What Is a 404 Error? How Can It Impact Your Website’s SEO?

If you’ve ever clicked on a link and been met with a cryptic error message, you’ve experienced a 404 error. These errors occur when a user attempts to access a webpage that either doesn’t exist or is no longer available. 

For website visitors, 404 errors can be frustrating and may even lead them to leave your site. But as a website owner, it’s essential to understand that 404 errors can also have a negative impact on your website’s search engine optimization (SEO).

In this article, we’ll delve into the technical details of 404 errors and explore the various causes of these errors. We’ll also discuss the impact of 404 errors on your website’s SEO and provide step-by-step instructions on how to fix them. 

By the end of this article, you’ll have the knowledge and tools to effectively address 404 errors on your website to improve the user experience on your website.

Let’s get started!

What is a 404 Error?

A 404 error is an HTTP standard response code indicating that the requested resource could not be found on the server. This can occur for various reasons, such as the resource being moved or deleted or the user entering an incorrect URL.

When a user encounters a 404 error, the error message will typically be displayed on the user’s browser. The exact appearance of the error message may vary depending on the browser and website, but it will generally include the 404 error code and a brief explanation of the error. 

Some websites may also include a search bar or a list of related pages to help users find what they are looking for.

It’s important to note that 404 errors are not limited to websites. They can also occur when accessing resources on other servers, such as file servers or databases. In these cases, the error message may be different, but the underlying cause is the same: the requested resource could not be found on the server.

There are a few key things to understand about 404 errors:

  • They are a normal part of the internet. No website is perfect, and 404 errors will inevitably occur from time to time.
  • They are not the fault of the user. It’s important to remember that users are not intentionally causing 404 errors. 
  • They can be fixed. While 404 errors are a normal part of the internet, they can and should be addressed by website owners to improve the user experience and maintain the website’s integrity.

How Do 404 Errors Occur?

There are several common causes of 404 errors on websites. These include:

  • Broken Links: A broken link is a link that points to a non-existent or invalid URL. This can occur when the linked resource has been moved or deleted or when the link itself contains a typo or error. Broken links can occur within a website (internal links) or from other websites (external links).
  • Incorrect URLs: Sometimes, users may accidentally enter an incorrect URL when accessing a webpage. This can also occur when a user clicks on a link that contains a typo or error.
  • Deleted Pages: If a web page is deleted from a website, any links pointing to that webpage will result in a 404 error. This can occur intentionally, as part of website updates or restructuring, or unintentionally if a web page is deleted by mistake.

Here are a few examples of how these causes of 404 errors can manifest on a website:

  • A user clicks on a link to a landing page created for a temporary promotion, but the promotion has ended, and the page has been deleted.
  • A user clicks on a link to a resource library, but the resource library has been restructured, and the URL has changed.
  • A user clicks on a link to a blog post that was shared on social media, but the post has been removed, or the URL has been changed as part of a website update.

The Impact of 404 Errors On SEO

404 errors can have a negative impact on your website’s search engine optimization (SEO). In this section, we will delve into the ways in which 404 errors can affect your website’s SEO:

1- Indexability

Indexability refers to a search engine’s ability to understand a webpage’s content and determine 

its relevance to search queries. It is an essential factor in SEO, as it determines whether or not a webpage will be included in search results.

There are several ways in which 404 errors can impact indexability:

  • If a search engine can’t access a web page due to a 404 error, it may not be able to index the page’s content accurately and may not include it in search results.
  • If a web page is deleted from a website, any links pointing to that webpage will result in a 404 error, and the search engine will not be able to index the page’s content.

2- Crawlability

Crawlability is a crucial factor in SEO, as it determines whether or not a search engine can discover and index the pages on a website.

When a search engine crawler encounters a 404 error while trying to access a webpage, it may mark the webpage as non-existent and not include it in the search index. This can have a negative impact on the visibility of a website in search results, as well as reduce the number of potential visitors to the website.

3- User Experience

User experience is crucial in SEO, as it can impact the likelihood of users staying on a website and engaging with its content. 

