404 is a status code of HTTP that shows that the requested resource is not available on the server.
It is critical for Search Engine Optimization in many ways such as:
User Experience: It affects User Experience for example if a person wants to visit a page and he sees a significant 404 error it feels terrible to the user and ultimately it may happen he will never visit your website in the future.
Broken Links: A broken link is one of the major causes of broken links when it comes to 404 errors. if there is an internal link with a 404 error then a user may not be able to find that resource when he requires it.
Crawling and Indexing: In Google Search Console you will also see 404 errors and it will also make crawling and indexing of the web pages difficult.
PageRank and Link Equity:
Inbound links from other websites are a crucial factor in SEO. When a page returns a “404 Not Found” error, it breaks the flow of link equity (also known as link juice) that would have been passed to that page. This can result in a loss of authority and impact the overall PageRank of your website.
To address the “404 Not Found” error and mitigate its impact on SEO, it’s important to:
- Regularly check for broken links on your website and fix them promptly.
- Implement proper redirects (301 redirects) for permanently moved or deleted pages.
- Customize your 404 error page to provide helpful information and guide users back to relevant content.
- Monitor your website’s crawl errors through tools like Google Search Console and take appropriate actions to rectify them.
- Addressing “404 Not Found” errors can improve user experience, maintain a healthy website structure, and enhance your SEO performance.
Sikandar Jamil, an SEO professional with over 4 years of experience. I’m the founder of Search Engine Empires and a Co Founder Of Ceca Media und Marketing in Germany Deutschland. My Expertise is in Entity Based SEO, Building Topical Authority and Optimize Retrieving Costs for Search Engines to increase Search Engine Visibility, Improve Crawling and indexing and Also Proficient in implementing Programmatic SEO Strategies.
