Soft 404 Errors: How to Identify and Optimize Your Site

Soft 404 errors can be a real headache for website owners. They occur when a search engine like Google returns a page that doesn't exist, but still shows a 200 OK status code.

This can happen when a page has been deleted or redirected, but the URL is still cached by search engines. For example, a website might have a page at www.example.com/old-page, but it's been moved to a new location.

A soft 404 error can be identified by looking at the page's headers and content. If the page is returning a 200 OK status code, but the content is a generic "not found" message, it's likely a soft 404 error.

To optimize your site for soft 404 errors, you can use tools like Google Search Console to identify and fix the issue. This will help improve your website's user experience and search engine rankings.

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A soft 404 error is a confusing situation for both users and search engines. It occurs when a web page appears to be missing, but the server sends a 200 OK status code, implying that the page is valid.

Soft 404 errors happen when a server sends a 200 OK status code for a page that doesn't exist or has little to no content. This can be due to automatically generated pages in CMS's like WordPress.

A soft 404 error is not a standard server status code, but a label that search engines add to help them make sense of these pages and to ignore them as they see fit.

These errors show up in tools like Google Search Console and should be fixed as soon as possible to avoid negatively impacting SEO performance.

Here are some common scenarios that can lead to soft 404 errors:

If you're experiencing soft 404 errors on your website, it's essential to take immediate action to fix them. This can include removing or redirecting unnecessary pages, adding content to empty pages, or using a 404 error page that returns a 404 status code.

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Soft 404 errors can have a significant impact on your site's SEO. They can negatively affect your site's rankings if left unaddressed.

Search engines hate stumbling on dead links, and soft 404 errors can be extra confusing because the expected result is different from the actual result. This can lead to a poor mobile experience, which can negatively affect rankings.

Soft 404 errors can also dilute link equity, wasting the SEO value of backlinks. This means you lose out on the potential benefits of those backlinks, which could have helped improve your site's authority and rankings.

Soft 404s can quickly waste search engines' crawl budgets on pages with little or no value. This can delay the indexing of much more important pages on your site.

Here are some key effects of soft 404 errors on SEO:

To find soft 404 errors on your site, you can use Google Search Console's Coverage report. This report will show you a list of pages that have errors, including soft 404s.

You can click on the error marked "Submitted URL seems to be a Soft 404" to see an overview of the pages that have errors. From there, you can validate the fix and test the live URL to ensure the page is functioning correctly.

Soft 404 errors can be caused by various reasons, such as a page being intentionally removed or gone by mistake, or a page still offering value but needing content updates. To fix these errors, you can ensure the URL returns the right response code to match the actual content of the page.

Here are some common ways to fix soft 404 errors:

Remember, it's essential to find and fix soft 404 errors quickly, as they can waste crawl budgets, contribute to indexing issues, and signal to search engines that you have a poor quality site.

Soft 404 errors aren't caused by technical malfunctions, but rather how search engines perceive the user experience. They're often the result of a server sending a 200 OK status code instead of a proper 404 HTTP status code.

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A soft 404 error can occur when a web page appears to be missing, but the server tells search engines the page is valid. This is because the page may look like a "Page Not Found" error or contain irrelevant or thin content.

From a user's perspective, a soft 404 error can be caused by a page that looks like it's missing, but the server sends a 200 OK status code. This can lead search engines to flag the page as a soft 404.

Search engines consider a page to be a soft 404 error when they interpret the page as a poor experience for users. This can happen when the page is empty or contains thin content.

Soft 404s can be caused by various reasons, such as a page that's been deleted but still has a link to it. In this case, the server sends a 200 OK status code, even though the page doesn't exist.

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An example of a soft 404 error is when a user searches for something on your website that doesn't exist, and they get a "Not Found" message.

This is what happens when a server response code is "200 OK" but a search engine still thinks there's a query on your page, leading to a misinterpretation of the page as a 404 error.

