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You have searched for a web address on the Search Engine page. The page gives you a return message, “Sorry, Page not Found.”
We know this may be a 404 Error. This happens when a page does not exist or its URL has been changed.
There is another case when we see the search engine simply return us to its floor. This is a technical issue, called the Soft 404. Here, the server returns a successful HTTP status code, i.e. 200 Ok to the Search Engine. But the Search Engine found other issues that prevent it from displaying the content.
In this article, we will discuss what Soft 404 Errors are, their difference with Hard 404, and the reasons for their occurrence. You will also learn some effective tricks to resolve the issue. Continue Reading. Hope this will make you confident in handling your website more effectively.
What are Soft 404 Errors?
This happens when the Search Engine returns the user with a message showing information like “Page Not Found”. This happens when it considers the link as an error, most commonly known as a “Soft 404 Error”. There could be several reasons behind such a display.
If the content on the addressed website is insufficient for display, then the Search Engine can return you to its home page. This can happen when the server returns a 200 OK status code. It means that the web page exists, but it contains either insufficient or misconfigured content. This has made the Search Engine believe it should be a soft 404.
Why do they call it “Soft?”
Soft 404 Errors is a message that the search engine does not convey, rather keeps to itself. Calling it thus can have several backgrounds:
Reason 1
The Creator has updated the connective URL without informing the Search Engine.
Reason 2
There are cases when the server is ready to display the site, but the Search Engine disagrees. It may consider several factors in the website that have made it unfit for display.
Does Hard 404 exist? How do they differ from Soft 404?
Hard 404 – Definition
Hard 404 is a standardized HTTP message that the Search Engine provides the users. We call it the ‘Not Found’ information. Through this message, users know about the unavailability of information from the page. It can also happen that the website has been taken off.
Difference between hard404 and soft 404?
There are differences in the hard 404 and soft 404. Let us enlist the differences for you in the following table:
| Particulars | Hard 404 | Soft 404 |
| HTTP Status Code | Returns 404 Not Found | Returns 200 OK |
| Who can see this | The information is available to both the users and the Search Engines | The users would see this as a normal page. The Search Engine can return them to the home page.The Search Engine, however, would treat this as a Soft 404 Error. |
| Content | You will get a clear page showing only “Page not Found” information | A Search Engine is likely to return you to the home page. |
| Search Engine Impact | For this, the Search Engine removes this from the page as a broken link. | Considering the undervaluation of the content, the Search Engine can deny its display. |
| Cause | Page does not exist. Both the Server and the Search Engine confirm it. | The Search Engine gets a 200 Ok message from the server.It does not display the page due to its misconfiguration. |
Why does a Soft 404 Error matter to us?
Soft 404 Errors are standing issues for both users and website stakeholders. It puts the search publishing company’s goodwill at stake by compromising its trustworthiness. However, search engines should continue the process to save users from getting misleading information.
Here are a few things that cite the disadvantages of Soft 404:
Cause Frustration to Users
People land on an “OK” marked page with the expectation of getting genuine content. Finding a vacant page or an error message makes them utterly despair. The poor user experience may lead them to abandon the website completely.
Search Engine Confusion
Search Engine stakeholders may feel confused about a particular site. It happens when they see that the server reports it okay for display, but there is no or less than displayable content.
Frequent occurrences of similar incidents would reduce search engines’ confidence in the site.
Impacting Crawl Efficiency
An inefficient search engine may waste time crawling on sites that appear valid but fail to deliver anything. This indicates a serious mistake in its ‘indexing content’ policy.
What are the common reasons for Soft 404 Errors?
The following are the main reasons for appearing ‘Soft 404 Errors’ on screen. Let us discuss these one by one:
Search Engine finds no Content
Search Engines come into action after the server declares a request successful with a 200 Ok message. When it sees that there is nothing to display, it has no option but to mark the page with ‘Soft 404 Error’.
Available Content is Thin
The case is similar when the search engines find very little content on the website pages. These engines have a standard for display on board. Pages showing anything other than can get a ‘Soft 404 Error ’ treatment.
The Missing Page Redirects to the Home Page
A publisher may redirect a webpage marked with 404 to the homepage, even though the required address was different. Search Engines mark these with a soft 404 error.
Missing Page Redirects to a Custom Webpage
Missing pages are sometimes redirected to a Custom-made homepage. The page has obtained a 200 ok. An efficient search engine can identify this and offer these pages a ‘Soft 404 Error’ markup.
Coding Error
Besides those mentioned above, there might be cases where the page isn’t missing. Instead, the presence of issues like coding errors has caused the Search Engine to categorise the page as a missing one.
It is necessary to investigate Soft 404 errors. Often, these can signal broken code.
