Soft 404 Error and How Can I Fix It

In the world of SEO, encountering errors on your website can affect your search engine rankings and user experience. One common issue that webmasters face is the soft 404 error. Unlike a traditional 404 error, which tells both users and search engines that a page no longer exists, a soft 404 is a bit more complex. Understanding what a soft 404 error is, how it impacts your SEO, and how to fix it can help you maintain the health of your website and avoid losing valuable traffic.

What Is a Soft 404 Error?

A soft 404 error occurs when a page on your website returns a 200 (OK) status code but displays content indicating that the page is missing or no longer relevant. In other words, the page technically exists, but it doesn’t offer useful content, leading Google or other search engines to treat it as a 404 error (page not found). This can confuse both search engines and users.

Common causes of soft 404 errors include:

• Pages with very thin or little content, such as a “no results found” message.
• Pages that redirect users to another page, but still return a 200 status code.
• Placeholder pages with generic messages like “Page not found” or “Coming soon.”

For example, if you have a product page on your e-commerce website that no longer sells the product but still exists, Google may see it as a soft 404 if the content doesn’t provide value to users.

Why Do Soft 404 Errors Matter for SEO?

Soft 404 errors can negatively impact your SEO for several reasons:

1. Wasted Crawl Budget: Google allocates a limited number of resources to crawling your site, known as the crawl budget. If Google spends time crawling soft 404 pages, it reduces the amount of time it can spend crawling your more valuable pages.
2. User Experience: A page that appears to be a legitimate result but offers little to no content frustrates users. This can increase your bounce rate, which may signal to search engines that your site is not delivering relevant content.
3. Ranking Impact: Pages identified as soft 404s will likely be dropped from Google’s index. If you have valuable content on these pages, they will no longer show up in search results, reducing your overall visibility.

How to Identify Soft 404 Errors

Before fixing soft 404 errors, you need to identify them. Here are a few tools and methods to help you locate soft 404s on your website:

1. Google Search Console

Google Search Console is one of the best tools for identifying soft 404 errors. Here’s how:

• Log in to Google Search Console.
• Navigate to Coverage under the Index section.
• Look for the soft 404 report, which lists all the pages Google has identified with this error.

2. Crawling Tools

Tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs Site Audit can crawl your site and report on soft 404s. These tools help you spot pages that return 200 status codes but contain content that could be considered irrelevant or missing.

3. Manual Checks

You can also manually review pages on your site by visiting URLs that may be prone to soft 404 errors. Check for pages that return a 200 status code but display minimal content or placeholder messages.

How to Fix Soft 404 Errors

Once you’ve identified soft 404 errors on your site, you’ll need to take steps to fix them. Here are some methods to resolve soft 404 issues effectively:

1. Redirect the Page to a Relevant URL

If the page is obsolete (for example, a product that is no longer sold), the best option is to implement a 301 redirect to a more relevant page. This could be a related product page, a category page, or a blog post that serves a similar purpose.

Example: If you have a product page for a discontinued item, redirect the URL to a similar product or the main product category.

2. Restore or Update the Content

If the page in question is still useful, but the content is thin or lacking, consider updating the page with valuable information. You can add more detailed content, images, or resources that will provide value to the user and avoid being flagged as a soft 404.

Example: If a blog post has very little content, consider expanding it with more in-depth analysis, relevant images, or multimedia to make the page more engaging and informative.

3. Return a Proper 404 or 410 Status Code

If the page is truly gone and there is no relevant content to redirect users to, it’s better to return a proper 404 (not found) or 410 (gone) status code. This tells search engines that the page is no longer available, and they should stop attempting to crawl it.

Example: If you’ve removed a service or product and there’s no replacement, allow the page to return a 404 status or use a 410 status to indicate that the page is permanently gone.

4. Fix Internal Links

If internal links are leading users to soft 404 pages, update or remove those links to ensure they point to live, valuable content. This improves user experience and prevents search engines from following dead-end links.

How to Prevent Soft 404 Errors

Preventing soft 404 errors requires proactive site management. Here are a few ways to minimize these errors in the future:

• Regularly audit your content to ensure that pages remain relevant and up to date.
• When removing products, services, or outdated content, always implement 301 redirects to appropriate pages.
• Use tools like Google Search Console to frequently monitor your site for potential issues, including soft 404 errors.
• Update internal linking whenever you make significant changes to your site structure or content.

Soft 404 errors can negatively impact your SEO by wasting crawl budget, frustrating users, and reducing visibility in search results. By identifying these errors using tools like Google Search Console, updating or redirecting obsolete pages, and maintaining a regular audit schedule, you can keep your site healthy and ensure that it ranks well in search results.

Addressing soft 404 errors not only enhances your site’s technical SEO but also improves the overall user experience, leading to better engagement and higher search engine rankings.