How To Fix 404 Errors For SEO

Glen Pfaucht
Jun 4
3 min read

Updated: Jun 5

I'm sure at least once you've tried clicking a link expecting to land on a product page, blog post, or any other webpage, and you get hit with:“404 Error — Page Not Found.”

It’s like opening a door to a building that used to be full of things and now it's empty. And if you’re the website owner, especially one who cares about SEO (and you should), those little 404s can add up to a much bigger problem.

So let’s talk about how to fix 404 errors for SEO. We will break down what 404 errors are, why they happen, how they affect your search visibility, and most importantly, how to fix them without losing your mind or your traffic.

What’s a 404 Error?

Technically speaking, a 404 is just an HTTP response code. Practically speaking? It’s your server’s way of shrugging its shoulders and saying, “Yeah, I’ve got nothing for you.”

When someone tries to load a URL on your website and there’s no content assigned to it, they’ll hit a 404. It might be that the page was deleted, maybe the link is broken, or maybe someone just typed the URL wrong.

It’s not the end of the world, but it is a digital dead end. No page, no content.

What Causes These Annoying Little Errors?

The reasons are usually simple, and kinda boring:

Someone mistyped a URL (you’d be surprised how often that happens)
You deleted or moved a page but didn’t tell your server
Internal links on your site are outdated
You changed your domain structure and forgot to update links
External sites are linking to pages you’ve nuked
DNS hiccups or server errors, occasionally

Half the time it's just human error and the other half is neglected housekeeping.

The SEO Side of Things: Google’s Not a Fan

Search engines like Google want to serve up content that’s actually there. If your site’s riddled with dead ends, it’s like handing out a map full of roads that go nowhere. Google notices that. And it doesn’t reward it.

A few 404s won’t tank your rankings. It’s not that dramatic. But broken internal links? That’s a bad signal. Broken outbound links? Also bad. A large number of 404s that never get cleaned up? Your credibility will tank.

301 Redirects: Your New Best Friend

Okay, so what do you do when a page is gone but the traffic keeps showing up at the door? You redirect them. A 301 redirect is like a "sorry, we moved" sign. It tells browsers and search engines, “Hey, this page isn’t here anymore, but we’ve got the content over here now.” It preserves the link authority from the old page, which is gold if people have linked to it.

Using Tools to Catch Errors Before Your Visitors Do

If you’re running WordPress, plugins like Redirection, Yoast SEO, or 404 to Start can help you handle errors without needing to code anything.

Otherwise, tools like:

will scan your site and spit out a list of issues. You’ll see which URLs are broken, who’s linking to them, and where the holes are in your digital walls.

What If You Don’t Have a Replacement Page?

If you don’t have a relevant page to redirect to, consider funneling all random 404s to your homepage. Is it ideal? No. But it’s better than leaving people staring at an error screen. But an important thing to remember, don’t go overboard. Google is smart enough to notice if you’re redirecting everything to the homepage for no reason.

A Clever SEO Tactic: Steal Backlinks from Other People’s 404s

This one’s sneaky, but ethical. Find websites in your niche with broken outbound links. Use tools like Ahrefs or Check My Links to identify 404s on their pages. If one of those links used to point to a resource you can replace with your own content? Reach out. Offer them your link instead. It’s helpful, relevant. and it gets you backlinks!

Final Thoughts: How to Fix 404 Errors for SEO

Fixing 404s won’t suddenly rocket you to the top of Google, but it will improve user experience, keep link authority flowing, and show search engines that your site’s alive and well. So check your site, set your redirects, and clean your link messes. And if you find a competitor with a broken page? Well, you know what to do.