How to Fix a 404 Page That's Killing Your SEO

A 404 page is the internet's dead end. When a visitor clicks a link and lands on a "Page Not Found" error, they usually bounce. Worse, search engines crawl those dead ends and waste their budget, and any links pointing to them lose value. If your site has a growing collection of 404s, they're quietly chipping away at your rankings and user trust.

The good news: you can fix them. This guide walks you through finding 404 errors, deciding what to do with each one, and implementing fixes that recover lost SEO value.

Why 404 Errors Hurt Your SEO

404s themselves aren't a penalty. Search engines expect a few on any site. The problems start when they accumulate:

• Wasted crawl budget: Google spends a limited amount of time on each site. Every 404 it crawls is time it could have spent on your real pages.
• Lost link equity: If other sites link to a URL that now returns 404, that link's authority evaporates.
• Poor user experience: Visitors hitting a dead page are likely to leave, increasing bounce rate and signaling low quality.
• Index bloat: If 404 pages are accidentally indexed (rare but possible), they can dilute your site's relevance.

How to Find 404 Errors on Your Site

The fastest way to find 404s is to use a tool that crawls your site, like MyWebsiteScore — a free audit will surface not-found pages and other issues. You can also check Google Search Console (under "Pages" in the Indexing report) to see which URLs Google has marked as "Not found (404)."

But don't stop there. 404s can be caused by:

• Typed URLs: Visitors mistyping your links.
• Broken internal links: Pages linking to outdated URLs.
• Deleted or moved pages: You removed a product or changed a URL structure without redirecting.
• External links: Other sites still pointing to old URLs.

To catch all of these, use a dedicated crawler like Screaming Frog (free for up to 500 URLs) or a cloud-based tool. These will scan every link on your site and flag any that return a 404 status code.

What to Do With Each 404: Redirect, Restore, or Leave

Not every 404 needs fixing. Here's a decision framework:

1. Redirect to a Relevant Page (301)

If the old URL had value — it earned links, drove traffic, or ranked for keywords — redirect it to the closest matching page. Use a 301 (permanent) redirect so search engines transfer the old page's authority to the new one.

Example: You merged two blog posts about "on-page SEO" into one ultimate guide. Redirect the old URLs to the new one.

2. Restore the Page (If It Should Exist)

If the URL was removed by mistake or the content is still relevant, bring it back. This is common after a redesign or a plugin error.

3. Leave It (If It's Truly Gone and Useless)

If the page has no value — no links, no traffic, no relevance — you can let it return 404. But ensure it returns a proper 404 status code, not a soft 404 (a page that says "not found" but returns a 200 status). Soft 404s confuse search engines.

How to Implement Redirects

Once you've decided which URLs need a 301, where do you set it up?

• WordPress: Use a plugin like Redirection or Yoast SEO Premium. These let you add redirects without touching server files.
• Shopify: Navigate to Online Store → Navigation → URL Redirects. Add the old path and the new destination.
• Other platforms or static sites: You'll likely need to edit your .htaccess file (Apache) or server config (Nginx). For example, in .htaccess:

Redirect 301 /old-page https://yoursite.com/new-page

Always test the redirect after implementing it. Use a tool like Redirect Path (a browser extension) or simply visit the old URL and see if it lands on the new one.

Fixing Internal Links That Cause 404s

Even with redirects in place, you should fix the actual links pointing to dead URLs. Redirects add an extra step for crawlers and slow down users.

1. Crawl your site to find internal links that return 404.
2. Update those links to point directly to the correct, live URL.
3. If you can't update the link (e.g., it's in a PDF), leave the redirect in place.

Handling External Links to Your 404s

You can't control what other sites link to, but you can set up redirects for those URLs. That way, when someone clicks a link on another site that points to your old page, they'll land on a live page instead of a dead end.

Monitoring and Preventing Future 404s

404s will always happen. The key is to catch them early:

• Set up Google Search Console alerts to notify you when Google finds new 404s.
• Run a monthly crawl with a tool like MyWebsiteScore or Screaming Frog to catch broken internal links.
• Use a custom 404 page that helps visitors find what they need — include a search bar and links to popular pages. This turns a dead end into a recovery path.

The Bottom Line

404 errors are a natural part of running a website, but ignoring them hurts your SEO and user experience. By regularly auditing for them, deciding whether to redirect or restore, and fixing internal links, you'll preserve your rankings and keep visitors moving.

If you're not sure where your 404s are, run a free audit of your site today. It'll show you every not-found page and give you a prioritized list of fixes — so you can stop losing value and start recovering it.

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