A positive user experience can lead to increased time on site, lower bounce rates, and increased conversions, which can contribute to improved search engine rankings. 

On the other hand, a negative user experience can result in users leaving the website quickly, leading to higher bounce rates and decreased conversions.

There are several ways in which 404 errors can negatively impact user experience:

  • Frustration: When a user encounters a 404 error while trying to access a webpage, they may become frustrated and leave the website. This can lead to a poor user experience and reduce the likelihood of the user returning to the website in the future.
  • High bounce rates: A high bounce rate is a metric that measures the percentage of users who leave a website after viewing only one page. If a user encounters a 404 error while trying to access a webpage, they are likely to leave the website, which can increase the bounce rate. A high bounce rate can indicate to search engines that the website is not providing a good user experience, which can negatively impact the website’s visibility in search results.
  • Decreased conversions: If a user encounters a 404 error while trying to complete a task on a website, such as making a purchase or filling out a form, they may become frustrated and abandon the task. This can lead to decreased conversions and negatively impact the website’s revenue.

Tips For Avoiding 404 Errors

To prevent the negative impact of 404 errors on user experience, indexability, crawlability, and SEO, it is important for website owners to take proactive measures to avoid and fix 404 errors.

This section will provide tips for avoiding and fixing 404 errors on your website. 

By following these best practices, you can improve the user experience on your website, improve your website’s visibility in search results, and reduce the negative impact of 404 errors on your website’s SEO.

1- Use Descriptive URLs

One important tip for avoiding 404 errors is to use descriptive URLs, which are also SEO-friendly URLs,  for your web pages. 

Descriptive URLs are easy to read and understand for both users and search engines and can help prevent mistyped URLs and incorrect URLs, which can lead to 404 errors.

Tips for creating descriptive URLs:

  • Use relevant, descriptive keywords in the URL – By including relevant keywords in the URL, you can provide context and information about the webpage’s content, which can help users and search engines understand the webpage’s purpose.
  • Keep the URL short and concise – Long and complex URLs can be difficult for users to understand and remember, leading to mistyped and incorrect URLs. By keeping the URL short and concise, you can improve the readability and user experience of the website.
  • Avoid using special characters and numbers in the URL – They can be confusing for users and search engines. Special characters and numbers in the URL can make the URL difficult to read and understand, which can lead to mistyped URLs and incorrect URLs.
  • Use hyphens to separate words in the URL – Hyphens can help improve the readability and understanding of the URL by separating words and making it clear which words are part of the URL. This can help prevent mistyped and incorrect URLs and improve the readability and user experience of the website.

On WordPress, follow these steps to change your URLs:

  • Log in to your WordPress dashboard. To log in to your WordPress dashboard, you must enter your username and password.
  • Navigate to the Settings > Permalinks menu. Once you are logged in, you can access the Permalinks menu by clicking on the Settings menu in the left sidebar and selecting the Permalinks option.
  • Select the “Post name” option. The “Post name” option will use the title of your post or page as the URL for the post or page. This can help create descriptive URLs for your web pages.
  • Click “Save Changes” to update the permalink structure. After selecting the “Post name” option, click the “Save Changes” button to update the permalink structure of your website to use descriptive URLs.

If you have any other CMS, consult the documentation to determine the steps for updating the permalink structure. 

Each CMS has its own method for updating the permalink structure, so it is important to consult the documentation for your CMS to determine the specific steps to follow.

Follow the instructions provided to update the permalink structure to use descriptive URLs. 

2- Regularly Check and Fix Broken Links

Another essential tip for avoiding 404 errors is to check and fix broken links on your website regularly. 

Broken links lead to a webpage that no longer exists or cannot be accessed, which can result in 404 errors for users who click on the link.

By regularly checking and fixing broken links, you can improve the user experience of your website and prevent 404 errors.

Here is how to do it:

Use redirects

If you have moved or deleted a webpage, it is important to use a redirect to direct users and search engines to the new location of the webpage. This can prevent broken links and improve the user experience of your website.

