When managing a website, encountering 404 errors is inevitable. A 404 error, or “Page Not Found,” occurs when a page URL doesn’t exist. But how do these errors impact your website’s SEO and search engine rankings? Let’s explore why 404 errors happen, what they mean for your visibility, and how you can effectively handle them.
What Are 404 Errors?
A 404 error is an HTTP status code that tells users and search engines a requested page cannot be found. This can happen when:
- A page URL changes without a redirect.
- The page has been deleted.
- A link to the page is incorrect.
- Users mistype the URL.
When users encounter too many 404 errors, it creates a poor experience and can damage your brand’s credibility.
Do 404 Errors Hurt SEO?
Yes—and no. A few 404 errors here and there won’t automatically tank your rankings, but they can still have a negative impact over time. Here’s why:
1. Crawl Efficiency
Search engines crawl your site to index content. If your site has many broken links leading to 404 pages, search engines waste crawl budget trying to access non-existent URLs instead of your important content.
2. User Experience
Google emphasizes user experience as a ranking factor. If visitors consistently land on 404 pages, they’re more likely to leave your site quickly (high bounce rate), which can signal to Google that your site is not meeting user needs.
3. Lost Backlink Value
If external websites link to a page on your site that no longer exists, you lose valuable link equity (ranking power) from those backlinks—unless you redirect the URL.
4. Impact on Internal Linking
Internal links pointing to 404 errors weaken your site’s structure and can reduce the authority of other linked pages.
How to Identify 404 Errors
Regularly monitoring your site for broken pages is crucial. You can use:
- Google Search Console: Check the Coverage report for Not Found errors.
- Screaming Frog SEO Spider: Crawl your site and filter for 404 status codes.
- Ahrefs or SEMrush: Identify lost pages with backlinks.
- Analytics: Review pages with high bounce rates that could indicate broken links.
How to Fix 404 Errors
Here are some best practices:
Set Up 301 Redirects
Redirect old URLs to the most relevant new pages to preserve traffic and link equity.
Update Internal Links
Fix or update links within your website that point to non-existent pages.
Customize Your 404 Page
Design a helpful 404 page that guides users back to your main content or search function.
Remove Bad Backlinks
If you can’t redirect an old page, consider reaching out to sites linking to it and ask them to update the link.
Audit Regularly
Schedule routine checks to find and fix broken links before they impact SEO.
When 404s Are Acceptable
Not all 404 errors are bad. For example, if you intentionally remove outdated or thin content, it’s fine to let it return a 404 or 410 (Gone) status code. Just make sure these aren’t important pages still getting traffic or backlinks.
Final Thoughts
While a few 404 errors won’t ruin your SEO overnight, a large number of them can chip away at your rankings and user trust. By monitoring your website, fixing broken links, and using redirects wisely, you can protect your SEO performance and deliver a smoother experience to your visitors.