If you're trying to access a page that exists in the CMS but is still not being displayed by Google, chances are it's due to a soft 404 error.

A category page without any content under the category will likely lead to soft 404 errors, even if the webpage exists on the website.

Having a soft 404 doesn't mean your site is low quality, but Google prioritizes sites with high-quality content and a good user experience.

Displaying a 404 error page for a product that's not available is a good practice, letting users know the product is permanently removed from the website.

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You can find soft 404 errors on your site inside Google Search Console’s Coverage report. Here, you can click on the error marked ‘Submitted URL seems to be a Soft 404’ to see an overview of the pages that have errors.

To find soft 404 errors, log into Google’s Search Console, visit the Pages screen, and scroll to the bottom. You’ll see any soft 404s listed there.

Alternatively, you can use the Coverage > Soft 404 feature to find soft 404 errors. This will show you a list of URLs that are triggering soft 404 errors.

You can also use Fetch as Google to check if a particular URL on your site is returning the correct status code, including soft 404 errors. This tool simulates a crawl and render executive as done in Google’s normal crawling and rendering process.

Double-checking on URL level can also help you identify soft 404 errors. Go to Coverage > Soft 404 and inspect one of the URLs listed, then under Crawl it'll say "Failed: Soft 404" for the field Page fetch.

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Preventing soft 404 errors is just as important as fixing them, and taking a proactive approach can save you headaches down the road.

Auditing your CMS settings and templates is a good idea if you're experiencing soft 404 errors caused by poorly configured content management systems or themes. This can help prevent empty or low-value pages that trigger soft 404 errors.

Preventing soft 404s from arising in the first place requires a proactive approach, and it's worth the effort to avoid the hassle of fixing them later.

Checking your CMS and themes is a crucial step in preventing soft 404 errors, and it's a good idea to do it regularly to catch any potential issues before they become problems.

Google has changed the way it handles soft 404 detection and classifications. Google now looks at each page by device type and assigns a soft 404 classification differently to the same URL on desktop and mobile.

This means Google now detects a soft 404 status on a URL, as it goes through a URL. It also does so by device type.

Google may return a soft 404 error on mobile and desktop, or vice versa, for the same URL. This can be a problem when the page works correctly on a mobile Search Console, but does not throw any alerts.

This can affect your website’s performance and rankings. Google typically detects soft 404 errors during its regular crawling process.

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Fixing soft 404 errors requires a thoughtful approach. You should always try to find out where the issues originate and see if you can prevent these errors from happening in the first place.

If a page doesn’t exist anymore, give it a 404 (not found) or 410 (content deleted) status code and make sure you have a great 404 page. Having loads of 404s on your site is bad practice.

If a page is available but still gets a soft 404, Google deems this thin content and you should fix that page by giving it some solid, relevant content. This shows search engines that the page has value.

If the page moved to a new location, redirect it with a 301 redirect. This tells the search engine that the page is moved to a new location and ensures it doesn’t display the 404 error for an existing page.

You can also use Yoast SEO to noindex a page that you want to keep but not have indexed by Google.

To fix soft 404 errors caused by the Yoast bug, you may need to look into other solutions since the plugin meant to fix the bug hasn’t helped after a long time.

Here are some ways to fix soft 404 errors:

Remember, having too many soft 404 errors can lead to a reduced crawl rate of your site, which can result in lower rankings and fewer indexed pages.

Frustrating users with soft 404 pages can lead to higher bounce rates and lower engagement. This poor user experience can result in an overall decline in site usability.

Soft 404 pages can be particularly frustrating for users who land on a page expecting relevant content, only to find incomplete or irrelevant information. This can reinforce a negative brand perception if your site has too many soft 404s.

Here are some common examples of soft 404 errors due to lack of content:

Having many 404 errors can signal to search engines that your site isn’t well-maintained, which can have a negative impact on your site’s rankings.

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Mobile-first indexing prioritizes mobile content, but soft 404 errors can complicate this process. This can lead to a poor mobile experience, which could negatively affect rankings.

