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I need to remove some indexed URLs from Google SERP. The problem is I cannot use the 3 types of removal patterns Google suggests like robots.txt, meta name "noindex" and remove the page and make it as 404 page and submit in Google removal tool.

I cannot use any of them and I planned to redirect to home page. My doubt is that Google will remove the pages from Google SERP and its index after redirecting to home page?

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If you use a 301 redirect the page becomes redirected as you know but also the page that is redirecting is considered unvisitable since well its 301 permanent redirect.

Google will remove these pages but its not a instant process and takes some time (anywhere from a week, to several months) Google allows some time for Webmasters to correct the problem should it be a problem so people don't lose their rankings with small temporary hiccups and this is why the process is rather slow - but the good thing is that the pages in question are not visitable since your redirecting.

So short answer! Yes, it will remove the pages from Google Search, but not instantly give it time.

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  • Thanks a lot... It takes 90 days period of time to remove a Result from its SERP.
    – Jose Princely
    Mar 28, 2013 at 2:56
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If you 301 redirect a URL to elsewhere, it will eventually be dropped from Google's index but this can take a number of weeks/months. If you aren't able to request a URL removal in Google Webmaster Tools or block the URL from being indexed with robots directives though, you haven't really got much other option.

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  • Blocking old URL with robots.txt, sure!?
    – Zistoloen
    Mar 27, 2013 at 17:27
  • The robots.txt will allow the instructing of crawlers should they choose to obey, preventing the access to certain URL's will eventually result in the URL being dropped from the index. This is what I meant.
    – zigojacko
    Mar 27, 2013 at 17:57
  • If you block old URL with robots.txt, crawlers can't follow the 301 redirect!
    – Zistoloen
    Mar 27, 2013 at 18:37
  • Clearly, I never said otherwise. The question was looking for alternatives to drop a URL from index. I merely only mentioned robots.txt in the context that 'if they don't have access to it'...
    – zigojacko
    Mar 28, 2013 at 8:42

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