P0Issue #5
404 issues
❓ What does it mean?
🚫 404 Issues
What does it mean?
A 404 error occurs when a page is requested but not found on the server. This happens when:
A page is deleted without a redirect.
Internal or external links point to a wrong/removed URL.
Typos in URLs exist in menus, sitemaps, or backlinks.
🚨 Why is it important for SEO?
Why is it important for SEO?
Bad User Experience → Visitors land on broken pages instead of content.
Crawl Waste → Search engines spend time crawling dead links instead of real content.
Lost Rankings → Pages with backlinks returning 404 lose SEO equity.
Increased Bounce Rate → Users quickly leave if they hit error pages.
✅ How to Fix It
✅ How to Fix It
Redirect important 404 pages → Use 301 redirects to relevant working pages.
Update internal links → Fix broken links in menus, blog posts, or product listings.
Submit updated sitemaps → Remove non-existing URLs.
Custom 404 Page → Provide a user-friendly page with navigation back to home/products.
Monitor regularly → Use tools like Google Search Console or Screaming Frog to detect 404s.
❌ Bad Example
📌 Example
❌ Bad (404 Issue):
A website removed its /summer-sale page but didn’t update links.
https://example.com/summer-sale → 404 Not Found
Users coming from Google or ads land on a dead page.
SEO equity from backlinks to this URL is lost.
✅ Good Example
✅ Good (Fixed):
Set up a 301 redirect to the relevant page:
https://example.com/summer-sale → 301 → https://example.com/offers
Users seamlessly land on the offers page.
SEO value from backlinks is preserved.
Bounce rate decreases, improving engagement.
⚡ Result
⚡ Result
Better crawl efficiency (no wasted resources on broken pages).
Preserved link equity and rankings.
Improved user experience and conversions.