Why and how to address unfound 404 pages from an SEO perspective?
Does the number 404 mean anything to you? It certainly does to us. Creative ideas on why and how to use 404 Error web pages to your advantage from an SEO perspective. Imagine that on your website or e-commerce platform, there are changes to the product line, blog section clean-up, or other URL address changes. You might think it’s not a ‘big deal’ and continue as usual. However, this system, for various reasons, leads to the creation of a 404 Error code (Page Not Found), both for the user and search engine.
Why is it necessary to address 404 from an SEO perspective?
If you don’t have your own customized 404 page, it can negatively impact the user experience on your website and potentially affect your search engine rankings. However, your 404 error page can be a significant opportunity to turn a negative situation into a positive one from an SEO optimization perspective.
Sometimes it can be hard to imagine why someone would end up on your 404 error page. Even if you believe you’ve created your website without errors, it’s much more common than you think. There are several programs and SEO tools that can detect these non-functioning URL addresses for you.
Why do we address our clients’ own 404 pages with great emphasis?
A custom 404 page removes the confusion when your users (whether new or existing) can’t find the page they were looking for. A custom 404 page provides the user with necessary information about the error, such as an incorrectly entered URL, a non-existent page, and more.
But what is the effective work of our SEO specialists or with our mentoring? What essential steps must be taken to make the 404 page functional and efficient? Guide users back to relevant website pages and keep potential customers on the website. This option allows you to place not only valuable links for your users, which would otherwise be lost but also the opportunity for creative integration of various widgets, search icons, or other re-marketing elements on the redirected page. These valuable links can direct users to your homepage, frequently asked questions, or any other relevant links that will keep them on your website when they might otherwise leave.
Is creativity the gold of online marketing and branding your website?
Imagine that your user is specifically looking for a product (a specific URL) and finds out that the page no longer exists. This will undoubtedly affect not only them psychologically but also emotionally in terms of disappointment towards your brand. The goal of a creative 404 page is to provide the user with psychological comfort and offer them added value through various amenities that they can use to re-engage with the user on the website.
Creativity knows no bounds. What can creatively designed 404 pages with high functionality from an SEO specialist’s perspective look like? What factors can serve to maintain the client on your website within the realm of creative page creation?
- Catchy text
- Design of the main product
- Option for a new order
- Phone contact and links to social media
- Witty and catchy text
- Implemented search icon
- Selection of characters and design
Recommendation
… no matter how careful and precise you are in creating and managing your website, it is nearly impossible to completely avoid occasional 404 page errors.
Remember to use your 404 page as a tool to enhance your website – a kind of security system. With a well-designed 404 page and traffic monitoring, you can ensure that users find what they need on your website.
The best course of action is to use your 404 page to your advantage. Provide users with access to pages they may have been looking for, strengthen your brand, and be transparent. This can only be done through your own 404 page.
Do you have more questions, or would you like us to review your 404 page together? Contact us.
