URL redirects to another URL which redirects again, creating a sequence of hops before the final destination is reached. Each hop adds latency and reduces the link equity passed to the destination page. Search engines like Google may stop following chains longer than 5 hops, causing pages to be missed during crawling.

Question 2

What is the difference between a 301 and 302 redirect?

Accepted Answer

A 301 redirect is permanent and tells search engines to transfer full link equity to the destination URL. A 302 redirect is temporary. For SEO purposes, always use 301 redirects when permanently moving content to preserve your ranking signals.

Question 3

How do I fix a redirect loop?

Accepted Answer

A redirect loop occurs when URL A redirects to URL B which redirects back to URL A. To fix it, audit your server configuration (.htaccess, nginx.conf) or CMS redirect rules to remove the circular reference. The Redirect Tracer identifies exactly which URLs form the loop.

Question 4

Why should every redirect chain end on HTTPS?

Accepted Answer

Chains ending on HTTP expose users to potential interception and cause browsers to show security warnings. Search engines also favour HTTPS URLs in rankings. Your chain should always finish at the canonical HTTPS version of the page with no further redirects.

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