Soft 404 errors are now detected separately for mobile and desktop versions of a page. Google detects these errors individually, which means a page could be flagged as a soft 404 on mobile but not on desktop, or vice versa.

A poor mobile experience can have serious consequences for your site's rankings. If mobile users come across incomplete or irrelevant content on flagged soft 404 pages, it can lead to a negative impact on your mobile rankings.

Google's separate detection of soft 404 errors for mobile and desktop versions of a page means that your site's mobile and desktop rankings could be affected differently. This highlights the importance of ensuring that your mobile content is complete and relevant.

Core Web Vitals are a crucial aspect of user experience, and they can significantly impact your site's ability to rank well in search engines. Pages flagged as soft 404s often suffer from minimal interactivity or performance issues, which can contribute to poor Core Web Vitals metrics.

A page with low interactivity can be frustrating for users, and it can also harm your site's ability to rank well, especially for mobile users. This is because search engines prioritize user experience and will penalize sites that don't meet their standards.

Poor performance issues can also lead to a decline in Core Web Vitals metrics, making it harder for your site to rank well. This can be a major concern for businesses that rely on search engine traffic to drive sales and revenue.

By optimizing your site's performance and interactivity, you can improve your Core Web Vitals metrics and increase your chances of ranking well in search engines. This requires regular monitoring and maintenance of your site to ensure it meets the latest standards.

A custom 404 page is a must-have for any website. It's a chance to turn a frustrating experience into a positive one by guiding users to other valuable content on your site.

To set up a custom 404 page, it's essential to have a clear plan in mind. This page should clearly explain to users when a page is missing and provide options for them to explore other parts of your site.

You can include links to popular or related pages on your site to keep users engaged. A site search bar can also be helpful in this situation.

A custom 404 page should be informative and useful for the user, just like a page that's supposed to be displaying in search results. For example, if a user is searching for blue chairs, your 404 page should at least acknowledge their search and suggest alternatives.

You can also use this opportunity to promote your site's navigation menu, making it easy for users to find what they're looking for.

Using structured data on your website can make a big difference in how search engines understand your content. Structured data helps search engines classify your pages correctly, which can prevent them from mistakenly treating valuable pages as soft 404s.

A regular 404 error occurs when a user or search engine attempts to access a page that doesn't exist on the server, and the server correctly responds with a 404 HTTP status code. This tells both users and search engines that the page cannot be found and is not available.

By adding structured data, you can improve your chances of being featured in rich snippets and other enhanced search results.

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Empty product category pages can be a major culprit of soft 404 errors, so make sure to populate them with relevant content.

Pages with little to no content can lead to search engines defaulting to a "404 Not Found" status, even if the status response is valid. This is especially true for blog category pages and search result pages.

You can avoid this issue by ensuring that your pages have meaningful content, like product descriptions or category information.

Some examples of pages that might be considered thin content include:

Don't let placeholder content like "Coming Soon" or "Under Construction" pages lead to soft 404 errors. Instead, use a temporary "404" page or ensure the page is fully ready for launch before making it live.

Poor user experience is a significant disadvantage of soft 404s. A user landing on a soft 404 page will likely receive a 200 Message and be redirected back to the homepage, as there isn't an error page to land on like with hard 404s.

This can be a frustrating, confusing experience for users, and can reinforce a negative brand perception if your site has too many soft 404s. As a result, soft 404s could contribute to higher bounce rates, lower conversion rates, and poor user experience overall.

Some examples of poor user experience due to soft 404s include:

These types of pages can lead to a poor mobile experience, which could negatively affect rankings. Soft 404s can also contribute to poor Core Web Vitals metrics, which are an important ranking factor for search engines.

Google typically detects soft 404 errors during its regular crawling process. This process can take a few days to a couple of weeks, and you may see these errors reported in Google Search Console after they occur.

The time it takes for Google to detect and report soft 404 errors can vary, but it's usually within a few weeks.