Fix Redirect Chains to Improve Website Performance

What is a Redirect Chain?

A redirect chain happens when one URL redirects to another URL, which then redirects again (and sometimes again) before finally reaching the destination page.

Example:

Page A → Page B → Page C → Final Page

Instead of pointing directly to the final page, the browser and search engine are forced to follow multiple hops.

Common Causes of Redirect Chains

• Old URLs redirected during website redesigns
• HTTP → HTTPS → non-www → www handled separately
• Multiple plugin or CMS rules stacked over time
• Redirecting to a page that itself already redirects

5 Reasons Why Redirect Chains are Harmful to SEO

1. Slower Page Load Times

Each redirect adds an extra request.

Even a single additional hop can slow down:

• First Contentful Paint (FCP)
• Time to Interactive (TTI)

Speed impacts user experience and Core Web Vitals, which directly affect rankings.

2. Diluted Link Equity (Ranking Power)

Redirects pass authority, but not perfectly.

• Google does pass most link equity through a 301 redirect
• Multiple redirects compound loss
• Long chains weaken the SEO value of backlinks pointing to the original URL

This matters a lot for:

• High-value blog posts
• Service pages
• Pages with external backlinks

3. Inefficient Crawl Budget

Search engines have limited time per site.

Redirect chains:

• Waste crawl resources
• Reduce how often important pages are crawled
• Can delay indexing of new or updated content

This is especially harmful on:

• Large sites in general
• Content-heavy blogs
• E-commerce or service sites with many URLs

4. Risk of Redirect Loops or Breaks

Chains increase complexity, which increases risk.

Possible outcomes:

• Redirect loops (Page A → B → A)
• Soft 404s
• Redirects exceeding browser limits

Any of these can cause pages to:

• Drop from the index
• Fail to rank
• Fail to load for users

5. Poor User Experience

Users may not notice redirects, but they can certainly get stuck in a frustrating loop (and they will leave).

Higher bounce rates = negative engagement signals.

👉 Side Note: 301 Redirects Themselves are Normal and Often Necessary

They’re the correct way to:

• Handle website redesigns
• Move or consolidate pages
• Delete pages
• Preserve SEO value from old URLs

The problem isn’t having redirects.

The problem is letting them get out of hand and not cleaning them up. They need management.

Best Practice: Flatten Redirect Chains

❌ Bad

/old-page → /intermediate-page → /new-page

✅ Good

/old-page → /new-page

Every redirected URL should point directly to the final destination.

Older Businesses are More Susceptible to Redirect Chains and Loops

Why?

When a site has passed through multiple webmasters, gone through one or more redesigns or CMS changes (HTML → Joomla → WordPress), and migrated from HTTP to HTTPS, redirects tend to stack instead of being cleaned up, quietly creating chains that slow the site and weaken SEO over time.

How to Find Redirect Chains

You’ll typically uncover them using:

• SEO crawlers (site audits)
• Server logs
• Google Search Console crawl reports
• Manual URL testing

Quick Rule of Thumb

• 1 redirect = acceptable
• 2 redirects = fix it
• 3+ redirects = actively hurting performance

Bottom Line

Redirect chains don’t usually cause instant ranking drops, but they:

• Slow your site down
• Waste SEO authority
• Reduce crawl efficiency
• Add technical risk

Over time, they absolutely contribute to weaker rankings and lower lead volume.

Tech SEO Audits find redirect chains, loops and other technical issues that, when fixed, can improve your website’s performance and your visitors’ experience.

Let’s talk about a Tech SEO Audit for your website ⇒