Talking about the influence of HTTP404 error on SEO

Source: Internet
Author: User
Keywords google 404 error page

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Customizing the 404 error page is a good way to provide a user experience, but it often fails to notice the impact on the search engine, such as a bad server-side configuration that results in the return of a "200" status code or a custom 404 error page Using meta-refresh to return a "302" status code. A custom 404 error page that is correctly set should not only be displayed correctly, but should also return the "404" error code instead of "200" or "302". Although the HTTP status code is "404" or "200" for the user, it is very important for the search engine.

(i) Custom 404 error page Return "200" status code

When a search engine asks a URL for a "404" state response, that is, knowing that the URL is invalidated, the page is no longer indexed and the Web page represented by the URL is deleted from the index database to the datacenter feedback, of course, the deletion process may take a long time, and when the search engine gets "200" When the status response is considered valid, the URL is indexed and included in the index database, which results in the exact same content of the two different URLs: Customizing the contents of the 404 error page, which causes the replication page issue to occur. For search engines, especially Google, it is not only difficult to get the trust index TrustRank, but also greatly reduce Google's assessment of the quality of the site. (Why does it happen to return the "200" status code?) Please refer to "The basic principle of customizing the 404 error Page" below.

I have been using Google Sitemap, when we submit an XML format sitemap file, Google will verify our identity to ensure that the site is legitimate managers. There are two ways to verify: Upload an HTML page with the specified name to the site root or add an identity meta tag to the Web page meta area. I usually use the way to upload HTML pages, but Google prompts me that the root of the site can not find this page (in fact I have uploaded, and access through the browser), this is a very scary question.

(ii) Custom 404 error page Use Meta Refresh to return "302" status code

Often see a custom 404 error page for many web sites to take the form of first displaying an error message and then using Meta Refresh to jump the page to the home page, Sitemap, or other similar page. Depending on how the implementation is different, such 404 pages may return "200" status code, may return "302", but no matter which, from the SEO technology point of view, is not a suitable choice.

How does HTTP404 error affect SEO?

We have talked about the status of "200", so what will the search engine do when the 404 page returns "302"? Theoretically, for the "302" error, the search engine that the Web page exists, but temporarily changed the address, will still index the page, so that the same will appear similar to "200" status code when the duplicate text problem; Second, the mainstream search engine, which is represented by Google, is demanding more and more stringent application scope of 302 redirects, and this kind of improper use of the 302 redirect is a big risk.

Make sure that the custom 404 error page Returns a "404" Status Code

After the custom 404 error page is set up, be sure to check to see if it correctly returns the "404" Status Code. You can use the Server Header Check tool to enter a URL that does not exist for a Web page, and look at the return of the HTTP header to make sure that it returns "404 Not Found".

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