Ever checked your website’s analytics and encountered a dreaded 404 error? It can be frustrating to see users land on broken pages. But before you hit the panic button, here’s some good news: Google does not penalize your website for having 404 errors. You must learn https status codes.
However, that doesn’t mean you should ignore them entirely. Here’s a breakdown of what 404 errors mean for your website’s SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and what you can do to address them.
Understanding 404 Errors
A 404 error code indicates that the requested page on a website can’t be found. This can happen for several reasons:
- Broken links: Outdated links pointing to pages that no longer exist can trigger 404s. You can use the broken link tools to find 404 errors.
- Typos in URLs: Users mistyping the address or incorrect internal linking can lead to 404s.
- Deleted content: If you remove a page without proper redirection, it will return a 404.
- Server configuration issues: Technical problems on the server side can also cause 404s.
Why Do 404 Errors Matter for SEO?
While Google doesn’t penalize you directly, 404 errors can still negatively impact your SEO in a few ways:
- User Experience: Landing on a broken page creates a frustrating user experience. Users might leave your website and search for the information elsewhere, potentially harming your bounce rate (the percentage of visitors who leave your site after viewing a single page).
- Crawlability: Google’s search engine bots (crawlers) may waste time trying to access non-existent pages, hindering their ability to crawl and index your valuable content efficiently.
- Link Equity: Links act like votes of trust for your website. Broken links pointing to your site from other websites dilute the value of those links.
- Indexation: Over time, Google may remove persistently returning 404s from its index, meaning those pages won’t show up in search results.
What to Do About 404 Errors?
Now that you understand the impact of 404 errors, here are some steps you can take to address them:
- Identify 404 Errors: Use tools like Google Search Console to identify 404 errors on your website.
- Fix Broken Links: Find and fix broken links both on your website and from external sources. You can use a link checker tool to help you with this.
- Redirect Users: For pages you’ve deliberately removed, set up a 301 redirect to send users to a relevant existing page on your site. This helps maintain link equity and provides a better user experience.
- Create a Custom 404 Page: While not essential for SEO, a custom 404 page can improve user experience. This page should apologize for the error, offer suggestions for navigating your website, and provide a way for users to contact you.
- Monitor and maintain: Regularly check for new 404s and implement the above steps to maintain a clean and user-friendly website.
Preventing Future 404 Errors:
- Plan for Change: Before removing a page, consider redirecting it to a relevant page or creating a holding page with a future launch date.
- Update Internal Links: When you update a page URL, update all internal links pointing to the old URL.
- Monitor Your Website: Regularly use website monitoring tools to identify and fix broken links before they become problematic.
By following these steps, you can minimize the impact of 404 errors on your website’s SEO and ensure a smooth user experience for your visitors. Although Google doesn’t penalize them, 404 errors are still worth addressing for a healthy and user-friendly website.