Common Coding Issues
- Missing file
- Including things to ensure these popularise a webpage with selected content
- Database error.
- Missing JavaScript.
Identifying the Soft 404 Errors
The processes of identifying Soft 404 Errors are more delicate and comprehensive. Various methods exist; you can opt for the most suited for you from the alternatives:
Using Google Search Console
With Google Search Console, you can obtain valuable insights about the website’s performance you want for free. Follow these methods to identify soft 404 errors:
- Open Google Page
- Go to your Google Search Console account
- In the left-hand navigation menu, you will find a report menu called “Coverage.” Click on this.
- Within the “Coverage” report, search for the “Excluded” tab.
- Under the “Excluded” tab, there is a section for “Soft 404.” Find this out and Click on this. A list of URLs would appear on the screen. Google suspects these to have soft 404s.
With SEO Crawlers
SEO Crawlers are good imitators of Search Engines’ crawling policy across website pages. This helps us to identify several SEO issues. We can utilise this to recognise Soft 404 Errors also.
Popular SEO Crawlers like Screaming Frog or Sitebulb can help a lot in this regard. They crawl through the entire website and find pages that have 200 Ok clearance but lack ample content. You can check these pages against other error attributes.
Using Website Analytics
Studying Website Analytics properly would also enable you to find error pages on your website. You will also be able to gather information about high-bounce pages. The analytics will also provide you with information about pages where people stayed substantially below the standard time. With the hordes of information, you can easily identify Soft 404 Error pages.
Discuss the Resolving Techniques
There could be several circumstances under which the search engine can show a “ Soft 404 Error” message. It may be that the page is completely gone. Or the case may be that the page has been removed. The third option is that the page is available but not displayed. Each of these requires a specific treatment. The following lines offer you an excerpt of your responsibilities in each case:
Consider that the Page is no longer available
Pages that no longer exist return either a 404 (not found) or 410 (gone) response code. Each of the codes has a unique message to convey: you cannot utilise the page any more. Both browsers and search engines have this information.
It can be a great issue for e-commerce stores and blogs. The common sources of soft 404 errors include empty search results pages, empty e-commerce product categories, and empty blog categories.
Solution
- The creators generate these pages by using exceptional dynamism. Use the Top SEO principles to make them more attractive and user-oriented.
- According to Google, you can display a custom 404 page. This would contain information to help visitors navigate your site. This information would include a listing of your most popular pages, blog posts, or products.
If the Page is Removed
Case A
If you have changed the URL for a page, the search engine would return a 301 message in response to the user’s query. It means permanent redirect. The search engine would then redirect the users to the new URL.
Case B
You can remove the website page and insert new and updated content in its place. In this case, you should redirect the URL to another page of the site. Check if the page contains up-to-date or more relevant information.
The Page is Available
When a page on your site is available, users should be able to display it in search results. If they experience otherwise, it might indicate that the Search Engine Analyser sees it as “thin” content.
- Under such circumstances, you have no option left but to work on improving the content on your page. A continuous strive to induce better content is the best policy to get rid of soft 404 error issues.
- You can thus ensure that when a user clicks through to your page from search results, your page can fulfil their expectation.
The Epilogue
So, this was everything that we have considered to share with you about Soft 404 Errors. These are irritating issues for visitors who were looking to explore something that they require for their knowledge, work, or entertainment.
At the time of preparing a website, you have to check that the relevant pages have enough standardised content. Make frequent visits to the pages. This would help you ensure the same. Instruct the site maintenance team to fill in the discrepancies, if they are there.
Also, ensure continuous updates. This can surely help your site avert negative remarks.
FAQs
Q1. What instrument can you use to set up page redirection?
Ans. The most popular is the Redirection Plugin. Yoast SEO, however, is a good alternative.
Q2. What is the main difference between a regular 404 and a soft 404 error?
Ans: With a regular 404, the website server delivers the 404 message to the crawl box. For Soft 404 Errors, the server delivers a 200 Ok status. It means that the bot continues its crawling on the website page.
Q3. Do Soft 404 issues affect SEO?
Ans: Yes, they do, provided you have failed to handle them properly. If the Googlebot finds a page with a 404 error while crawling your site, it will stop the process. It will prevent the users from scrolling through vital pages on your website. Soft 404 Errors, thus, can cause serious damage to SEO efforts.
Q4. Does Google penalise Website Creators for soft 404 error issues?
Ans: You will have to face natural consequences like low visibility and poor user experience if the issue remains. Google, however, has no policy to penalise website creators for Soft 404 Errors.
Q5. What are HTTP Status Codes?
Ans: You request access to a website, and the webpage provides you with an accurate response. With a coded response, it informs you whether your effort was successful. Technically, these are called HTTP response codes. However, their official identification is HTTP Status Codes.