Here is the procedure for implementing redirects:

  • Identify the URL of the webpage that has been moved or deleted. The URL is the web address of the webpage, and it is important to identify the correct URL to ensure that the redirect is implemented correctly.
  • Determine the new location of the webpage. If the webpage has been moved to a new location, it is important to determine the new URL of the webpage. If the webpage has been deleted, you must determine an appropriate alternative webpage to redirect users to.
  • Implement the redirect. There are several ways to implement a redirect, depending on the type of redirect you want to use and the tools and resources you have available. Some options for implementing a redirect include the following:
    • Using a 301 redirect: A 301 redirect is a permanent redirect that indicates to search engines and users that the webpage has been permanently moved to a new location. To implement a 301 redirect, you must add a line of code to the .htaccess file on your website’s server.
    • Using a 302 redirect: A 302 redirect is a temporary redirect that indicates to search engines and users that the webpage has been temporarily moved to a new location. To implement a 302 redirect, you must add a line of code to the .htaccess file on your website’s server.
    • Using a redirect plugin: If you use a content management system (CMS) such as WordPress, you can use a redirect plugin to implement a redirect. Several redirect plugins for WordPress, such as Redirection and Safe Redirect Manager, can help you easily implement and manage redirects on your website.

Use link checkers

You can use amazing tools available online to check your site for errors. They include the following:

  • Google Search Console: Google Search Console is a free tool provided by Google that allows you to monitor the health and performance of your website. It can alert you to broken links and other issues that may impact the visibility of your website in search results. To use Google Search Console to identify broken links:
    • Go to the Google Search Console website and log in with your Google account.
    • Navigate to the Coverage report under the Index menu.
    • Check the report for any errors or issues, including broken links.
    • Click on an error to see more details, including the URL of the broken link and the status code of the error.
    • Fix the broken link by updating the URL or redirecting to a new location.
  • Screaming Frog: Screaming Frog is a website crawler tool that can help you identify broken links, duplicate content and other issues on your website. To use Screaming Frog to identify broken links:
    • Download and install Screaming Frog on your computer.
    • Enter the URL of your website in the address bar and click “Start.”
    • Wait for the crawl to complete.
    • Navigate to the “Response Codes” tab in the left sidebar.
    • Filter the results by “Client Error (4xx)” to see any broken links on your website.
    • Click on a broken link to see more details, including the URL of the broken link and the status code of the error.
    • Fix the broken link by updating the URL or redirecting to a new location.
  • Broken Link Checker: Broken Link Checker is a free WordPress plugin that can help you identify and fix broken links on your WordPress website. To use Broken Link Checker to identify broken links, install and activate the Broken Link Checker plugin on your WordPress website. Navigate to the “Tools > Broken Links” menu in the WordPress dashboard. Check the report for any broken links on your website.Click on a broken link to see more details, including the URL of the broken link and the status code of the error. Fix the broken link by updating the URL or redirecting to a new location.

Using these tools, you can easily identify and fix broken links on your website to prevent 404 errors and improve the user experience of your website.

3- Monitor External Links

External links are links that point to pages on other websites. They are an essential part of the internet as they allow websites to link to and reference each other, enabling the sharing of information and resources. However, external links can also be a source of 404 errors if the linked webpage is moved or deleted.

It is important to monitor external links to ensure they are valid and point to the correct location. This can prevent broken links and improve the user experience of your website. Common causes of broken external links include:

  • The linked webpage has been moved or deleted
  • The linked website has changed its domain name
  • The linked website has changed the URL structure of its pages

Several tools and resources are available for monitoring external links, each with its own features and pricing. Some options to consider include the following:

Google Search Console

Google Search Console is a free tool provided by Google that allows you to monitor the health and performance of your website. It can alert you to broken links and other issues that may impact the visibility of your website in search results.

To use Google Search Console to monitor external links:

  • Go to the Google Search Console website and log in with your Google account.
  • Add and verify your website by following the prompts provided.
  • Navigate to the Links report under the Search Traffic menu.
  • Check the report for any external links that may be broken.
  • Fix any broken links by updating the URL or redirecting to a new location.

