@Breemcc Setting up a 410 redirect would be the best option here, I've found.

A 410 redirect is a type of HTTP status code that tells search engines that a page has been deleted permanently and that there is no replacement for it. This is different from a 301 redirect, which tells search engines that a page has been moved to a new location.

Google recommends using 410 redirects for deleted categories in an online store because they help to improve the user experience and the search engine's ability to index the website.

When a user clicks on a link to a deleted category, they will be redirected to a 410 page. This page will tell them that the category has been deleted and that there is no replacement for it.

This is a better experience than having the user land on a 404 page, which is a page that does not exist. Especially since you can control the UX of the page to deliver better suggestions for the user that are current.

@Train4Academy-co-uk Blocking crawlers beyond page 1, 2, or 3 of any category can be a good idea beyond the famed "duplicate content" issue. The main benefits being it reduces load on your site and saves your bandwidth/crawl budget for more important things.

It might prevent reviews getting indexed, but a workaround is to have a page per review in the sitemap and then either linking to them internally from other pages or submitting to search console manually.

Might help!

Backlinks remain one of the most important ranking factors in SEO, in my experience. Why?

They're a reliable signal of trust and authority to search engines. The age-old adage holds true to this day IMHO: The more quality backlinks you have pointing to your site from reputable external sources, the more Google sees you as an authority on your topic.

Some are better than others, and to make them more effective, it's best to try and get them from sources that provide relevance to the topics your website covers, not least because backlinks are a good way to attract people, not just search engines, so you want to be appearing where your ideal customers are going, by focusing on that first, you're providing a stronger signal to SE's that you have topical relevance, particularly with Google's focus on Experience nowadays.

Tools like Moz help you see and evaluate the backlinks pointing to any website domain so you can assess your current backlink profile.

Domain Authority, Page Authority, and other metrics you can view inside Moz help you quantify the value of current and potential linking domains, and help you identify new opportunities strategically.

Hope that helps!