Have you ever seen a "404 Not Found" error message when searching for a website on Google? This is a specific type of server error that can be frustrating for both webmasters and web users alike. In this guide, we'll take a look at what causes 404 errors, how to troubleshoot them, and how to avoid them in the future.

Understanding 404 Errors in Google Search Console

When it comes to understanding 404 errors in Google Search Console, it’s important to first understand what a 404 error is. A 404 error is an HTTP status code that indicates the requested page could not be found on the server. This means that when someone clicks on a link, they reach a page that cannot be found and ends up getting a 404 error page.404 errors can affect the performance of your website as it can disrupt user experience, reduce ranking, and prohibit search engine bots from crawling the website. It is important to identify these errors and understand how to address them in order to maximize your SEO efforts. Additionally, understanding how to handle 404 errors within Google Search Console will help ensure that Googlebot crawls your site and all pages are indexed properly.

Once you’ve identified the source of a 404 error, there are a few steps you can take to help improve your SEO. For example, you can redirect the broken link to an active page or contact the website owner if it’s an external link so they can fix their broken link. Additionally, it’s a good idea to ensure that the page has an updated and relevant meta description and title tag that incorporate your primary keyword, as search engine bots like Googlebot use these tags to understand the content of a web page. Finally, you should also make sure that any images on the page have file names and alt-tags that include keywords as well. By following these steps, you can help improve your SEO and make your website more visible in search results.

Additionally, ensuring that your website has a working sitemap will help when it comes to fixing 404 errors in Google Search Console as any crawl errors that are found will be listed on the sitemap and allow you to pinpoint which pages should be fixed or updated Also, making sure your website has an updated and functioning sitemap is beneficial as any crawl errors identified by Googlebot will be listed on the sitemap. This gives you the knowledge to identify which pages should be fixed or updated in order to avoid 404 errors in Google Search Console.

Troubleshooting Strategies for 404 Errors in Google Search Console

To troubleshoot 404 errors in Google Search Console, the best strategy is to track the source of the 404 error by checking the crawler details and if possible, update any redirects or regenerate content. This will help you determine if server errors are being caused by technical issues or missing content.

Additionally, it's important to ensure that your server and website are configured properly for SEO; making sure your server is up to date, editing HTML tags and meta descriptions, optimizing page speed/loads, and setting up redirects from old URLs to new URLs can all help improve server errors in Google Search Console.

You can use a tool such as Screaming Frog to identify broken links and quickly resolve them to prevent them from appearing in search results Furthermore, SEO isn't just about optimizing content for Googlebot.

It's also essential to look after the technical aspects of your website and use a tool such as Screaming Frog to identify broken links and quickly resolve them to prevent them from appearing in search results. This will help to improve the user experience and ensure that Googlebot is able to access the content with ease.

Need Help?

404 errors can be tricky to troubleshoot and can cause frustration for webmasters and users alike. If you're having trouble with 404 errors on your website then reach out to us through our contact form.