Do 404 Errors Hurt SEO? Unpacking Their Impact on Your Site

Do 404 Errors Hurt SEO? Unpacking Their Impact on Your Site

Website owners and digital marketers are often concerned about the impact of 404 errors on their site’s search engine optimization (SEO). But what exactly are 404 errors, and how do they affect SEO performance? In this comprehensive article, we will break down the implications of 404 errors, why they matter, and how to address them effectively to maintain or improve your SEO rankings.

What Are 404 Errors?

Before diving into the SEO impact, let’s first define 404 errors. A 404 error, also known as a “Page Not Found” error, occurs when a user attempts to access a webpage that doesn’t exist on your site. This could be due to a variety of reasons, such as:

• A page being deleted or moved without a proper redirect.
• A typo in the URL entered by the user.
• An incorrect internal or external link pointing to a non-existent page.

When a user encounters a 404 error, they are shown a page indicating that the requested content is unavailable. Although this might not be a huge issue for users on rare occasions, frequent or widespread 404 errors can hurt your site’s SEO efforts.

How Do 404 Errors Affect SEO?

There are several ways in which 404 errors can impact your website’s SEO, which we’ll discuss below. Understanding these factors is essential for taking proactive steps to minimize their negative effects.

1. Negative User Experience

User experience is one of the most significant factors affecting SEO rankings. When visitors to your site encounter 404 errors, they are likely to become frustrated and leave the page. A poor user experience can lead to a higher bounce rate, which Google interprets as a sign that your site may not be providing relevant or valuable content.

As Google continues to prioritize user satisfaction, a high bounce rate caused by 404 errors can result in lower rankings. If search engine bots also encounter 404 errors, they may crawl fewer pages on your site, thus reducing the overall discoverability of your content.

2. Crawl Budget Wastage

Search engines like Google assign a crawl budget to websites, which refers to the number of pages a search engine’s bots are allowed to crawl on your site within a given time frame. If search engine bots encounter numerous 404 errors during their crawl, they may waste valuable crawl budget on non-existent pages, leaving fewer resources for indexing the actual content that matters.

It’s crucial to keep track of and address 404 errors to ensure that search engine bots can efficiently crawl and index your site, improving your visibility in search results.

3. Loss of Link Equity

If your site has incoming links (backlinks) pointing to pages that result in 404 errors, you lose out on valuable link equity. Backlinks are an essential ranking factor for SEO, and if the target page doesn’t exist, the link becomes ineffective. Essentially, you lose the SEO value provided by these links.

To maintain the value of backlinks, it’s important to ensure that all pages on your site are active and accessible. If pages need to be moved or deleted, implement 301 redirects to preserve link equity.

How to Identify and Fix 404 Errors

Now that we understand the potential SEO damage caused by 404 errors, it’s time to discuss how you can identify and fix them effectively. By taking the right steps, you can mitigate the impact of these errors and enhance your site’s SEO health.

1. Use Google Search Console

Google Search Console (GSC) is an essential tool for website owners to monitor their site’s performance and SEO health. One of the many features of GSC is the ability to view crawl errors, including 404 errors. Here’s how to find them:

1. Sign in to Google Search Console.
2. Go to the “Coverage” section under the “Index” tab.
3. Look for any pages marked with a “404 Not Found” error.

Once you’ve identified the problematic pages, you can take appropriate action to fix them, such as redirecting or updating links to valid pages.

2. Use a Website Crawling Tool

Aside from Google Search Console, several website crawling tools can help you identify 404 errors. Tools like Screaming Frog, Ahrefs, and SEMrush allow you to crawl your website and generate a report of broken links. These tools are especially useful for large websites with many pages to monitor.

Once you run the crawl, look for any 404 errors listed in the report and prioritize fixing them to improve your SEO health.

3. Fix Broken Links

After identifying the sources of 404 errors, the next step is to fix the broken links. There are two primary ways to do this:

• Redirecting: Use 301 redirects to guide users and search engines from the broken page to a relevant, active page on your site. This method helps retain link equity and ensures users find what they need.
• Removing or Updating Links: If a page has been permanently removed and there’s no appropriate replacement, you may need to update any internal or external links pointing to that page. For example, if a product page is removed, update any links pointing to it with a link to a relevant category or another product.

4. Monitor and Test Regularly

404 errors can arise over time due to changes in your site or external factors. Regularly monitor your website using the tools mentioned above and check for new 404 errors. This proactive approach will help you catch issues before they negatively impact your SEO.

Consider setting up automated alerts with Google Search Console or your crawling tool to receive notifications whenever a new 404 error appears. Staying on top of these issues is crucial for maintaining good SEO health.

Additional Tips to Improve User Experience and SEO

While fixing 404 errors is essential, there are additional steps you can take to improve your overall site performance and SEO:

• Custom 404 Page: Instead of using a generic 404 error page, create a custom page that helps users navigate to relevant sections of your site. Include links to popular pages or a search bar to improve user experience and reduce bounce rates.
• Check for Orphan Pages: Orphan pages (pages without internal links pointing to them) are often overlooked and can be hard for both users and search engines to find. Make sure all valuable pages are properly linked throughout your site.
• Improve Internal Linking: Proper internal linking can prevent users from encountering 404 errors by ensuring that important pages are easy to find. It also helps search engine bots crawl your site more effectively.

Conclusion

404 errors can indeed hurt your SEO by negatively impacting user experience, wasting crawl budget, and causing you to lose valuable link equity. However, with the right tools and proactive strategies, you can identify and resolve these issues effectively. By regularly monitoring your site for 404 errors, using redirects appropriately, and improving internal linking, you can mitigate the negative effects on your SEO and enhance the overall user experience.

By staying on top of 404 errors, you ensure that your website remains optimized for both search engines and users, ultimately leading to improved rankings and higher conversion rates.

For more tips on SEO optimization and website management, check out our SEO resources page to stay informed and up to date.

If you’re looking for more in-depth information on fixing 404 errors, visit the official Search Engine Journal for expert insights and strategies.

This article is in the category Productivity and created by SiteRankLab Team