At a time when the internet was in its infancy stage, a 404 error webpage was quite basic and even utilitarian. Nowadays, it is crafted to such a fine level that it no longer appears an error webpage. It is a potentially useful tool for marketing, which can help to reduce bounce rates, boost conversions, and improve revenues. It is possible to convert lost website visitors into potentially loyal customers by using a customized 404 webpage.
Why A 404 Webpage Has An Effect On SEO
It is a page that appears as a natural result of products being deleted, web content being removed, and websites being moved. A basic version of it informs each visitor that the webpage they are searching for cannot be found. It was technical to such an extent that it explained nothing and did not encourage visitors to leave the website.
As a website owner, you cannot do anything in the event it appears due to the visitor entering the incorrect URL in their browser address bar. All you can do then is to hope that they get the URL right the next time they search for it. Conversely, if the cause of it is anything you can control, such as a broken link, this is a different ball game. In this case, the visitor would go back to the search engine results page. Then, they would try to open a different link from the search result related to their query.
Industry professionals including SEO experts Cochin describe the aforementioned phenomenon as ‘pogo-sticking’. They say that this navigation from and to the SERP is not a good sign for the website at issue. It essentially informs Google that the website content fails to add value to the keyword that the user searched for. Therefore, the site will come down in Google search rankings. The pertinence and value of web content are among the ranking factors.
You may not eliminate every reason for the erroneous page’s appearance, but you can considerably minimize the causes from your site’s side. Besides, when you are interested in knowing how it can improve your website rankings, contact a third-party SEO agency then. By working with a provider of SEO services , you could have an improvement in the rankings through the agency’s best practices related to the error page.
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