How To Fix Soft 404 Error?
- Thread starter Zshan
- Start date
- May 19, 2016
- 162
- 32
1. For pages that no longer exist:
Allow to 404 or 410 if the page is gone and receives no significant traffic or links. Ensure that the server header response is 404 or 410, not 200.
301 redirect each old page to a relevant, related page on your site.
Do not redirect broad amounts of dead pages to your home page. They should 404 or be redirected to appropriate similar pages.
2. For pages that are live pages, and are not supposed to be a soft 404:
Ensure there is an appropriate amount of content on the page, as thin content may trigger a soft 404 error.
Ensure the content on your page doesn’t appear to represent a 404 page while serving a 200 response code.
Allow to 404 or 410 if the page is gone and receives no significant traffic or links. Ensure that the server header response is 404 or 410, not 200.
301 redirect each old page to a relevant, related page on your site.
Do not redirect broad amounts of dead pages to your home page. They should 404 or be redirected to appropriate similar pages.
2. For pages that are live pages, and are not supposed to be a soft 404:
Ensure there is an appropriate amount of content on the page, as thin content may trigger a soft 404 error.
Ensure the content on your page doesn’t appear to represent a 404 page while serving a 200 response code.
digimarket
Regular Member
- Sep 20, 2016
- 351
- 59
First confirm the page is published from your CMS and not in draft mode or deleted. Check whether this error shows up on the www vs non-www version of your site and the http vs https version of your site. If you want to redirect it to another page, make sure you 301 redirect it to the most appropriate related page.
zerolimit
Senior Member
- Apr 24, 2013
- 879
- 167
Why shouldn't you redirect dead pages to home pages?
I think this is by far the easiest method.
frzs90
Registered Member
- Oct 10, 2016
- 71
- 28
Or maybe redirect to an on-site search with keywords from the title (if you have enough content)?