In today’s digital age, when website traffic has become a key factor in the success of any business or blog, website errors can be quite frustrating. One of the most common and visible errors is the “404 error.”
In this blog, we will understand what is 404 Error, why it occurs, what are its disadvantages, and how it can be resolved.
What is 404 Error?
When a user tries to access a page on a website that does not exist or has been removed, the server displays a message to the user—
Simply put, a 404 error means that the web page the user tried to access was not found by the server.
This is one of the most common and important errors on the Internet.
Why does Error 04 occur?
A 404 error can occur for several reasons:
1. Incorrect URL
A 404 error appears if the user or website owner makes a spelling mistake in the URL.
2. Deleted Pages
If you delete a page from your website and its links are still indexed in Google, users receive a 404 error.
3. Broken Internal Links
Incorrect or broken internal links on a blog or website can also result in a 404 error.
4. Changed URL Without Redirection
If you change your blog’s URL and don’t redirect it—
a 404 error will appear when you open the old URL.
5. Server Migration Issues
Sometimes, when you change hosting, pages don’t migrate properly, resulting in 404 errors.
Disadvantages of 404 Error
A 404 error may seem like a routine technical issue, but when it keeps showing up, it creates real trouble for a website. Visitors get irritated, and slowly, search engines start taking the site less seriously.
1. It Gives Visitors a Bad Experience
Think about it — someone clicks a link expecting answers, and instead they hit a blank page that says the content isn’t there.
Most people don’t wait or look around. They just leave.
And when they leave that quickly, your bounce rate climbs, which is one of the strongest signals that users didn’t find what they needed.
2. It Can Push Your Rankings Down
Google prefers websites that feel organized and reliable.
When all the links work properly and users can move around without issues, Google sees that as a positive sign.
But if visitors keep running into 404 errors, it hints that the site is not being taken care of.
Over time, this can cause your important pages to slip in the search results.
3. Google Wastes Its Crawl Budget
Googlebot crawls websites with limited time.
If it keeps bumping into pages that no longer exist, that time goes to waste.
And when the crawler spends too long on dead pages, your updated or valuable pages may not get crawled as frequently as they should.
4. It Makes the Website Look Unprofessional
A website filled with broken links gives the impression that no one is maintaining it.
Visitors start doubting the reliability of the content.
If this happens often, people stop trusting the website altogether, and that loss of credibility is much harder to fix later.
How to resolve 404 error?
Now let’s talk about how this error can be fixed.
Fix the URL
URLs are often misspelled.
✅ Check URL spelling
✅ Verify hyphens, slashes, and categories
Apply a Redirect (301 Redirection)
If you’ve deleted a page or changed its URL, it’s essential to set up a 301 redirect.
What does a 301 redirect do?
Automatically redirects the old URL to the new URL.
This is also very beneficial for SEO.
Fix Broken Links
You can use tools for this:
- Google Search Console
- Ahrefs Broken Links Checker
- Screaming Frog SEO Spider
These will help you identify which links on your website are returning 404s.
Create a Custom 404 Page
- Users can be guided within the website.
- Important links can be displayed.
- Bounce rate is low.
A custom 404 page should include the following:
Home page link
Search bar
Popular posts
Contact support link
Restore Deleted Pages
If the page was accidentally deleted, restore it.
Update Sitemap and Robots.txt
If you deleted pages, be sure to do the following:
- Create a new sitemap
- Submit to Google Search Console
- Remove old URLs from Robots.txt
Fix Server Issues
Sometimes, pages don’t load due to hosting issues.
- Contact hosting support.
- Check if the server path is correct.
SEO-Friendly Prevention of 404 Error
To prevent 404 errors on your website, follow these steps:
- Don’t change URLs frequently
- Apply a 301 redirect to every deleted page
- Practice internal linking smartly
- Perform a monthly link audit
- Always keep your sitemap updated
Conclusion – Is 404 Error Dangerous?
404 errors are a very common internet problem, but if ignored, they can negatively impact both SEO and user experience.
- To keep your website healthy
- To improve rankings
- To keep your bounce rate low
It’s important to resolve 404 errors as quickly as possible.
Read More Article :
What is Answer Engine Optimization
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