Pros:

  • Free to use
  • Provides detailed information on external links
  • Can alert you to broken links and other issues

Cons:

  • May not catch all broken links
  • It does not provide real-time monitoring

Pricing: Free

Screaming Frog

Screaming Frog is a website crawler tool that can help you identify broken links, duplicate content and other issues on your website.

To use Screaming Frog to monitor external links:

  • Download and install Screaming Frog on your computer.
  • Enter the URL of your website in the address bar and click “Start.”
  • Wait for the crawl to complete.
  • Navigate to the “Outgoing Links” tab in the left sidebar.
  • Check the report for any broken external links on your website.
  • Fix any broken links by updating the URL or redirecting to a new location.

Pros:

  • Provides detailed information on external links
  • Can identify broken links and other issues
  • Can crawl large websites efficiently

Cons:

  • Requires a one-time payment or subscription
  • May not catch all broken links

Pricing: 

Free with limited features, 149 Euros per year with all features.

Ahrefs

Ahrefs is a paid tool that provides a range of features for SEO and link analysis, including the ability to monitor external links.

To use Ahrefs to monitor external links:

  • Go to the Ahrefs website and sign up for an account.
  • Enter the URL of your website in the search bar and click “Go.”
  • Navigate to the “Backlinks” tab.
  • Check the report for any broken external links on your website.
  • Fix any broken links by updating the URL or redirecting to a new location. You can also reach out to the website owner for them to update the links.

Pros:

  • Provides detailed information on external links
  • Offers a range of features for SEO and link analysis
  • Can alert you to broken links and other issues

Cons:

  • Requires a subscription
  • May not catch all broken links

Pricing: 

Starts at $99 per month for a subscription

SEMrush

SEMrush is a paid tool that provides a range of features for SEO, PPC, and content marketing, including the ability to monitor external links.

To use SEMrush to monitor external links:

  • Go to the SEMrush website and sign up for an account.
  • Enter the URL of your website in the search bar
  • Navigate to the backlinks report.
  • Check the report for any broken external links on your website and fix any broken links by updating the URL or redirecting to a new location.

Pros:

  • Provides detailed information on external links
  • Offers a range of features for SEO, PPC, and content marketing
  • Can alert you to broken links and other issues

Cons:

  • Requires a subscription
  • May not catch all broken links

Pricing: 

Starts at $199.95 per month for a subscription. They have a free trial with no obligation.

Other tools and resources

There are several other tools and resources available for monitoring external links, including:

  • Link Research Tools: Link Research Tools is a paid tool that provides a range of link analysis and monitoring features.
  • Xenu’s Link Sleuth: Xenu’s Link Sleuth is a free tool that can help you identify broken links on your website.
  • W3C Link Checker: W3C Link Checker is a free tool that checks the validity of links on a webpage.

When choosing a tool or resource for monitoring external links, it is important to consider the features, pricing, and compatibility with your needs and budget.

Best Practices For Avoiding 404 Errors

Here are a couple of tips to avoid future 404 errors:

1- Perform Regular Maintenance

Regular website maintenance is the process of regularly checking and updating your website to ensure that it is functioning correctly and is free of errors. This can include checking for and fixing broken links, updating content, and testing forms and other interactive features.

The importance of regular website maintenance for preventing 404 errors:

Regular website maintenance is important for preventing 404 errors as it can help you identify and fix any broken links or other issues that may cause errors. By regularly checking and updating your website, you can ensure that all pages and links are working correctly and improve the user experience of your website.

Tips for conducting regular website maintenance:

Here are some tips for conducting regular website maintenance:

  • Create a website maintenance schedule: Determine how often you need to conduct website maintenance based on the size and complexity of your website and set aside dedicated time for this task.
  • Check for and fix broken links: Use tools and resources such as Google Search Console, Screaming Frog, and Broken Link Checker to identify and fix broken links on your website.
  • Update content: Keep your website fresh and up to date by regularly adding new content and updating old content.
  • Test forms and other interactive features: Make sure all forms and interactive features on your website function correctly.
  • Backup your website: Regularly backup your website to ensure that you have a copy in case of any errors or issues.

