Understanding Soft 404 Errors
When navigating the digital world, encountering errors can often be both frustrating and confusing. This is especially the case when such errors are not understood adequately. One such error users may come across is the Soft 404 error. This article will discuss in detail what a Soft 404 error is, why it matters, and how to fix it.
Defining a Soft 404 Error
Essentially, a Soft 404 error refers to a specific type of error message displayed when a web page couldn’t be found on a server. However, instead of responding with a standard 404 Not Found HTTP response code, the server sends a 200 Ok response code, indicating to search engines that the page exists.
In simpler terms, a Soft 404 error happens when a non-existent page (meaning the page that should ideally return a 404 error) mistakenly returns a positive 200 status. This tells the search engine the page does exist, while in reality, there is no content to show.
Usually, Soft 404 errors happen because the server is set up in a specific way that affects how a website’s pages are displayed. They most often occur when a web page has been deleted or moved and the server hasn’t been appropriately updated.
The Importance of Correcting Soft 404 Errors
Now some may ask, why does a Soft 404 error matter? From a user experience perspective, Soft 404 errors can be quite damaging as they pose unnecessary confusion and frustration for visitors. For instance, a user may click on a link anticipating specific content, but instead, be directed to a page that doesn’t exist.
From an SEO perspective, Soft 404 errors can harm a website’s ranking in search engine results. When a search engine bot comes across a Soft 404 page, it gets confused since the server is sending contradictory signals. As a result, it may negatively impact the website’s visibility in search results.
Moreover, Soft 404 errors can eat up a website’s crawl budget (the number of pages search engine crawlers will index on a site within a given time). This can lead to an unnecessary waste of resources that could have been used to index more valuable, functional pages.
How to Fix Soft 404 Errors
Fortunately, Soft 404 errors are neither permanent nor impossible to solve. The fix comes in several steps including identifying, testing and redirecting.
The first step is to identify any potential Soft 404 pages on the website. This can be done by using tools like Google Search Console, which will list all the pages it identifies as Soft 404.
Once potential Soft 404 pages have been identified, the next step is to test them. This can be done using a URL Inspection Tool like Google’s, that allows the user to see the HTTP response code.
If the test confirms a Soft 404 error, the usual fix is to add a 301 redirect. A 301 redirect tells the server that the page has been permanently moved to a new URL. This ensures that when a user or crawler tries to access the old page URL, they are automatically redirected to the new one without confusing error messages.
In conclusion, Soft 404 errors, while unpleasant, are manageable once understood properly. By identifying and correcting Soft 404 errors, website owners can enhance the user experience, optimize their site’s search engine performance and make the most out of their crawl budget. So the next time you come across a Soft 404 error, you now have the know-how to tackle them head-on and keep your website running smoothly.