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Redirecting 18k pages to the homepage is risky for SEO. While it might seem like an easy fix, it could dilute the homepage's authority and negatively impact user experience. Instead, a more targeted approach is ideal:

Category-Based Redirects: Redirect related content sections to the most relevant category or subpage rather than the homepage. This helps preserve relevancy and SEO value.

Custom 404 with Helpful Links: If category-based redirects aren’t possible, a custom 404 page with links to important sections is a good option. This minimizes user frustration and preserves SEO value without overwhelming your homepage.

Overall, avoid overloading the homepage with unrelated redirects to prevent potential penalties or ranking issues. Aim for logical, content-driven redirects where possible.

@davidvogel said in Best redirect destination for 18k highly-linked pages:

Technical SEO question regarding redirects; I appreciate any insights on best way to handle.
Situation: We're decommissioning several major content sections on a website, comprising ~18k webpages. This is a well established site (10+ years) and many of the pages within these sections have high-quality inbound links from .orgs and .edus.
Challenge: We're trying to determine the best place to redirect these 18k pages.
For user experience, we believe best option is the homepage, which has a statement about the changes to the site and links to the most important remaining sections of the site. It's also the most important page on site, so the bolster of 301 redirected links doesn't seem bad.
However, someone on our team is concerned that that many new redirected pages and links going to our homepage will trigger a negative SEO flag for the homepage, and recommends instead that they all go to our custom 404 page (which also includes links to important remaining sections).
What's the right approach here to preserve remaining SEO value of these soon-to-be-redirected pages without triggering Google penalties?

Redirecting 18k pages to the homepage is risky for SEO. While it might seem like an easy fix, it could dilute the homepage's authority and negatively impact user experience. Instead, a more targeted approach is ideal:

Category-Based Redirects: Redirect related content sections to the most relevant category or subpage rather than the homepage. This helps preserve relevancy and SEO value.

Custom 404 with Helpful Links: If category-based redirects aren’t possible, a custom 404 page with links to important sections is a good option. This minimizes user frustration and preserves SEO value without overwhelming your homepage.

Overall, avoid overloading the homepage with unrelated redirects to prevent potential penalties or ranking issues. Aim for logical, content-driven redirects where possible.

@davidvogel said in Best redirect destination for 18k highly-linked pages:

Technical SEO question regarding redirects; I appreciate any insights on best way to handle.

Situation: We're decommissioning several major content sections on a website, comprising ~18k webpages. This is a well established site (10+ years) and many of the pages within these sections have high-quality inbound links from .orgs and .edus.

Challenge: We're trying to determine the best place to redirect these 18k pages.

For user experience, we believe best option is the homepage, which has a statement about the changes to the site and links to the most important remaining sections of the site. It's also the most important page on site, so the bolster of 301 redirected links doesn't seem bad.

However, someone on our team is concerned that that many new redirected pages and links going to our homepage will trigger a negative SEO flag for the homepage, and recommends instead that they all go to our custom 404 page (which also includes links to important remaining sections).

What's the right approach here to preserve remaining SEO value of these soon-to-be-redirected pages without triggering Google penalties?

If you have 18k highly-linked pages, it’s best to 301 redirect them to the most relevant, high-quality destination on your site. Ideally, these pages should point to content that’s closely related to the original topics. If no specific match exists, redirecting them to a broader category page or a useful, high-authority page (like your homepage) is an option. Just avoid sending everything to the homepage if possible, as that can dilute relevance signals. Good luck

Recommended Approach for Redirects:
Best Practice: Redirect each page to the most relevant remaining page. This preserves SEO value and improves user experience.

Why: Google favors relevance, and this avoids the "soft 404" issue or penalties for generic redirects.
If 1:1 Mapping Isn’t Feasible:

Option A: Redirect to category pages or sections related to the old content.
Option B: Split redirects between the homepage and a custom 404 page, depending on relevance.
Avoid These Mistakes:

Redirecting all pages to the homepage can confuse users and may not preserve link equity.
Redirecting to a custom 404 loses SEO value entirely.
Mitigate Concerns About SEO Penalties:

Ensure the homepage (if used) is relevant, with clear links to key sections.
Use Google Search Console to monitor performance and adjust as needed.
Redirect relevance is the key to preserving both SEO value and user satisfaction.

What should I do now to get the good rankings in Google search? It's been more than 3-4 months now, Not a single website of mine is getting good ranks. It's because google is not considering backlinking, Or what is the reason behind this?

@davidvogel said in Best redirect destination for 18k highly-linked pages:

Technical SEO question regarding redirects; I appreciate any insights on best way to handle.

Situation: We're decommissioning several major content sections on a website, comprising ~18k webpages. This is a well established site (10+ years) and many of the pages within these sections have high-quality inbound links from .orgs and .edus.

Challenge: We're trying to determine the best place to redirect these 18k pages.

For user experience, we believe best option is the homepage, which has a statement about the changes to the site and links to the most important remaining sections of the site. It's also the most important page on site, so the bolster of 301 redirected links doesn't seem bad.

However, someone on our team is concerned that that many new redirected pages and links going to our homepage will trigger a negative SEO flag for the homepage, and recommends instead that they all go to our custom 404 page (which also includes links to important remaining sections).

What's the right approach here to preserve remaining SEO value of these soon-to-be-redirected pages without triggering Google penalties?

If redirecting each page contextually isn’t feasible, consider a blended approach. Redirect the most valuable or relevant pages to closely related section pages, and direct the remainder to a custom 404 page. This preserves link equity for high-value pages while reducing the likelihood of “soft 404” issues or other penalties.

@davidvogel said in Best redirect destination for 18k highly-linked pages:

Technical SEO question regarding redirects; I appreciate any insights on best way to handle.

Situation: We're decommissioning several major content sections on a website, comprising ~18k webpages. This is a well established site (10+ years) and many of the pages within these sections have high-quality inbound links from .orgs and .edus.

Challenge: We're trying to determine the best place to redirect these 18k pages.

For user experience, we believe best option is the homepage, which has a statement about the changes to the site and links to the most important remaining sections of the site. It's also the most important page on site, so the bolster of 301 redirected links doesn't seem bad.

However, someone on our team is concerned that that many new redirected pages and links going to our homepage will trigger a negative SEO flag for the homepage, and recommends instead that they all go to our custom 404 page (which also includes links to important remaining sections).

What's the right approach here to preserve remaining SEO value of these soon-to-be-redirected pages without triggering Google penalties?
When dealing with redirects for a site decommission, it’s important to keep SEO value intact. Redirecting all pages to a single destination like the homepage can be tempting, but search engines, including Google, may treat mass redirects to one page as a soft 404, which could diminish SEO strength. A more effective approach would be to redirect each section to the most relevant remaining pages. For instance, if you’re managing content related to video editing software like PowerDirector or Filmora, redirecting each page to an active section on similar video editing tips or resources would make sense. This way, you’re distributing link equity across relevant content and providing users with pages that align with their intent. A custom 404 page with helpful links is a good fallback option for pages without a suitable match.