Number of Redirects is the redirect count attached to the fetched result URL, read straight from RankGear’s retrieval metadata and returned as a whole number. It describes how the URL was reached, not how good the page is — and a value of 0 can mean either a clean direct fetch or simply that the count was never reported.
| Factor ID | RG-BLK-021 |
|---|---|
| Family | Backlinks & authority |
| Measurement | Count |
| Measured zone | Search-result retrieval metadata |
What it measures
Number of Redirects reports the redirect count attached to the fetched result URL — the number of hops the request passed through before landing on the final response. It is a property of the retrieval, describing the path taken to reach the URL rather than anything about the page’s content.
How RankGear measures it
RankGear reads numberOfRedirects directly from the result metadata and returns it as-is. When that field is unavailable, the factor returns 0. The value is never derived from the page HTML — RankGear does not follow or re-trace the chain itself, so the count reflects only what the retrieval metadata supplied.
| Value | How to read it |
|---|---|
| 0 | A direct fetch with no reported hops — or metadata that never carried a redirect count. The two cases are indistinguishable in this field. |
| 1 | A single hop. Often intentional and correct (for example, a canonical http→https or a preserved migration). |
| 2+ | A multi-hop chain. Worth inspecting for avoidable links, protocol/domain bounces, or loops. |
How to optimize it
Treat this factor as an observation about how a URL is reached, not a number to drive toward zero. Where it points to avoidable indirection, link directly to final canonical destinations, collapse redundant chains, preserve intentional migrations, and eliminate loops or protocol and domain hops that add no value. A single, deliberate redirect can be entirely correct, so read a higher count as a prompt to inspect the chain rather than as a defect to remove on sight.
Important considerations
- One intentional redirect can be correct — a value of 1 is not automatically a problem.
- A value of 0 may mean missing metadata rather than a genuinely direct fetch; the field cannot tell the two apart.
- The factor reports a count only — it does not report redirect types (301, 302, meta refresh) or destinations.
- To see the actual chain, test the URL with a dedicated HTTP inspection tool; RankGear does not re-trace it.
- This is a prioritization signal that tracks how a URL was retrieved within a measured result set. It relates to position; it does not cause rankings or guarantee them.
Related factors
Part of the Factors reference · how RankGear measures · glossary.