{"id":12289,"date":"2024-09-12T11:00:07","date_gmt":"2024-09-12T11:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.seodiscovery.com\/blog\/?p=12289"},"modified":"2025-03-10T13:35:36","modified_gmt":"2025-03-10T13:35:36","slug":"what-is-404-error-code","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.seodiscovery.com\/blog\/what-is-404-error-code\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a 404 Error Code and How to Deal With It"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"12289\" class=\"elementor elementor-12289\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-4b39526 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"4b39526\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"aux-parallax-section elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-0d62258\" data-id=\"0d62258\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b601273 elementor-widget elementor-widget-audio\" data-id=\"b601273\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"audio.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-soundcloud-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t<iframe style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"152\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/episode\/112fwTMAGPA16tjCBVTyZB?si=cfwi5qmCSHere54Uy_BrWw&amp;utm_source=oembed&amp;auto_play=false&amp;buying=true&amp;liking=true&amp;download=true&amp;sharing=true&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_playcount=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_artwork=true&amp;color\"><\/iframe>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-c687fff elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"c687fff\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"aux-parallax-section elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-4fd14828\" data-id=\"4fd14828\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-20978f21 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"20978f21\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Learn about 404 error codes, their impact on SEO, and how to resolve them with effective strategies. Improve your website&#8217;s performance with SEO Discovery&#8217;s expert solutions.<\/span><\/p><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fact you need to know &#8211; <\/span><\/i><b><i>88% of online visitors<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are <\/span><\/i><b><i>less likely to return<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to a website after encountering a <\/span><\/i><b><i>404 error<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, impacting both <\/span><\/i><b><i>traffic<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><\/i><b><i>conversions<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/i><\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.seodiscovery.com\/blog\/starting-a-business-website\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Managing a website<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> isn\u2019t just about putting up <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.seodiscovery.com\/blog\/how-to-make-seo-friendly-content-for-small-business-websites\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">great content<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and eye-catching designs. Over time, it has become increasingly complex, with various technical aspects that need attention to ensure everything runs smoothly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One common issue that can disrupt your visitors&#8217; experience is the dreaded 404 error or 404 not found SEO code. Whenever users face this error, it can frustrate them, leave a negative impression, and potentially harm your <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.seodiscovery.com\/blog\/tips-manage-your-businesss-online-reputation\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">brand\u2019s reputation<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In fact, studies show that over 73.72% of people who come across a 404 error leave the site and don\u2019t return. So, what exactly is a 404 error, and how can you fix it to get your website back on track?\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s break it down.<\/span><\/i><\/p><h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is a 404 Error Code: Page Not Found Error?<\/span><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A 404 SEO is a status code that tells your visitors that the page they\u2019re trying to reach can\u2019t be found. It\u2019s a signal from the server that something has gone wrong\u2014specifically, that the server couldn\u2019t find the requested page. This can happen for a number of reasons, such as:<\/span><\/p><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A misplaced page<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A misplaced page directory<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Moving the entire site<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Failing to add 301 redirects<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mistyping a URL<\/span><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All these issues occur when <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.seodiscovery.com\/blog\/page-speed-optimization\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">your page<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is not correctly optimized. 404 page optimization is important to eliminate this error. Now, let&#8217;s explore each of these scenarios in more detail and learn how you can address them.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ed03013 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"ed03013\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"607\" src=\"https:\/\/www.seodiscovery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/b11.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-23794\" alt=\"404 Error Code\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0de0435 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"0de0435\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Common Causes and Solutions for 404 Error Code<\/span><\/h2><h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Misplaced Page or Broken Website Link<\/span><\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the most frequent causes of 404 page SEO is when a web page is moved to a new location, but the links pointing to it aren\u2019t updated. Imagine you have a page at Location A and decide to move it to Location B. If you don\u2019t update the links that direct users to that page, they\u2019ll end up facing a 404 error because the server is still looking for the page at Location A.<\/span><\/p><p><b>Solution: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The simplest fix is to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.seodiscovery.com\/blog\/content-marketing-link-building\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">update all the links<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> pointing to the old location so they now direct users to the new one. If that sounds overwhelming, you can also set up a 301 redirect, which automatically takes users from the old location to the new one without them even noticing.<\/span><\/p><h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Misplaced Page Directory<\/span><\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, you might see multiple 404 errors across your site, which could be due to a misplaced directory. This typically happens when a folder containing several web pages is moved without updating the links that point to those pages. It\u2019s similar to moving a single page, but in this case, it involves an entire folder.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2ba20bf elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"2ba20bf\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.seodiscovery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image1-e1726051562573.png\" title=\"404 seo\" alt=\"404 error in seo\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d02e0c9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d02e0c9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><b>Solution: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To fix SEO 404, you\u2019ll need to check the directory paths. Either update the links to reflect the new location of the folder or move the folder back to where it was originally. This ensures that users can access all the pages in that directory without running into any 404 errors.<\/span><\/p><h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Moving the Entire Site<\/span><\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, you might need to move your entire website to a new domain or a different hosting provider. This is a more significant change, and if not handled properly, it can lead to widespread 404 not found <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.seodiscovery.com\/blog\/short-overview-of-seo\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SEO<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Visitors trying to reach your site using the old domain or server will encounter these errors because the server can\u2019t find the site in its original location.<\/span><\/p><p><b>Solution: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To prevent this, you need to update your DNS settings and set up 301 redirects from the old domain to the new one. This tells search engines and users that your site has moved and guides them to the correct location. It\u2019s also a good idea to double-check with your hosting provider to ensure everything is set up correctly.<\/span><\/p><h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not Adding 301 Redirects<\/span><\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whenever you move web pages or your entire site, it\u2019s crucial to add 301 redirects. These redirects act as a signpost, guiding both visitors and search engines to the new location of your pages. Without them, users who try to visit the old URLs will run into 404 errors.