How to handle trailing slash redirected to non trailing slash linked in the page, increasing 301 percentage found under crawls stats report in google search console

When Googlebot encounters a trailing slash redirected to a non-trailing slash (or vice versa), it treats the two URLs as separate pages. However, when one URL redirects to the other, it signals to Google that they are actually the same page, with the redirection consolidating signals (like link equity) to the preferred URL.

How Googlebot Treats Such Pages

1. Canonicalization: Googlebot will try to determine the canonical (preferred) version of the page based on the redirects, internal linking, sitemap entries, and canonical tags.
2. Crawl Budget: Redirects can consume crawl budget, especially if there are many of them. Excessive 301 redirects can lead to inefficiencies in crawling.
3. Indexing: Google will eventually index the final destination URL (the non-trailing slash version, in this case) and drop the redirected URL from its index.

Business Rationale:

1. Consistency: Consistent URLs help in preventing duplicate content issues and ensure that all signals (e.g., backlinks, social shares) are consolidated to a single URL.
2. SEO Benefits: Reducing the number of redirects can improve page load times, enhancing user experience and potentially improving search engine rankings.
3. Analytics: Consistent URLs ensure more accurate tracking and reporting in analytics tools.

QA Steps to Check for This Issue:

1. Crawl the Site: Use tools like Screaming Frog or Sitebulb to crawl the site and identify any trailing slash vs. non-trailing slash inconsistencies.
2. Check Redirects: Use a tool like Redirect Path or Ahrefs Site Audit to check if the redirects are implemented correctly and if there are any redirect chains.
3. Analyze Logs: Review server logs to see how Googlebot is crawling and which URLs it is accessing.
4. Google Search Console: Use the Crawl Stats report in Google Search Console to identify any spikes in 301 redirects.

Post-Action Implementation Steps:

1. Update Internal Links: Ensure all internal links point to the preferred version of the URL (either trailing slash or non-trailing slash).
2. Update Sitemaps: Make sure your XML sitemaps list the preferred version of URLs.
3. Canonical Tags: Ensure that canonical tags on your pages point to the preferred URL.
4. Implement Redirects: If not already done, set up 301 redirects from the non-preferred URL to the preferred one. Make sure to avoid redirect chains.
5. Monitor: Use Google Search Console and other tools to monitor for any crawl errors or issues related to redirects.

By following these steps, you can address the trailing slash vs. non-trailing slash issue, ensuring optimal performance in search engines and a better user experience on your website.