Redirect chains are detrimental to SEO for several reasons. Firstly, they significantly increase the load time of your destination page. As browsers follow a series of redirects, it takes more time for the page to fully load, resulting in a poor user experience. With site performance being a crucial aspect of SEO, slower loading times can negatively impact your search rankings.
Moreover, having an excessive number of redirects in a chain also dilutes the SEO value of your page. Each redirect in the chain essentially splits the link equity and authority that search engines attribute to your page. Consequently, this can lead to lower rankings as the search engines may interpret the multiple redirects as a sign of poor website organization or even manipulation. Overall, it is essential to avoid redirect chains to maintain a fast-loading website and maintain a strong SEO presence.