404 pages are an essential part of the internet because they allow websites to redirect users to other relevant content. However, they also serve as a reminder that no matter how good your website is, there will always be times when it doesn’t work correctly, and you can’t access what you’re looking for.
Having a custom 404 page is beneficial, but you still should avoid a helpful article that gives some tips on using the 404 pages of your website.
The all-too-familiar 404 error page. It’s something we’ve all experienced at some time. And, in my view, nothing is more annoying than receiving a 404 error when visiting a website. You’re looking over some intriguing material when you’re suddenly given a curveball. But, first, let’s look at a formal definition of a 404 page if you’re unsure what it is. Google claims that: A 404 page is what a user sees when they attempt to access a page on your site that doesn’t exist (either they clicked on a broken link, the page was removed, or mistyped a URL).
The issue with 404 errors
What’s the big deal about 404 errors? Is it true that they’re that bad? First and first, let me state the obvious. It’s normal for 404s to appear on any website. When potential site visitors type in the incorrect URL, 404s occur. For example, if I put in “businessinsider.com” in my browser and keep entering nonsense, I’ll receive a 404 error. It’s not the fault of Business Insider. I received a 404 error. It’s all my fault. You’ll never be able to remove 404 errors entirely. However, there are certain 404s that are under your control and that you should be aware of. This is why. When users meet a web server problem, such as a 404 page, they are likely to click the back button and return to the search engine. When many of your visitors do this, it causes a phenomenon known as “pogo-sticking.” This is an issue since it indicates to Google that your material does not provide value to a specific keyword query. If this occurs often enough, your rankings are likely to suffer.
404 errors are unavoidable
As I have said, 404 errors will occur. It’s not a matter of whether, but when your visitors will come across them. Many of the 404 errors will not be your fault. However, some will be your fault, and it will be challenging to manage them. Even if you’re a great SEO or webmaster, certain things will go through the cracks. The larger your site, the more 404s you’ll get. Broken links are one of the most common reasons for 404 errors. Websites evolve. There are no links that go somewhere. And 404 errors do occur. Indeed, some large websites may accumulate up to ten new broken links each day. Consider the number of broken links discovered on some of the world’s most popular websites:
You can guarantee it will happen to you if it occurs to behemoths like Cisco and Apple. And, as I have said, broken links are just one cause of 404 errors. Sometimes it’s just a case of a visitor mistyping a URL. The main conclusion is that 404s are unavoidable, and you must be prepared to handle them effectively.
So, what’s the answer?
It’s very straightforward. You must build a 404 page that is personalized and branded. Then, save all of your 404 ideas in one place across all of your document applications. Here’s one from MailChimp as an example:
Consider that for a moment. Would you instead get an unattractive, generic 404 error message or one that is well-designed and smartly branded? Most individuals, I’m sure, would choose the latter. But that’s just half of the story. These 404 pages are lovely, but they won’t help your SEO at all.
Use 404s to your advantage
Not only do you want to avoid 404s harming your SEO, but you also want to utilize them to your advantage. Isn’t that, though, a bit counterintuitive? So how may 404 errors be helpful to SEO? Here’s how you go about it. Create a bespoke 404 page with a branded look, similar to MailChimp’s and Hootsuite’s, including numerous internal connections. I prefer to aim for 25 to 50 links when building a website. Bam! Instead of leaving your site in a hurry, visitors will be tempted to look around and see what else is available. Many people will stay long and work their way further into your sales funnel if the links you offer lead to interesting, helpful information. In terms of SEO value, this prevents any pogo-sticking and provides your site with extra SEO juice. So rather than being a liability for your SEO, 404s may be beneficial. You’re essentially converting a negative into a positive, which is fantastic.
There are several additional advantages as well:
- You’ll be far less likely to irritate your guests.
- It has the potential to boost your brand’s equity.
- You may lengthen the average time spent on your website.
- You may reduce your bounce rate.
- Additional material is more likely to be checked out by visitors.
- This should have a beneficial effect on conversions and revenue in the long term.
A customized 404 page with internal links is similar to an SEO magic bullet in many respects. It has the potential to accomplish a lot of good with little effort on your side.
Examples and specific techniques
Let’s dive into the details now that we’ve established that adding internal links is the method you want to use. Linking to some of your most popular articles and your homepage is one method to execute this technique. This is something that even Google recommends. I suggest reviewing your statistics to determine which posts got the most attention (clicks, shares, comments, and so on). Then, on your 404 page, add these. This may help your SEO by increasing the number of indexed pages on your site. And it’s completely effective. I utilized this same approach when working at TechCrunch a few years ago. I significantly increased their search traffic in only 30 days (9 percent, to be exact).
Include a search box
This is a fundamental feature, but it can make a big difference. Econsultancy claims that conversion rates through site search may be up to 50% higher than the industry norm. Visitors converted at a rate of 4.63 percent, compared to 2.77 percent on average on websites, making it 1.8 times more successful. As a result, search visitors accounted for 13.8 percent of total income. To put it another way, “searchers are more inclined to buy.” Put yourself in the shoes of a visitor for a moment. They’ve come to your site searching for information on a particular subject or product. They hit a stumbling hurdle in the form of an unexpected 404 page. Instead of becoming irritated, kids may use the search bar to seek anything that interests them. Voila! They immediately seek for additional useful material to satisfy their desire.
Add product links
Assume you own e-commerce business. Linking to different sections of your website is one method to enhance the consumer buying experience. For example, you may build connections based on various product categories. This not only improves SEO and keeps visitors pleased, but it also makes shopping more pleasant and should increase conversions. What a great way to convert lemons into lemonade!
Include a link to your sitemap in your description
I’m sure you’ve heard of sitemaps and how they impact search engine optimization. If you’re not sure, here’s a snapshot showing some of OnCrawl’s top SEO benefits:
Include a link to your sitemap if possible. And the 404 page turns out to be fantastic.
Here’s one final piece of advice
Make a point of explaining what went wrong. This, I’ve discovered, helps to minimize customer dissatisfaction. I know I feel relieved when I understand what’s going on.
How to make a personalized 404 page?
Now that we’ve demonstrated how helpful a customized 404 page can be for SEO, we need to ask ourselves one crucial question. How do you go about making one? I’m a big admirer of WordPress, as you know. It’s a lifesaver for anybody who doesn’t know much about coding but wants to create a beautiful, professional-looking website. For WordPress, I recommend the 404page plugin. It’s a one-stop-shop for putting up a simple 404 page. You may personalize it and add any information you want for visitors who land on your 404 page. The most significant thing is that you don’t need any programming knowledge to utilize it. If you wish for your 404 page to be very specialized and brand-centric, however, you may want to invest in hiring a professional developer. This is generally the best option if you have the money and want it to appear very professional. Sites like Guru and Upwork may help you discover qualified developers. Many of them are less expensive than you would expect.
Conclusion
404s, in my opinion, is an unpleasant but inevitable aspect of maintaining a website. You can utilize tools like the Online Broken Link Checker to help, but you’ll still run across problems. Even if you catch all of the broken links, users will still enter URLs incorrectly. Customizing 404s and including relevant internal links is the best approach to manage them. A personalized 404 page will not only safeguard but also enhance your SEO. Not to mention that it provides a much more enjoyable user experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does 404 Affect SEO?
404 is a web page not found error. This means that You cannot find the website you are trying to access, which does not exist.
What do you do with 404s?
404s are just an indication that the data you are looking for is not available.
Why are 404s bad for SEO?
404s are bad for SEO because they do not provide any information to the search engine.
Related Tags
- should you redirect 404 to the homepage
- what is a 404 page.