404 Error in WordPress: How to Fix it

Final solution to the 404 Error in WordPress: Complete Guide to Resolve the issue

Navigate through a website and find a 404 Error can be really frustrating. Not only interrupted the navigation of the user, but it can give you a bad impression about the quality and maintenance of the website.

Address and quickly resolve the 404 error is essential for several reasons:

1. Improved SEO: Search engines penalize sites with multiple 404 errors, which could negatively affect your rankings.
2. User experience: A user that is found with an error page will probably leave the site, increasing the bounce rate and decreasing the chances of conversion.
3. Brand perception: The presence of 404 errors, you can give a picture of neglect or lack of professionalism, damaging the reputation of your brand.

To fix the 404 Error not only helps to keep your visitors on your site, but also contributes to a better performance in the search engines and a more positive perception on the part of users.

What is 404 Error?

The 404 Error is an HTTP status code that indicates that the server was not able to find the page you requested. This code is displayed when the URL that you are trying to access the user does not exist on the server.

There are several common causes that can trigger a 404 Error:

• Incorrect URLs: Typographical errors while typing the web address.
• Pages deleted or not available: Content that have been removed or temporarily inaccessible.
• Domains non-existent: Attempt to gain access to domains that are not registered.
• Problems of connection or server: Faults in connectivity or in the server configuration.
• Internal links are broken: Links within your website that point to pages non-existent.

Understanding these causes is crucial to be able to identify and fix 404 errors in an effective manner, improving the SEO as the user experience.

Impact of the 404 Error in the SEO and user experience

The 404 Error can have a significant impact on SEO and in the perception of the users about your brand. From the point of view of search engines, a page with 404 errors recurrent may be seen as less reliable and relevant. This can lead to a decrease in search engine rankings, to negatively affect your online visibility.

Effects on SEO

• High bounce rate: The pages that show a 404 error tend to generate a high bounce rate. Visitors tend to leave the site quickly to find what you are looking for, which is an indicative negative for the search engines.
• Crawl budget: 404 errors can consume part of the budget of tracking that search engines assign to your site, limiting the indexing of valuable content.
• Backlinks lost: If other sites link to URLs incorrect or non-existent, backlinks lose their effectiveness and can affect your domain authority.

User experience

• Negative perception: Find a 404 Error can frustrate users and give them a bad impression of your site, which affects the brand image.
• Retention and conversion: The frustration caused by 404 errors can lead to lower retention and conversion of visitors, as it is likely to look for alternatives that are more reliable.

To mitigate these negative effects, it is crucial to address and quickly fix the 404 errors on your website.

Solutions to fix the 404 Error on a web site

1. Optimization of URL for SEO and backlinks

Maintain a URL structure consistent is crucial to avoid the appearance of 404 errors. The URLs are well structured are not only easier to remember and share, but also help the search engines to index, and better understand the content of your web site.

Importance of URL structure consistent

• Improving the navigation of the user: A URL in a consistent easy for users to find and remember the pages that they visit.
• Makes the work easier for search engines: The search engines prefer URLs clear and organized, so that you can improve your SEO positioning.
• Prevents common errors: URLs defined, and managed to reduce the likelihood of typographical errors or broken links.

Practical strategies to optimize the URLs

• Uses relevant keywords: Include key terms in your URLs can improve your SEO. For example, if you have a blog about gardening, a URL like tusitio.com/como-cuidar-rosas it is much better than tusitio.com/post123.
• Make them descriptive, but concise: The URLs must clearly describe the content of the page without being too long. A good practice is to keep it under 60 characters.
• Avoid special characters and numbers are unnecessary: Characters ?, &, and random numbers can complicate the URLs and make them a less-than-friendly both to users and to search engines.
• Use hyphens to separate words: Instead of underscores (_) or spaces, use hyphens (-). For example, use tusitio.com/mejores-practicas-seo in place of tusitio.com/mejores_practicas_seo.
• Maintain consistency: If you decide to use lowercase letters in your URLs, make sure to do it always. The inconsistency can lead to 404 errors due to differences insignificant but critical as uppercase/lowercase letters.
• 301 redirect: When you change a URL, sets up a 301 redirect from the old URL to the new one. This not only preserves your SEO but also directs the users correctly.
• Regular audits: Use tools like Google Search Console or Screaming Frog to identify and fix broken links or ill-structured periodically.
• Backlinks effective: Make sure that other sites link successfully to your pages using clean URLs and permanent.

Implement these strategies can significantly reduce the occurrence of Error 404 on your website, thus improving both the user experience as your SEO performance.

2. Use of tools to detect and fix 404 errors

To find and fix 404 errors on your website, it is important to use special tools that make this process easier. Some of the most effective are:

Google Search Console

Google Search Console is a free tool offered by Google which allows you to control and maintain the presence of your site in the search results. You can use it to:

• Find coverage errors: Includes a separate report on 404 errors.
• Analyze the performance: Shows you which pages you have problems and how to fix them.

