How We Fix and Prevent Soft 404 on Google Search Console: Our Comprehensive Guide

Quick summary 

This guide explains how to identify, fix, and prevent Soft 404 errors in Google Search Console, with a focus on improving SEO performance and user experience. You’ll learn how correcting HTTP status codes, enhancing thin content, implementing proper redirects, and removing low-value pages helps protect crawl budget, improve indexing accuracy, and drive sustainable long-term search visibility.

Need help resolving 'Soft 404' errors on Google Search Console?

Have you ever come across a ‘soft 404’ error while navigating your Google Search Console? It can be quite perplexing and unexpected. However, it is sometimes unavoidable. That's why there are techniques to address this issue.

In this Embarque guide, we will delve into what a soft 404 error is, and provide you with appropriate solutions for resolving it.

Keep reading to improve your website’s SEO, user experience, and search visibility.

Why listen to us?

Fixing 'soft 404' errors in Google Search Console is essential, especially for small businesses seeking SEO success. We at Embarque have firsthand experience in this area, proven by our case studies. For instance, we helped Cleanvoice, a SaaS podcasting tool, achieve over 1 million impressions and a 7.9% CTR in just six months​​​​​​​​​​​​. 

Similarly, for 4 Day Week, a job platform offering 32-hour work weeks, we refined their SEO strategy, leading to 21,000 monthly search clicks and establishing them as a topical authority in tech interviews within three months​​​​​​​​​​. These case studies demonstrate our expertise in leveraging SEO to drive significant traffic and revenue growth for small businesses.

What are 'Soft 404' errors?

Soft 404 errors occur when a webpage appears functional to search engines with a 200 OK HTTP status, but displays a 404 error to visitors. In simpler terms, it's like a hidden glitch that misleads search engines while frustrating visitors with a broken page. These errors can negatively impact user experience and search engine rankings.

Hard 404 errors occur when both the user and search engines receive a 404 error code, indicating a page does not exist. 

This discrepancy can lead to issues with indexing and search engine rankings. Fixing soft 404 errors involves ensuring that non-existent pages correctly communicate their status to both users and search engines, improving site functionality and SEO performance.

In Google Search Console, soft 404 errors happen when a web page is not found by Google but doesn't return the HTTP 404 status code. Instead, the server displays a "Page Not Found" message to searchers while returning a 200 OK status, which confuses both Google and users.

Google's Search Console flags soft 404 errors because they may harm the site's search ranking, as Google's crawlers can't properly index the page. Therefore, it's crucial to fix these errors to enhance the website's SEO performance.

Why fix 'Soft 404' errors?

Fixing soft 404 errors is really important for a few reasons, especially when it comes to improving your website's SEO and user experience. Here are some key reasons why you should address these errors:

Better user experience

Soft 404 errors can make for a frustrating user experience. Visitors might land on a page with little or no content, which can make them want to leave your site. By fixing these errors, you make sure your users have a better overall experience.

Improved SEO performance

Soft 404 errors can hurt how your website performs in search results. When Google encounters a soft 404, it might still index the page even though it doesn't actually exist. This can waste your crawl budget on non-existent pages and decrease the visibility of your real content. By fixing these errors, you make sure Google focuses on crawling and indexing your valuable content, which could help increase your site's visibility in search results.

Avoid reduced crawl rate

If you have a lot of soft 404 errors compared to the total number of pages on your site, it can result in a reduced crawl rate by search engines. This means that your important and updated content might not be indexed as efficiently, which could have a negative impact on your site's search rankings.

Correct indexing and page classification

When you resolve soft 404 errors, search engines like Google can more accurately classify and index your pages. This ensures that your pages are correctly displayed in search results, which can lead to more traffic and a better user experience.

Optimal crawl budget usage

Search engines assign a crawl budget to each website, which is the number of pages a search engine will crawl on your site within a given time. If a big part of this budget is spent on crawling non-existent soft 404 pages, it can reduce the efficiency with which new or updated content is indexed.

Addressing soft 404 errors helps improve the accuracy of search engine indexing, enhances user experience, and can contribute to better SEO outcomes. 

It's a crucial part of maintaining the health and visibility of your website in search engines.

How to find 'Soft 404' errors on Google Search Console

1. Log into Google Search Console.
2. In the left navigation panel, under Indexing, click on Pages.

3. Scroll down under Why pages aren’t indexed.

4. Click on Soft 404.

How we fix 'Soft 404' errors on Google Search Console

Step 1: Check for soft 404 errors

Use Google Search Console to identify soft 404 errors. Go to your account, navigate to the “Pages” section, and look for any soft 404 errors listed.

