What ever happened to you that you enter on a web page and clicking a link will appear to the typical display of “Error 404” or “Page not found”? Have you ever noticed that once you get to a 404 page not is there any way out?
To us also, and many times. That is why, in this article, we will explain why it happens this type of error, what it means and obviously, how to fix it.
What is a 404 error?
To understand how it happens that a page returned to this state, we must first understand that when a user makes a request to a website, the browser asks the server which has hosted the web for information appropriate to show it to the consumer. Normally, if a page works correctly, this information is returned and displayed to the user, but if the browser makes a request to the web server and the second detects that the landing that calls for does not exist, then returns a code 404. The meaning of this code is displayed as “page not found”, which in the end is telling us that the page no longer exists (and therefore the content cannot be displayed).
We have to differentiate a vs a page that returns a code 410. Both have in common that the page is not responding, but while the first is always time to re-enable it with content, and to finish by returning a code 200, 410 indicates that this page is deleted permanently.
In what situations we can find an error code 404?
Because the truth is that on many occasions. Here are some of them:
- We want to access a url that does not exist because what we have tried so forced.
- Access to this page by linking internal, and that page has changed its url.
In any case, if we do agree to a page not found, means that the moderators or webmasters have to intervene in the short-term troubleshooting this page. But...
How do I fix a 404 error?
Here first of all we would like to present two situations:
- The first of them, is the situation in which we have deleted a page on a voluntary basis: either because you do not want it any more, because there is no longer a product, etc
- The second situation is that we have on our website a page that does not respond without us.
In either of the two scenarios, we have a page with error 404) and if the user hits one of them, he's going to be a dead end, and the more likely they are to go.
So, taking this into account, we propose a solution for each scenario presented above:
- If you've deleted a page, because you don't want it again, nothing happens. We just have to make sure that you remove all of the internal links that point to the landing that we've decided to remove. The reason is simple: we don't want any user to have access to a page not found, or cul-de-sac.
- If, on the contrary, we find a page with a 404 error, and we really want you to continue showing the contents you had before, it is as easy as re-activate the page until you end up returning a code 200.
How to detect 404 errors?
As we have explained in another article where we talk about what it is and how to use screaming frogwe saw how this program semi-free allows us to simulate the bot to Google and in this way to track our web site to detect redirection 3xx, errors 4xx, correct pages with code 200...
You can use this tool for free with a limit of tracking urls. In the case that you have to crawl web sites of customers or sites much larger, you will have to hire the share premium or payment.
How do these affect the 404 errors to the Organic ranking in Google?
Among all the factors that Google takes into account for rankear a website in their search engine, 404 errors represent one of the technical errors that are considered more serious.
As we discussed above, we are letting the user reaches a dead end, where you will not find quality content (that Google has in mind), and where this you will only see the option of leaving as the only alternative to get out of there.
In the end, Google is valuing more the user experience web users have when accessing our site. And obviously, part of take into account aspects such as the speed web, duplicate content, interlinking and others, it also brings balance to the user navigate through our site in a manner that is agile, intuitive and smooth.
So, to fix the 404 error is going to give us a plus in terms of health technical of the site is referred, in addition to that we will allow the bot to Google, to be able to track more effectively our site, we may position themselves on the highest results of the search engine.
