Question: How can you index a page with a redirect in Google?

Indexing a page that has a redirect can pose challenges because Google's main objective is to direct users to the most relevant and user-friendly content. Here are some key considerations and steps you can take:

Understand the Types of Redirects

• 301 Permanent Redirect: This tells search engines that a page has permanently moved to a new location. Google transfers most of the original page's ranking power to the new location.
• 302 Temporary Redirect: Indicates a temporary move. Search engines keep the original page indexed, and do not transfer much of the SEO value to the new location.

Best Practices for Indexing Redirected Pages

1. Use 301 Redirects for Permanent Changes: If you want a redirected page to be indexed under the new URL, use a 301 redirect. This is the most efficient way to pass authority from the old page to the new one and helps ensure that the new URL is indexed properly.

2. Update Internal Links: Ensure all internal links point directly to the new URLs, not to URLs that then redirect. This reduces unnecessary redirect chains and helps search engines crawl your site more efficiently.

3. Update Backlinks: Where possible, ask external sites linking to the old URL to update their links to the new URL. This helps consolidate link equity and aids in quicker indexing.

4. Sitemap Updates: Update your XML sitemap to reflect the new URLs and remove the old ones. Submit the updated sitemap to Google via Search Console. This signals to Google that the site has been updated and encourages re-crawling.

5. Monitor Google Search Console: Use Google Search Console to monitor how Google is handling the redirected URLs. Look for crawl errors and address any issues found. It's also useful to check the 'Coverage' report to see how pages with redirects are being processed.

Handling Redirect Chains

Avoid long chains of redirects (e.g., Page A -> Page B -> Page C). Google might stop following the redirects if the chain is too long, which could prevent some pages from being indexed.

By following these practices, you can help ensure that your redirects are handled appropriately by Google, leading to proper indexing of the intended target pages.