In response to the user request, a page displays a redirect error. How do I fix 3xx page receives organic traffic.
What Does «How Do I Fix 3xx Page Receives Organic Traffic» Mean?
Technical condition audit data indicate that some internal web pages are displaying a 3xx (redirect) error response when users access the site. The problem means that the page was moved to a new URL, which has not yet been indexed by Google. That’s why search results show the irrelevant address, which leads users to the site. It is recommended to fix such errors so that website visitors get the address relevant to their search query.
What Triggers This Issue?
When crawling the web, Google crawlers look for new pages to verify and index them. They crawl pages and index all the words they encounter, as well as their locations. This way, when a user enters a query, the search engine selects in its database and displays answers that it considers the most relevant to the user’s intent. Page crawling does not occur all the time.
If the internal structure of the site has changed, and some pages were moved to new URLs, redirects are set to redirect users. After the update, much time can pass before Google notices the update and indexes the new page.
How to Check the Issue?
With the Index Coverage report in Google Search Console, you can get an overview of all site pages that have been indexed by Google or on which an error occurred during indexing, track error types, and find out what caused them. In the report, you will find a list of pages with errors and information about them, as well as the possibility to compare the current version of the page with the one that is indexed.
For more info, watch the video by Google Search Central:
The Index Coverage report gives you more information about errors and allows for prioritization of fixing and indexing them by the search engine.
In this Sitechecker SEO tool screenshot, we’re highlighting an invaluable feature for those dealing with redirect issues, particularly concerning 3xx HTTP status codes. The tool points out pages receiving organic traffic but are wrapped in 3xx redirects, which can potentially dilute link equity and confuse search engines.
When users explore this issue, they will not only be presented with a list of these URLs but also valuable data points for each one, such as their page weight—a measure of the page’s size—and the specific status code, which in this case is 301, meaning the page has been moved permanently. Furthermore, each entry lists the date the issue was identified, helping users to quickly gauge the recency and possibly the urgency of the redirect situation.
Discover if 3xx redirects are siphoning your organic traffic.
Use our Redirect Checker to reclaim your clicks and enhance your SEO performance.
Why is This Important?
Users click on links offered to them by Google and expect to get a certain result. Once they open a page with unwanted content, they become dissatisfied and leave the site. This negatively affects behavioral factors, and if the site does have a page with content relevant to the query, it still does not get traffic. Google also strives to display the most accurate responses to queries. It pays attention to user behavior, which can negatively affect site rankings and reputation.
How to Fix the Issue?
Check which pages Google has indexed or attempted to index by using the Index Coverage report in Google Search Console https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/7440203?hl=en
Check 3xx pages detected during the audit. If the redirect was set by mistake, you may need to restore the pages, and the error will be resolved.
If a redirect was set correctly, but indexing is delayed, and 3xx pages remain a source of organic traffic, you can try to speed up the process. To do this, make changes with new URLs in your Sitemap file and then submit it for review and recrawling via Google Search Console tools. Changes will not be taken into account instantly. It usually takes up to two weeks for the search engine to do this. After that, site pages will be indexed with updated URLs.
