How to fix indexed pages that redirect

This issue occurs when Google's index contains an old URL that automatically sends users to a new one. While the redirect works, it creates unnecessary latency and 'hops' for crawlers.

What is wrong

You can recognise this when a search result leads to a URL that changes in the browser address bar immediately upon loading. It signifies that your internal architecture is still promoting an outdated address.

If your XML sitemap or internal navigation links still point to the old URL, you are sending conflicting signals to search engines about which version of the page is the authoritative one.

Why it matters

Redirects add load time, which harms user experience and Core Web Vitals. From a crawling perspective, every redirect is an extra step that consumes crawl budget.

Relying on redirects for indexed pages can dilute ranking signals. Direct links to the final destination ensure maximum 'PageRank' transfer and faster indexing of the correct content.

How to fix it

1. Update internal links

Perform a sitewide search for the old URL and replace it with the new destination URL. This ensures users and bots reach the target page in a single request.

2. Refresh the XML sitemap

Ensure your sitemap only contains the final destination URLs (200 OK status). Remove any URLs that result in a 301 or 302 redirect.

3. Use Canonical tags

Ensure the destination page has a self-referencing canonical tag to reinforce to Google that this is the version that should be indexed.

Platform notes

Most SEO plugins for WordPress automatically update sitemaps, but you may need to use a 'Find and Replace' plugin to update links within your post content.