Google: Large Number of 404s Doesn't Hurt You

Mar 29, 2010 - 7:38 am 2 by

A Google Webmaster Help thread has Googler, JohnMu, replying to some concerns about using 404s, page not found commands.

JohnMu said:

Having a large number of 404's on a site is generally not a problem for us, especially if the 404 page helps the user to find related entries within your site.

Of course, Google likes when webmasters return proper http header codes, especially in the page not found case. JohnMu explains:

Using a 404 (or perhaps, if you're certain that the page will be gone forever, a 410) is a good idea because it helps us to remove the old entries from our index over time.

Some people feel 404s are a bad thing. They are not. Use them properly and they can be extremely helpful to the health of a whole web site in a search engine.

Forum discussion at Google Webmaster Help.

 

Popular Categories

The Pulse of the search community

Search Video Recaps

 
- YouTube
Video Details More Videos Subscribe to Videos

Most Recent Articles

Search Forum Recap

Daily Search Forum Recap: July 11, 2025

Jul 11, 2025 - 10:00 am
Search Video Recaps

Search News Buzz Video Recap: Google Helpful Content Recoveries With Core Update, AI Mode Expands, Hidden Ad Terms & Fewer Ad Clicks

Jul 11, 2025 - 8:01 am
Google Maps

Google Local & Business Profiles Drops June 25th - Reporting Glitch?

Jul 11, 2025 - 7:51 am
Google

Google Tests Zoom Effect In On Images Within Search Results

Jul 11, 2025 - 7:41 am
Bing Search

Bing Search Image Box Tests Explore Image & Visual Search Buttons

Jul 11, 2025 - 7:31 am
Bing Search

Microsoft Bing Tests Delivery Truck Icon In Search Ads

Jul 11, 2025 - 7:21 am
Previous Story: Long AdWords Display URLs Messing Google Results