302 (Temporary Redirect) & HTTPS - how to improve for SEO?

[NiallTom]

Hello,

I have a crawl diagnostic warning that says 302 (temporary Redirect).  My site is set up with HTTPS - is that the main reason I am getting this warning?  I don't have a strong need for higher security SSL on my site, which is what I understand the main purpose of HTTPS to be so, to improve SEO, would I be better off getting rid of this and going with HTTP?  Or would 301 redirects be a better option?

Thanks for your help!

Niall

[AdoptionHelp]

There's some debate as to whether 302's are ok to use or not, largely depending on your specific situation. Without getting into technical details, if its possible to use http and 301 redirects I would recommend going that route because its simpler and more understood.

[MonsterWeb28]

Hey Niall,

I'm going through the same issue at the moment. You are currently receiving the 302 warning because Rogerbot does not read secure pages. I am working with the understanding that the moz team is adding this ability to Rogerbot in the near future and SEOmoz will be able to track secure pages. Using https throughout all pages does add load time (not considerably) and we do know that any addition to load time can have an effect on your SEO ranking. I would encourage limiting the amount of secure pages as much as possible and prominently placing your SSL badge within the sidebar of your site in order to inform users that you do have a solid SSL.

[NiallTom]

Thank You, Darryl.  Do you know if it is required by some online merchants to have SSL on all pages of a site, or just credit card info pages?  Or do they not require it at all?