What is a 404 Not Found?
An HTTP status indicating a page cannot be found, which can negatively impact SEO if not managed properly.
Table of Contents
Full Definition
A 404 error occurs when a user or search engine tries to access a non-existent webpage.
Excessive 404s can harm user experience and reduce crawl efficiency.
Best practices include redirecting broken links to relevant pages or creating custom 404 pages that guide visitors back to active content.
Monitoring and resolving 404 errors helps maintain site health and SEO performance.
Examples
Broken links
Custom 404 pages
Redirect management
Benefits
Improves user navigation
Maintains SEO equity
Enhances crawl efficiency
Common Mistakes
Neglect can harm rankings
Poor 404 pages frustrate users
Conclusion
Regularly auditing and fixing 404 errors supports a healthy website and SEO.