Does a 301 redirect pass all link equity (PageRank) to the new URL?

Yes. Google confirmed in 2016 that 301 redirects pass full PageRank to the destination URL with no dampening factor from the redirect itself. Previously, there was an industry belief that 301s lost 10-15% of link equity, but Google's Gary Illyes clarified that 30x redirects do not cause PageRank loss. However, the redirect must point to a relevant, equivalent page — redirecting unrelated content to the homepage won't effectively transfer topical authority.

How quickly does Google de-index a page that returns a 404 vs a 410?

A 410 Gone response causes Google to remove the page from its index faster than a 404, typically within days. For 404s, Google retries the URL periodically over several weeks before fully removing it from the index. Google's John Mueller has confirmed that 410 is treated as a stronger signal of permanent removal. Use 410 when content is deliberately and permanently removed, and 404 when a page simply doesn't exist or when you're unsure if the content might return.

Can 5xx server errors permanently damage my search rankings?

Brief 5xx errors (minutes to a few hours) cause minimal lasting damage — Google serves cached versions and retries. However, persistent 5xx errors lasting days or weeks can cause significant ranking drops: Google reduces crawl rate, begins de-indexing affected pages, and shrinks your overall crawl budget allocation. Recovery after extended outages typically takes 1-4 weeks as Google must re-crawl and re-evaluate all affected pages. The key is fast detection and resolution — monitor for 5xx spikes and aim for resolution within hours.

What is the SEO difference between a 302 and a 307 redirect?

From a pure SEO perspective, Google treats 302 and 307 identically — both signal a temporary redirect. The technical difference is that 307 guarantees the HTTP method is preserved (a POST request stays a POST), while 302 historically allowed method changes. For SEO purposes, the choice between 302 and 307 doesn't matter. What matters is using temporary redirects (302/307) only for genuinely temporary situations, and permanent redirects (301/308) for permanent URL changes to ensure proper link equity transfer.

How does returning 503 with Retry-After during maintenance protect my SEO?

When Google encounters a 503 with a Retry-After header, it interprets this as a planned, temporary outage rather than a server failure. Google will pause crawling, preserve existing index entries and rankings, and return after the specified duration. Without the Retry-After header, Google treats 503 like other 5xx errors — reducing crawl rate and potentially de-indexing pages after prolonged periods. The Retry-After value should match your actual maintenance window; setting it to 3600 (1 hour) for a 10-minute maintenance is fine, but avoid values longer than 48 hours.

HTTP Status Codes and SEO Rankings