Hello everyone. In my new role, I have inherited an old, extensive website. Prior to my arrival, blog posts were being written without any clear strategy, resulting in a significant number of posts that do not generate traffic or have backlinks of varying quality on our site. I am currently identifying and repurposing or optimizing the posts that hold potential value, and considering the best approach for the remaining ones. Given the large number of posts, I am deliberating whether it is better to delete these pages or implement redirects, despite the lack of traffic and backlinks.
Deleting the pages is generally the recommended approach.
While 301 redirects can help preserve some of the existing SEO value, they can also lead to issues like:
- Adding complexity to your website’s structure: Multiple redirects can make it harder for search engines to crawl your site effectively.
- Diluting PageRank: Redirects can spread PageRank across multiple pages, potentially weakening the authority of your main content.
- Creating a confusing user experience: Users might be redirected to irrelevant content, leading to frustration and higher bounce rates.
In the case of low-value content that receives minimal traffic, deleting the pages is likely to have a minimal impact on your website’s SEO and will ultimately improve its overall structure and user experience.
By removing the dead weight, you can focus your efforts on optimizing and promoting the valuable content that truly contributes to your website’s success.