2- Monitor Website Traffic And Use Analytics Tools

Monitoring website traffic and using analytics tools can help you identify 404 errors and other issues on your website. These tools provide real-time data on your website traffic and performance and can alert you to issues such as broken links and 404 errors.

By monitoring your website traffic and using analytics tools, you can identify patterns and trends in your website traffic and use this information to improve your website’s user experience and SEO.

Here are some tips for using analytics tools to monitor website traffic and identify 404 errors:

  • Set up and configure the analytics tool on your website: Follow the instructions for setting up and configuring the analytics tool on your website. This may involve installing a tracking code on your website or integrating the tool with your website through a plugin or other method.
  • Monitor key metrics such as page views, bounce rate, and time on page: Use the analytics tool to track key metrics such as page views, bounce rate, and time on page. These metrics can provide insight into the performance and effectiveness of your website and help you identify issues such as 404 errors.
  • Use the error report or site audit feature: Many analytics tools include an error report or site audit feature that can help you identify 404 errors and other issues on your website. Use this feature to find and fix these errors.

  • Use filters and segmentation: Use filters and segmentation in your analytics tool to narrow down the data and focus on specific pages or issues. This can help you identify patterns and trends in your website traffic and better understand the root causes of 404 errors.

301 vs 302 in Redirecting 404 Errors

A 301 redirect is a permanent redirect, meaning the old URL has been permanently moved to a new URL.

This type of redirect is recommended for most cases, as it tells search engines that the page has been permanently moved and updates their indexes accordingly. This can help preserve the old URL’s search engine rankings and traffic and redirect it to the new URL.

A 302 redirect is a temporary redirect, meaning the old URL has been temporarily moved to a new URL. It is typically used for maintenance or other temporary situations and does not update the search engine indexes. This means that the old URL may still be indexed and ranked by search engines, and traffic may not be fully redirected to the new URL.

When deciding which type of redirect to use for a 404 error, it is important to consider the intended permanence of the change. If the change is permanent, a 301 redirect is recommended.

If the change is temporary, a 302 redirect may be more appropriate. It is also essential to consider the impact on search engine rankings and traffic, as a 301 redirect can help preserve these factors, and a 302 redirect may not.

How To Automatically Redirect 404 Error Code In WordPress

Automatically redirecting 404 error codes can help improve the user experience of your WordPress website and prevent errors from occurring. 

With automatic redirection, when a user encounters a 404 error, they will be automatically redirected to a different page on your website rather than seeing the error message.

This can help prevent confusion and frustration for users and improve the overall navigation of your website. 

Here are the best methods for automatically redirecting 404 error codes in WordPress:

1- Use a plugin

Several WordPress plugins can help you automatically redirect 404 error codes.

For example, the Redirection plugin allows you to create and manage redirects from within the WordPress dashboard.

To use this plugin, you can install and activate it from the plugin repository and then create and configure your redirects in the plugin settings.

2- Use a code snippet

You can also use a code snippet to redirect 404 error codes in WordPress automatically. To do this, you can add the code snippet to the functions.php file of your WordPress theme or a custom plugin.

The code snippet should include a function that hooks into the template_redirect action, checks for a 404 error code, and then redirects to the desired URL. 

Use the following code:

function redirect_404_error() {

if ( is_404() ) {

wp_redirect( home_url(), 301 ); exit;

}

}

add_action( ‘template_redirect’, ‘redirect_404_error’ );

Conclusion

404 errors can have a negative impact on the SEO and user experience of a website. It is important to identify and fix 404 errors and to implement best practices for preventing them from occurring in the future.

By following the steps outlined in this article, you can effectively fix and prevent 404 errors on your website and improve its performance and accessibility. By regularly monitoring and maintaining your website, you can ensure that it remains healthy and free of errors and provide a positive experience for your users.