Screaming Frog

Screaming Frog is an application that checks web sites for more data and information about its structure and content. It has these features:

• Full review of the site: Discover broken links and pages that return a 404 error.
• Detailed analysis: It offers comprehensive reports on problems encountered.

W3C Link Checker

W3C Link Checker is an online tool that examines the links within your website, identifying those that are broken or do not work correctly. Its main functions are:

• Thorough verification: Check each link on your pages.
• Reports are clear: Provides specific details about the broken links.

Dead Link Checker

Dead Link Checker is another online tool useful to detect broken links in your web site. Its advantages include:

• Quick scan: Detects quickly dead links.
• Ease of use: Simply enter your URL and you get a detailed report.

These tools will help you to find and fix 404 errors, improving the SEO as the user's experience on your website.

3. Implementation of specific corrective actions

To fix the Error 404 and maintain a web site optimized, it is essential to carry out a series of specific corrective actions:

• Verification and correction of possible errors in the server: Make sure there are no configuration problems on the server that may cause the onset of 404 pages. Check the files .htaccess (on Apache servers) or the rules of the server to detect possible conflicts.
• Update incorrect links with 301 redirects: 301 redirects are essential to maintain the integrity of the site. When you delete or move a page, make sure to redirect the old URL to the new one. This does not only avoid 404 errors, but also transfers the SEO value accumulated to the new page.
• Use the status code of 410: If a page has been deleted permanently and is there an alternative URL as relevant, and uses the HTTP status code of 410 (Gone). This code indicates to the search engines that the URL is no longer available and should not be tracked in future visits.
• Regular updating of the XML site map: Keep updated your XML site map to reflect any change in the structure of the site. A site map need help the search engines to index your pages and prevents broken links.

By implementing these measures, you can minimize the appearance of 404 errors, and improve both SEO as the user's experience on your website.

Importance of customize the 404 error page

Create a custom error page is essential to improve the user experience when you encounter a 404 Error. A standard page that only shows a message “Page not found” can lead to frustration and abandonment of the web site. In contrast, a page of error is well designed can retain visitors and guide them to useful content.

Advantages of a custom error page:

• Navigation options alternatives: To include a field of internal search allows users to quickly find the content you are looking for, avoiding to leave the site.
• Links to recent publications: Provide shortcuts to the most recent posts or popular site, you can keep the visitor's interest.
• Message friendly and consistent design: A clear message and friendly, along with a design that maintains the aesthetic of the site, contributes to a more pleasant experience.

Recommended items to include:

• Search field internal: Makes it easy to find other relevant content.
• Links to sections popular: Helps to redirect the user to other parts of the site that may be of interest to you.
• Contact or support: Provide contact information for additional assistance.

Implement these strategies in your error 404 page not only improves the usability of the site, but can also have a positive impact on your SEO to reduce the bounce rates, and retain more time to the visitors within the site.

Monitoring and establishment of a workflow to manage 404 errors

The importance of monitoring 404 errors cannot be underestimated. Use analytics tools such as Google Analytics or specific plug-ins is essential to identify and resolve these errors in time. Google Analytics allows you to configure custom reports that track broken links, while plugins such as Redirection facilitate the management and correction of redirects.

Implement an efficient workflow is key to the detection and quick resolution of 404 errors. Below, we suggest some steps to establish this flow:

• Id: Use tools like Google Search Console, Screaming Frog or Sitechecker to detect URLs problematic.
• Analysis: Classifies errors according to their origin, whether they are internal links are broken, deleted pages, or server problems.
• Correction:
  • Updated incorrect links.
  • Implement 301 redirects for URLs to be moved or renamed.
  • Using the status code 410 for content are permanently deleted.
• Verification: Regularly reviews the bug fixes implemented to ensure that mistakes do not recur.
• Documentation and Follow-up: Keep a detailed log of the errors and corrective actions taken.

The constant use of these tools audit ensures that your website is kept free of 404 errors, thus improving both the user experience as SEO.

Conclusion

Address 404 errors on your website is crucial to provide a seamless user experience and optimize your SEO. 404 errors can have a significant negative impact on the perception of your brand, and in the ranking of your site in the search engines, affecting the retention and conversion of visitors.

Implement the solutions and best practices mentioned in this article will allow you to:

• Improve URL structure in order to prevent errors.
• Use powerful tools, such as Google Search Console Screaming Frog to detect and fix 404 errors.
• Implement specific corrective actions as 301 redirects and updates of links.

We encourage you to take immediate action to resolve and prevent these errors, ensuring that your web site is not only accessible, but also efficient and friendly to users. We also invite you to visit my blog for more content