<\/span><\/p><p><b>Solution: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Always make sure to set up 301 redirects when you move content. This not only ensures that users find what they\u2019re looking for but also helps preserve your site\u2019s SEO value. If you forget to do this, you risk losing <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.seodiscovery.com\/blog\/tips-to-drive-traffic-to-website\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">traffic <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and search engine rankings.<\/span><\/p><h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mistyping a URL<\/span><\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although less common, sometimes a simple typo in the URL can lead to a Google SEO 404. This happens when the URL entered doesn\u2019t match any existing pages on your site, leaving the server unable to navigate the page.<\/span><\/p><p><b>Solution: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before you start worrying about technical issues, it\u2019s a good idea to double-check the URL for any typos. Sometimes, the fix is as simple as correcting a single letter or character.<\/span><\/p><h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to Monitor and Fix 404 Errors<\/span><\/h2><h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use Google Search Console<\/span><\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To stay on top of 404 SEO, Google Search Console is a tool you shouldn\u2019t overlook. It allows you to monitor your site for any issues, including 404 errors. By regularly checking the \u201cCoverage\u201d section, you can identify which pages are causing problems and fix them before they start affecting your site\u2019s performance.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8a9a1e8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"8a9a1e8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1663\" height=\"658\" src=\"https:\/\/www.seodiscovery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image2.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-23771\" alt=\"google search console 404 errors\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.seodiscovery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image2.png 1663w, https:\/\/www.seodiscovery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image2-1536x608.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1663px) 100vw, 1663px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-736fa34 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"736fa34\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Implement a Custom 404 Page<\/span><\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nobody likes landing on a generic error page, so why not make the best of a bad situation? A custom 404 SEO impact can turn a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.seodiscovery.com\/blog\/ways-to-manage-negative-feedback-in-a-positive-way\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">negative experience<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> into an opportunity. Instead of just displaying an error message, you can use this page to offer helpful links, a search bar, or even a friendly message that guides users back to your site. This keeps them engaged and reduces the chances of them leaving your site for good.<\/span><\/p><h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Regular Site Audits<\/span><\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conducting regular audits of your website is a proactive way to catch 404 redirect SEO before they become a bigger issue. Tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs can help you scan your site for <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.seodiscovery.com\/blog\/how-does-broken-link-building-method-help-build-quality-backlinks\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">broken links<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, misplaced pages, and other potential problems. By staying ahead of these issues, you can maintain a smooth user experience and keep your site performing well in search results.<\/span><\/p><h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why 404 Errors Matter for SEO<\/span><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">404 errors don\u2019t just annoy your visitors\u2014they can also hurt your site\u2019s SEO. Search engines like Google don\u2019t look kindly on sites with a lot of broken links or SEO 404 errors. If too many users are bouncing off your site because they can\u2019t find what they\u2019re looking for, it signals to search engines that your site might not be offering valuable content. This can lead to lower rankings and reduced <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.seodiscovery.com\/blog\/what-is-seo-visibility-and-how-can-you-improve-it\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">visibility<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in search results.<\/span><\/p><h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Impact on User Experience<\/span><\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When users encounter a 404 error, they\u2019re more likely to leave your site immediately. This increases your bounce rate, which can negatively impact your <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.seodiscovery.com\/blog\/increase-your-google-rankings\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">search engine rankings<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. A high bounce rate suggests to search engines that your site isn\u2019t providing what users are looking for, leading to lower visibility in search results.<\/span><\/p><h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Crawling and Indexing Issues<\/span><\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">404 errors can also cause issues with how search engines crawl and index your site. If search engine crawlers spend their time trying to access pages that no longer exist, they might miss other important pages on your site. This can result in those pages not being indexed, further harming your site\u2019s performance in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.seodiscovery.com\/blog\/on-serp-seo-the-future-of-seo\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">search results<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p><h2>Preventing 404 Error Code Issues with Technical SEO<\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As we\u2019ve explored, 404 errors can arise from various scenarios, each potentially leading to lost <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.seodiscovery.com\/blog\/plan-your-sales-strategy\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">leads and revenue<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Dealing with the technical side of your website can be challenging, and even a small mistake can cause hours of downtime. This is why <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.seodiscovery.com\/blog\/why-is-technical-seo-important-for-small-business-websites\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">technical SEO<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is so important\u2014it ensures your site runs smoothly and remains accessible to users.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.seodiscovery.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SEO Discovery<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, we understand the ins and outs of technical SEO. Our team of experienced digital marketing professionals provides high-quality website maintenance services to keep your site up and running 24\/7. We manage everything from <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.seodiscovery.com\/blog\/seo-audit-infographic\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">site audits<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to implementing redirects, ensuring your site meets modern technical standards and avoids common pitfalls like 404 errors.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn about 404 error codes, their impact on SEO, and how to resolve them with effective strategies. Improve your website&#8217;s performance with SEO Discovery&#8217;s expert solutions. Fact you need to know &#8211; 88% of online visitors are less likely to return to a website after encountering a 404 error, impacting both traffic and conversions. Managing [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":23815,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12289","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-digital-marketing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seodiscovery.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12289","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seodiscovery.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seodiscovery.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seodiscovery.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seodiscovery.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12289"}],"version-history":[{"count":58,"href":"https:\/\/www.seodiscovery.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12289\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27998,"href":"https:\/\/www.seodiscovery.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12289\/revisions\/27998"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seodiscovery.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23815"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seodiscovery.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12289"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seodiscovery.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12289"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seodiscovery.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12289"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}