When users land on a 404 error page, it’s like hitting a digital dead-end. Whether it’s due to a mistyped URL, deleted content, or broken links, 404 errors can frustrate visitors and negatively impact your website’s search engine performance if not managed properly. But don’t worry—when handled the right way, 404s can actually offer opportunities to improve your site’s SEO and user experience.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to handle 404 errors the smart way to boost both search engine rankings and user satisfaction.
What Is a 404 Error?
A 404 error (Page Not Found) is an HTTP status code indicating that the server couldn’t find the page the user requested. In simpler terms: the page either doesn’t exist anymore or never existed in the first place.
Common causes of 404 errors include:
-
Renamed or deleted pages
-
Incorrect internal or external links
-
Mistyped URLs by users
-
Broken menu or sitemap links
While occasional 404s are normal, frequent or unhandled errors can harm your site’s performance and credibility.
Why 404 Errors Matter for SEO
From a search engine optimization (SEO) perspective, 404 errors can be damaging if they’re not handled correctly.
Here’s how they affect SEO:
-
Poor User Experience: If users keep landing on broken pages, they’re more likely to leave your site, increasing your bounce rate.
-
Wasted Link Equity: When backlinks point to a 404 page, all the SEO value of that link is lost.
-
Indexing Issues: Search engines may waste crawl budget on nonexistent pages instead of important ones.
-
Negative Signals to Google: Frequent or unaddressed 404s can indicate poor site maintenance.
How to Identify 404 Errors
Before fixing them, you need to know where they are. Here are some reliable ways to detect 404 errors:
-
Google Search Console: Under the “Coverage” section, you’ll see URLs marked as “Not Found (404).”
-
Screaming Frog SEO Spider: A desktop crawler that flags all broken internal and external links.
-
Website Logs: Server logs can reveal 404 hits from users or bots.
-
Third-Party Tools: SEMrush, Ahrefs, and Moz offer site audit features that show 404 errors.
Best Practices to Handle 404 Errors for SEO
1. Create a Custom 404 Page
A default browser 404 is cold and unhelpful. Instead, build a custom 404 page that’s on-brand and user-friendly.
A good 404 page should:
-
Explain that the page is missing
-
Offer helpful links (e.g., homepage, blog, popular pages)
-
Include a site search bar
-
Match the website’s design and tone
-
Optionally include fun or humorous messaging to soften the disappointment
Bonus: Add a call-to-action like “Explore our latest articles” or “Browse our services.”
2. Fix Broken Internal Links
404s caused by internal links are 100% within your control. Regularly audit and fix them to maintain a smooth user experience.
How to fix:
-
Update the link to the correct URL
-
Redirect it if the page was permanently moved
-
Remove the link if the content no longer exists
3. Implement 301 Redirects
If a page was deleted or its URL changed, set up a 301 redirect from the old URL to a relevant new page.
Why 301 redirects matter:
-
They pass up to 90% of the original page’s link equity
-
They help preserve your SEO value
-
They offer a seamless experience to users
Example:
Old URL: /services/seo-2022
New URL: /services/seo
Use a 301 redirect to guide both users and bots to the new location.
4. Monitor External Links
Sometimes other websites link to a page you’ve removed or changed. If those links now lead to 404s, you’re losing valuable traffic and SEO equity.
How to fix it:
-
Reach out to the site owner and request an updated link
-
If that’s not possible, redirect the old URL to a relevant page
Tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush can help you track broken inbound links.
5. Use the 410 Status Code When Appropriate
If you permanently remove a page and don’t intend to replace or redirect it, use a 410 Gone status instead of a 404.
Why? Google treats 410s more definitively and may remove the page from its index faster.
But use this carefully—only when you’re sure the page will never return.
6. Don’t Redirect All 404s to the Homepage
This may seem like a clever fix, but it’s not. Google sees mass redirection to your homepage as soft 404s, which can hurt SEO and confuse users.
Instead, redirect users to the most relevant page, or let them land on a helpful custom 404 page.
What Not to Do with 404 Errors
-
❌ Ignore them completely: Letting 404s pile up is a sign of poor site health.
-
❌ Use soft redirects: Avoid using JavaScript or meta refresh redirects, as they don’t pass SEO value effectively.
-
❌ Redirect everything to one page: As mentioned earlier, this confuses users and search engines.
How Often Should You Check for 404s?
It’s smart to monitor for 404s regularly, especially after:
-
A site redesign
-
URL structure changes
-
Content pruning or cleanup
-
Migrating from one CMS to another
You don’t have to obsess over them daily, but a monthly audit using tools like Google Search Console or Screaming Frog is a healthy habit.
Conclusion
404 errors are a natural part of any website’s lifecycle. But how you manage them can make the difference between a bad experience and an SEO win. By setting up custom 404 pages, redirecting intelligently, fixing broken links, and monitoring errors routinely, you can turn these “Page Not Found” moments into opportunities to improve site usability and search engine rankings.
Don’t let broken pages break your site’s SEO. Handle your 404s smartly—and your users (and Google) will thank you.
Need help managing 404 errors or setting up redirects? Consider using SEO plugins (like Yoast or Rank Math for WordPress) or consult with a technical SEO expert to make sure you’re making the most of your website’s performance.
Also, you can learn more about Robots.txt here.