404 and Soft 404 Errors: Do They Hurt Your SEO?
404 and soft 404 errors don’t trigger direct SEO penalties—but they can harm your site’s rankings by affecting crawl budget, link equity, and user experience. Fixing them improves indexing, keeps visitors engaged, and ensures search engines understand your content. Regular audits and smart redirects are key to maintaining SEO health.
Ever clicked a link and landed on a “Page Not Found” message? That’s a classic 404 error and it’s more than just a nuisance. In the world of SEO, both 404 errors and soft 404 errors can quietly chip away at your website’s credibility, user experience, and even search engine rankings.
These errors signal to search engines that something’s broken, missing, or miscommunicated. And while a few here and there might seem harmless, too many unresolved issues can slow down your crawl rate, impact indexing, and frustrate visitors enough to bounce.
In this article, we’ll break down what 404 and soft 404 errors actually mean, how they affect SEO, and most importantly how to find and fix them. Whether you’re a site owner or an SEO professional, this guide will help you turn these dead ends into healthy, optimized pathways.
What Are 404 and Soft 404 Errors and Why Should You Care?
Let’s start with the basics. A 404 error (also known as a “hard 404”) happens when a user tries to access a page that doesn’t exist and the server clearly says so with a proper 404 status code. It’s the web’s way of saying, “Hey, this page is gone.”
A soft 404 error, on the other hand, is trickier. It occurs when a missing page doesn’t return a 404 status code but instead shows a generic message or an empty page while technically returning a 200 OK status. To Google, that’s confusing. It looks like the page exists but offers no value.
So why should you care? These errors affect both user experience and SEO. Visitors hitting 404 pages may leave your site entirely. Meanwhile, search engines waste time crawling broken links, reducing crawl efficiency and potentially impacting your site’s visibility in search results.
Common culprits include deleted pages, typos in URLs, broken internal links, or mistyped slugs during content updates. Ignoring them won’t just annoy users it can also hold back your rankings. In short, clean navigation = better SEO.
Why Properly Handling 404 and Soft 404 Errors Protects Your SEO
404 and soft 404 errors might seem like small technical issues but they can quietly hurt your SEO if left unchecked.
Here’s how: Search engines like Google use a limited crawl budget when scanning your website. If crawlers waste time on dead or duplicate pages, they may miss your fresh or high-value content. That’s a missed opportunity for indexing and ranking.
Now let’s break it down further. When Google encounters a hard 404 (a proper “page not found” signal), it understands that the content is gone. But with soft 404s, things get murky. If a page looks empty or low-quality but still returns a “200 OK” status, Google might index it as duplicate or thin content hurting your overall site quality.
Then there’s the issue of link equity. If backlinks point to a deleted or misconfigured page, and no redirect is in place, all that valuable SEO juice is lost. That’s traffic and authority down the drain.
Google’s algorithms are smart but not mind readers. If your site has too many unresolved 404s or misleading soft 404s, it signals poor maintenance and user experience. Over time, this can impact both your visibility and ranking performance.
How to Prevent and Fix 404 and Soft 404 Errors for SEO Success
Handling 404 and soft 404 errors isn’t just about patching holes it’s about protecting your site’s reputation, rankings, and user trust.
Start With the Basics: Use the Right HTTP Status Codes
Always return a true 404 status for deleted or missing pages. Don’t let your server say “200 OK” for pages with no content that’s how soft 404s happen. If a page is gone for good, make sure it says so clearly to both users and search engines.
Redirect Strategically
If the old page has a logical replacement, use a 301 redirect to guide users (and link equity) to the new URL. But avoid lazy mass redirects to the homepage they confuse crawlers and dilute relevance.
Avoid Thin Content
Pages with little or no value may be flagged as soft 404s. Build content that’s meaningful, relevant, and engaging. If a page isn’t serving a purpose, either improve it or remove it properly.
