The 404 error status is the one computer status message we've all heard of. We associate it with a feeling of disappointment, because when we see the 404 error - it's because something has gone wrong. Instead of seeing the page we want to see, we see the words:

404 accompanied by a bizarre image, something like a malfunctioning robot, a big question markor a broken spaceship. This is always the page where, no matter how serious the rest of the site is, the graphic designer has a little more freedom to create something playful and fun.

The idea behind having a fun 404 error message is that it will soften the user's disappointment and encourage them to stay on the website a little longer.. Most digital marketers love to spend time thinking about their funny 404 image messages. Before you do the same, make sure you've done everything you can to make sure as few people as possible see your 404 message!sorry graphic designers!

What does the status code 404 mean? 

The main reason that users see a 404 error message is that have entered or clicked on a URL of a sub-page of a website that cannot be found by the server hosting the main URL.

This message does not always mean that the site owner has done something wrong, but it does mean that something is missing.

For example, a user who visits and thinks they know the name of a sub-page but spells it incorrectly. In this case, unless the site owner has put in special redirects to cover this specific misspelling, visitors will not be shown the site they want.

They will be shown page error 404 - because the subpage they typed does not exist.. This is a key reason why a website needs a 404 page, even if you have no problems with your technical SEO.

When 404 error messages are bad for SEO

Site owners should minimise the number of 404 error messages encountered by visitors or web crawlers because they can harm a site's search engine ranking.. Problems in this area usually have to do with outdated URLs and people not realising that, in order for a search engine to find a new page location, the search engine crawler needs to find the new page and know to replace the old one in the rankings with it.

To give you a better idea of why this problem occurs, let's say someone has a page with the URL, hosted long enough for it to be indexed by search engines and appear in search results.

Then one day the owner decides to move the location of this page, but does not tell Google that the location of the page has changed, with the appropriate methods (301 and 302 redirects).

Since Google does not know that the old page has moved the URL to a new location, the search engine will not know where to find the new location of the page.

For the first few weeks, when search engines type in the old page (which no longer has content) it will still appear in Google's results, but when users of the search results click on the link on this page they will not be taken to the new page, they will be greeted by the error message page of your 404 page.. This old page has become a dead link.

Why dead links are bad for SEO

Having links from dead pages instead of the new page link in the search results can be catastrophic for your site's ranking.. Visitors who click on a search engine result and are taken to the 404 error message will click away from the page and return to Google to find another page.

Google will see that many visitors don't like to stay on this page of your site, and it won't take long for the old page to drop out of the rankings altogether. After this has happened, it will be too late for the old positions to be transferred to the new pages..

Showing a lot of 404 error messages to your visitors is also bad for the overall position of your website, because it will wreak havoc on other important factors such as bounce rates.. That's why you need to do some research and have a plan every time you change URLs. For more tips on how to avoid these kinds of problems, check out these Google redirect guidelines.

The 404 status code and linkbuilding

The 404 status code can also be a major obstacle to link building initiatives. Site owners want links from other reputable sites because this is good for your site's ranking.

But all the hard work of setting up a link exchange with another website will not help your website's ranking if the links to the bookmarking website are not set up correctly. If the other site writes the wrong URL in the link, visitors who click on it will not be taken to your page, but will instead see your 404 error message. This will stop your site from receiving the benefits of links in the first place, and if too many people click on this broken link it will also be bad for your bounce rates and rankings.

How to avoid 404 error messages with link exchanges

It is always good to check the links you receive from exchanges to make sure they work.. The easiest way to do this is to visit the page where the exchange article is published and click on the links.

It is also important to remember that any changes you make to URLs on your site that are linked from other sites will change the broken links and create 404 error messages if those links are not updated.. If you spot a broken link or are concerned about creating a broken link from an exchange, don't be afraid to send your exchange partner an email to tell them that the URL of your pages has changed. Removing broken links from your website is also in your best interest, so they will be happy to help you.

Boosting your business' online presence 

At Zapiplay we are experts who take care of every detail of your digital presence, we make sure to prevent these problems. If you already have a website and still can't get sales, contact us for help!