404 Error Handling: Improve User Experience & SEO

Even the best websites encounter occasional hiccups. 404 error handling is a key entity in technical SEO, that helps you navigate these situations smoothly.

A 404 error means a user tried to reach a page that doesn’t exist. By creating a custom 404 error page, you can inform visitors in a friendly way and offer them helpful options.

This could be a link back to your homepage, a search bar to help them find what they’re looking for, or a suggestion of similar content. A well-designed 404 page prevents visitors from getting frustrated and keeps them engaged with your website.

However, 404 errors are ideally something you want to avoid altogether. Regularly check your website for broken links or outdated URLs that might trigger these errors.

Focus on maintaining a clean and organized website structure, and use 301 redirects to point visitors to the correct pages when necessary.

By minimizing 404 errors and offering a helpful solution when they do occur, you can ensure a positive user experience and prevent search engines from penalizing your website for broken links.

Related Entities

References

1.
What is Technical SEO? by upGrowth

Explore the essential aspects of technical SEO with upGrowth’s comprehensive guide, which covers the crucial elements that impact your site’s performance and search engine rankings. This guide is ideal for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of the backend optimizations that improve SEO efficacy.

2.
How to Do a Technical SEO Audit by upGrowth

upGrowth provides a detailed guide on conducting a technical SEO audit, offering step-by-step instructions to assess and improve various technical aspects of your website. This audit is crucial for identifying and resolving issues that could be hindering your site’s search engine performance.