Google On Mobile Redirection: Now Use 301s, Not 302s

Back in June, Google updated their site moving documentation drastically but webmasters questioned why Google specifically recommended using 302 redirects to communicate separate smartphone URLs from desktop URLs. Well that has changed.

Aleyda Solis spotted that Google changed the documentation recently to now say use 301 redirects. Aleyda posted this on Google+ with before and after pictures.

In short, before it said:

Redirect your separate smartphone URLs to your desktop URLs using server-side 302 HTTP redirects.

Now it says:

Redirect your separate smartphone URLs to your desktop URLs using server-side 301 HTTP redirects.

Also before it said in the from same URLs to separate URLs case:

using server-side 302 HTTP redirects

Now it says:

using server-side 301 or 302 HTTP redirects

Here is a screen shot from Aleyda:

Makes you wonder, with Matt Cutts using 302 redirects himself, if this is intentional or not.

Forum discussion at Google+.