HTTP status codes are messages that web servers send to browsers after a request is made. They help users and search engines grasp what happens when they try to visit a webpage.
Of these codes, 404 errors indicate that a page cannot be found. On the other hand, soft 404 errors happen when a page seems missing but still shows a success status.
You must learn the difference between the two to keep your website healthy. This blog will give you a clear picture of how these errors affect your site and help you figure out which one is worse.
What is 404 Error?
A 404 error means that the server cannot find the requested page. This usually happens when a user clicks on a broken link or types in an incorrect URL and searches for it.
Reasons Behind 404 Errors
The server automatically generates a 404 status code to inform the browser that the page is unavailable whenever a user requests a page that does not exist.
Signaling 404 Errors
Sending the right 404 error signal plays a key role. It lets users know they need help finding the page they want. It also tells search engines the page is gone.
What are Soft 404 Errors?
Soft 404 errors occur when a webpage displays a not-found message but returns a 200 OK status code. A 200 OK code signifies that the page was found successfully. Now that can confuse search engines because this condition is already illogical and confusing to begin with.
Misconception About Soft 404s
Many a time, website owners mistake and treat a page not found message as a 404 error. But that is not always the case. Nonetheless, search engines may still index it because it returns a 200 status. Some of the reasons that cause a Soft 404 to happen are:
- A missing page redirects users to the homepage instead of showing a proper 404 error.
- A page with little content makes it look like it should not exist. Something like an unreliable source that leads to an unethical ending.
Difference Between 404 and Soft 404 Errors
User Experience Comparison
A standard 404 error is a clear indication for the user to know that the requested page cannot be reached as it does not exist. On the contrary, a Soft 404 might mislead the users into thinking the page is valid when it is not.
Impact on SEO and Crawling
Soft 404s can waste the crawl budget that search engines allocate to your site. In case there are many Soft 404s on your website, the search engines would probably not effectively index your important pages.
Indexing and Ranking Implications
While traditional 404s are straightforward and clear, Soft 404s can give rise to incorrect index pages by search engines. That is just one SEO impact of 404 errors that could harm your site’s visibility in search results.
Why Soft 404s are Potentially More Harmful
One of the worst things that can happen to your website due to Soft 404s is a decrease in user trust. Your audience will have no option but to leave if they regularly face misleading pages.
A Soft 404 can confuse your users and search engines at the same time. This is because the users will be frustrated as they may think the content is available. Likewise, search engines would waste resources trying to index pages that do not provide valuable content.
For example, if a user searches for a specific product and lands on a page that looks like it should have the product but instead says not found, they would be confused and think the product is available.
Best Practices for Managing 404 & Soft 404 Errors
Handling 404 Errors Effectively
You can create a user-friendly 404 error page that leads the way for users to useful content. This can prove beneficial for improving site health and user experience.
Adding links to popular pages or a search bar on your 404 page is another great idea to help users find what they need.
Fixing Soft 404 Errors
Google Search Console is one of the crawling tools that bring about efficient Soft 404 error solutions for your site.
A wise decision that skips misleading messages consists of redirecting users to a related page in the event of a genuinely missing page.
Regular site audits can help you identify and fix broken links or outdated content. These time-to-time checkups are necessary to keep your site user-friendly and optimized for search engines.
Tools & Resources for Monitoring Errors
Fixing 404 errors can help you keep track of issues that could affect your SEO. For that, you can make use of the Google Search Console which lets you keep any of those errors on your site.
Consider using additional tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs to perform deeper analysis of your website. These are great alternatives for detecting potential problems related to 404 and Soft 404 errors. Proper management of these errors is necessary to improve the user experience and SEO performance of your website.
Conclusion
Both 404 and soft 404 errors can harm your site’s SEO, but soft 404s are particularly damaging as they can mislead search engines. To maintain a healthy site, regularly audit and fix these errors to protect your rankings. With the help of SEO experts like Virtual Oplossing you can efficiently manage and prevent these issues, ensuring your site remains in top shape.