Use the Right Tools
Tools like Google Search Console can alert you to 404s and soft 404s, while Screaming Frog can help you crawl and audit internal links. Fix broken links and update outdated redirects regularly.
Design Smart 404 Pages
A custom 404 page with clear navigation, a search bar, and helpful links keeps users engaged instead of bouncing. Bonus points if it reflects your brand voice.
Maintain and Audit Regularly
Sites change. Pages move. Regular SEO audits help you catch errors early, improve crawl efficiency, and keep users happy.
Handled correctly, these “errors” become opportunities to enhance your site’s health and performance.
Take These Steps Now to Manage 404 and Soft 404 Errors
Ready to fix those SEO-damaging 404s and soft 404s? Here’s a simple, step-by-step plan to help you clean things up and keep your site in Google’s good graces.
1. Run a Full Site Audit
Use tools like Google Search Console, Screaming Frog, or Ahrefs to find all 404 and soft 404 errors. Identify which pages are returning incorrect status codes or lack content value.
2. Build a Redirect Map
For pages that have moved or been removed, create a 301 redirect map that sends users to the most relevant alternative content. This helps preserve link equity and improves user experience.
3. Don’t Redirect Everything to the Homepage
This is a common mistake. Google considers it a “soft 404” when you redirect unrelated URLs to your homepage. Instead, redirect to contextually relevant pages—or show a proper 404 if no match exists.
4. Improve Your 404 Page Design
Make your custom 404 page helpful, not frustrating. Add site search, popular links, or a friendly message. Keep users engaged instead of bouncing away.
5. Monitor Crawl Budget and Engagement Metrics
Use Google Search Console and tools like GA4 to track crawl stats, bounce rates, and time on page. A cleaner, more efficient site means better indexing and happier users.
6. Stay Proactive with Regular Checks
404 issues aren’t one-and-done. Re-run audits monthly or after major site changes to keep things clean and SEO-friendly.
With consistent attention, 404 and soft 404 errors become manageable and your site stays optimized for both users and search engines.
FAQs: Common Questions About 404 and Soft 404 Errors and SEO
Q1: Do 404 errors hurt my rankings?
Not directly—Google understands that 404s happen. But too many unhandled 404s can hurt user experience, waste crawl budget, and break valuable backlinks. That’s where the SEO risk comes in.
Q2: How are soft 404s different from thin content?
Soft 404s are pages that return a 200 (OK) status but have little or no useful content—so Google treats them as “not found.” Thin content pages are live but lack depth, which can also hurt SEO. The difference is in how Google classifies them.
Q3: What’s the best way to handle a 404?
If the page is gone for good, use a 301 redirect to the most relevant content. Don’t just send all 404s to your homepage—it confuses users and search engines. If there’s no match, show a proper 404 with helpful links.
Q4: What makes a good 404 page?
Clear messaging, a search bar, links to popular content, and a tone that matches your brand. The goal is to keep users from bouncing.
Q5: How often should I check for 404s and soft 404s?
At least once a month, or after any major website update. Regular audits help catch issues before they impact SEO.
Conclusion: Why Managing 404 and Soft 404 Errors Is Critical for SEO
In the big picture of SEO, 404 and soft 404 errors might seem minor—but they can quietly chip away at your site’s visibility and performance if left unchecked. These errors disrupt user experience, waste crawl budget, and weaken your link equity. And while Google doesn’t penalize you directly for having them, the indirect damage—like broken internal links, poor engagement metrics, and indexing issues—can be significant.
The good news? These are problems you can solve. Regular audits, smart redirects, and thoughtful 404 page design help ensure your visitors (and search engines) always find their way. Soft 404s, especially, are often signs of thin content or incorrect responses—both fixable with better structure and clarity.
Ultimately, managing these errors isn’t just about cleaning up technical SEO. It’s about building a better website—one that’s more reliable, more usable, and more resilient to algorithm changes.
So take the time to monitor, fix, and future-proof your site. A well-maintained website doesn’t just rank better—it builds trust with your audience, one click at a time.