Understanding Page Redirect Chain
A page redirect chain is a concept used primarily in the world of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and web development. In its simplest form, a redirect is a way to send users and search engines to a different URL from the one they initially requested. So, when we say a “page redirect chain”, we’re referring to a situation where there is a series of two or more redirects occurring between the initial URL and the final landing page.
This can be like a domino effect where one redirect leads to another and another, creating a chain. For example: If a user tries to access URL A, they get redirected to URL B, and then URL B redirects them to finally land on URL C.
Pitfalls of Page Redirect Chain
Whilst page redirects can be useful tools in certain circumstances, such as site migrations, it’s important to note that unnecessary redirect chains can often lead to major issues both for SEO and user experience.
Firstly, search engines, such as Google, have a particular crawl budget for each website. This is the number of pages they will crawl on your site within a given timeframe. If your site has a lot of redirect chains, search engines might end up wasting this crawl budget on crawling multiple irrelevant or non-existing pages. This could potentially leave more important and relevant pages uncrawled and unindexed.
Secondly, for the end users, each redirect will add to the total page load time, since the browser has to resolve each redirect individually before it can finally load the content on the final landing page. A slow-loading site will not only be frustrating for users, but it will also harm your SEO. Google considers page speed as one of the many factors for ranking websites in its search results.
LinkedIn and Page Redirect Chains
LinkedIn, one of the world’s largest professional networking platforms, is not immune to these page redirect chain issues. Due to its vast number of pages and constantly updated content, it’s likely that LinkedIn also has to manage redirect chains efficiently to maintain its SEO advantage and provide an optimal user experience.
Fortunately, LinkedIn provides an option for all page admins to directly edit the website URL on their company page. This allows them to ensure that users are directed to the most appropriate landing page without any unnecessary redirects.
If you’re a LinkedIn user and suspect that there may be a redirect chain issue with your links, you can use several free online SEO tools to check this. These tools will identify any redirect chains and highlight the ones that might be problematic.
In summary, it’s crucial to keep redirect chains to a minimum to maintain strong SEO and efficient user experience. An understanding of page redirect chains can certainly improve how we perceive and optimize our LinkedIn pages, making the best possible use of the platform for professional growth and networking. Managing your redirects effectively will lead to improved page load times, which in turn leads to better user experience, higher page rankings, and ultimately, increased visibility and engagement.