Links to Redirects Example
I send every guest by way of the hedge my coach once went over, purely for the exercise.
The short answer
- What it is
- A link to a redirect is an internal link whose target sends the browser on to another URL. A link to a 200 page whose canonical points elsewhere is the same kind of detour.
- Why it matters
- Each hop adds a request and some delay. It also sends mixed signals about which URL is the real one.
- How a crawler should report it
- Report one row per link with the source page, the linked URL, the status or canonical found, and the final URL to use instead. Separate true redirects from canonical mismatches so the fix is clear.
- Live examples
/lab/redirect-links/(positive)/lab/redirect-links/near-miss/(near miss)
Pointing Internal Links Straight at the Final URL
Links to redirects are internal links that don't go directly to the page they mean to reach. The link says /old-page/, the server answers 301, and the browser asks again at /new-page/. It works, so no one notices. Over time these links pile up. A slug change, a move to HTTPS, or a new folder layout leaves many old URLs in templates and article text.
A trailing slash is the quietest cause. If your site redirects /about to /about/, then every link without the slash costs an extra hop. Links in old posts may still use http:// or the wrong host. A link can also reach a 200 page whose canonical tag names a different URL. Filtered lists and print versions often work this way. The link looks fine, but the page says that it is not the main one.
A browser follows redirects without showing an error, so the only cost is time. On a phone with a slow connection, each hop can be felt. Google follows up to 10 redirect hops and says that a 301 does not lose link value. So one redirect won't hurt rankings by itself. The problem is waste and signal. Links are one of the hints used to pick a canonical URL, and a link to the old form argues against your own choice.
To detect these links, crawl the site without following redirects at first. Flag each link whose target answers 3xx. Then compare each 200 target's canonical with its own URL. To fix them, change the link to the final address, starting with menus and footers since they repeat everywhere. Then work through article text with a search and replace. Keep the redirects in place for outside links and old bookmarks. A fixed link does not mean that the redirect can go.