301 vs 302 redirect: what is the difference?
Learn when to use a 301 permanent redirect and when a 302 temporary redirect fits, how Google treats each one, and how to check which you have.
Quick answers guides
Practical, step-by-step website launch and SEO health guides.
Categories: Quick answers (100)
Showing 1 to 24 of 100 guides in Quick answers (page 1 of 5)
404 vs 410: which should a removed page return?
Compare the 404 Not Found and 410 Gone status codes for deleted pages, see how Google treats each and choose the right one for your situation.
Brotli vs gzip compression
Brotli usually produces smaller files than gzip. Learn when to use each, how browsers choose and how to confirm compression is working on your site.
Canonical tag vs 301 redirect: which should I use?
Decide between a canonical tag and a 301 redirect for duplicate or moved pages, with a simple rule of thumb and examples for each situation.
DMARC p=none vs p=quarantine vs p=reject
Compare the three DMARC policies, see what each asks receivers to do with failing mail, and learn the order to move from monitoring to enforcement.
Do URL parameters hurt SEO?
URL parameters like ?sort= and ?utm_source= can create duplicate pages and waste crawling. Learn when they matter and how to keep them under control.
Does lastmod in a sitemap matter?
Learn when the lastmod date in a sitemap helps Google, why priority and changefreq are ignored, and how to set accurate dates on your pages.
How do I change my domain name without losing SEO?
Move to a new domain safely with page-to-page 301 redirects, the Search Console Change of Address tool and a checklist for before and after the switch.
How do I check if a page is indexed by Google?
Use URL Inspection, the Page indexing report or a site: search to see whether Google has indexed a page, and learn what each result tells you.
How do I check if my mail server is on a blocklist?
Find your sending IP, look it up on blocklist operators' own lookup pages, read bounce messages for clues, and know what to do if you are listed.
How do I check if my website is accessible?
Check website accessibility with an automated scan plus a short manual test: keyboard, zoom, contrast, alt text and labels. Learn what each test can miss.
How do I check my DMARC record?
Look up your DMARC record with dig or nslookup, read what each tag says, and confirm with a test email that DMARC is passing for your domain.
How do I fix 'SPF: too many DNS lookups'?
Fix the SPF permerror caused by more than 10 DNS lookups: how to count them, which mechanisms cost a lookup, and safe ways to bring the total down.
How do I fix \"Blocked by robots.txt\"?
Find the robots.txt rule that blocks a page in Search Console, change it safely and retest. Also covers when a block is the right choice.
How do I fix \"Couldn't fetch\" for my sitemap?
Work through the checks that fix the Search Console sitemap status \"Couldn't fetch\": address, status code, redirects, firewalls and server logs.
How do I fix \"too many redirects\"?
Find the cause of the ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS browser error, from HTTPS settings and www rules to cookies and plugins, and fix the loop step by step.
How do I load web fonts without layout shift?
Stop text from jumping when a web font arrives. Preload the key font file, set font-display and match a fallback font so the swap barely moves.
How do I make a good custom 404 page?
Build a custom 404 page that helps lost visitors, keeps your branding and returns a true 404 status, with server examples and a short checklist.
How do I redirect non-www to www?
Copy-ready 301 redirect rules for Apache, nginx and ASP.NET Core that send example.com to www.example.com, plus the checks that prove it works.
How do I redirect www to non-www?
Set up a permanent 301 redirect from www.example.com to example.com in Apache, nginx or ASP.NET Core, and test it so no URL ends up in a loop.
How do I remove a page from Google search?
Remove a page from Google results using the Removals tool for a quick hide and noindex, a 404 or a password for a lasting fix, with clear steps.
How do I remove URLs containing /post/ from Google (inurl:post)?
inurl:post finds pages but does not remove them. Learn to remove a whole folder with the prefix option in Search Console and fix it for good.
How do I request indexing in Google Search Console?
Ask Google to crawl a new or updated page with the URL Inspection tool. Step-by-step instructions, the limits to expect and when not to bother.
How do I speed up a slow website?
A practical order of work for a slow site: measure first, shrink images, compress text, cache files, cut scripts and check the server response.