Review each flagged URL to confirm if it's a genuine soft 404 or a false alarm.

Step 2: Verify page validity

If a page is marked as a soft 404, ensure it's not a valid page mistakenly flagged. If it's valid, use the “Validate Fix” button in the console to notify Google and prompt a recrawl.

Step 3: Configure server response codes

For pages that no longer exist, configure your server to return the correct HTTP response code (404 or 410). This indicates to search engines that the page is no longer available.

It's recommended to have a custom 404 page with links to your homepage or popular pages, aiding users in navigating your site.

Step 4: Improve page content

If a page is available but flagged as a soft 404 due to "thin" content, enhance its content by adding more detailed information, images, or user engagement elements.

Step 5: Implement 301 redirection

For relocated pages, use a 301 redirect to guide users and search engines to the new location. Ensure the old and new pages have similar content for effective redirection.

Step 6: De-indexing unwanted pages

To exclude specific pages from search results while keeping them accessible on your site, use the ‘noindex’ directive in the page's header.

Step 7: Additional steps for specific cases

For ecommerce stores and blogs, address common sources of soft 404 errors such as empty search result pages or product/blog categories. Ensure these dynamically generated pages offer useful content or return a proper 404/410 status when empty.

Regularly update your site's robots.txt file to disallow crawling of pages that consistently trigger soft 404 errors but are not crucial for SEO purposes.

Looking for tailored SEO support for your legal practice? Check out these top law firm SEO companies that specialize in helping attorneys rank higher in search results.

Best practices to prevent 'Soft 404' errors on Google Search Console

• Effective redirection strategy: Implement proper redirection using 301 redirects for moved or deleted pages to prevent encountering missing pages.
• Monitor and optimize dynamic pages: For dynamically generated content, display alternative relevant content or return a proper 404 status instead of empty pages.
• Regular audits using Google Search Console: Frequently monitor your site's status to catch and address potential issues before they become soft 404 errors.
• Responsive design and technical health: Ensure your website is responsive and functions well across all devices to avoid being misinterpreted as a soft 404.
• Structured data and metadata: Utilize structured data and accurate metadata to help search engines understand the content and purpose of each page, reducing the risk of misclassification as a soft 404.

Learn Google Search Console with Embarque

Our insightful guide delves into the intricacies of identifying, fixing, and preventing Soft 404 errors in Google Search Console, a critical issue that can significantly impact a website's SEO and user experience. It highlights the necessity of accurately diagnosing soft 404 errors, which occur when a non-existent page (a page that should return a '404 - Not Found' status) appears to be a functioning page to search engines. 

Our guide emphasizes the importance of rectifying these errors to maintain the integrity of a site's indexing and avoid misleading search engines and users.

Embarque, with our expertise in SEO and content marketing, offer specialized services to effectively address and prevent Soft 404 errors. 

Fixing these issues is paramount as they can lead to poor user experience, reduced traffic, and lower search engine rankings. By implementing our tailored strategies, you can ensure your websites are accurately indexed and user-friendly, thereby enhancing your online visibility and credibility.

For those seeking to optimize their website's performance in Google Search Console, Embarque's approach to resolving and preventing soft 404 issues is indispensable. Contact us to explore how our solutions can safeguard your website against these common but impactful errors, ultimately leading to a stronger, more reliable online presence.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do I keep getting Soft 404 errors on Google?

Soft 404 errors occur when a page appears to be live to Google but provides little to no meaningful content to users. This can happen with empty categories, thin pages, outdated content, or pages that have been deleted but still exist on your site. Google interprets these pages as “effectively missing,” even if they technically return a 200 OK status.

How do I fix 404 errors in Google Search Console?

To fix 404 errors, do the following:

• Review the pages flagged in Google Search Console.
• Ensure each page has relevant, high-quality content.
• Correct any incorrect HTTP status codes.
• Implement proper 301 redirects to relevant pages where appropriate.
• Use noindex tags for pages that should not appear in search results.
  Following these steps helps Google accurately index your site and prevents ranking issues.

Following these steps helps Google accurately index your site and prevents ranking issues.

If you need expert guidance or hands-on support, contact us at Embarque. Our team can audit your site, fix 404 errors, and implement strategies to improve SEO performance efficiently.

Can soft 404 errors affect my site rankings?

Yes. Soft 404s can negatively impact SEO because they waste your site’s crawl budget and prevent Google from efficiently indexing your valuable content. Over time, this can reduce visibility in search results and lower your overall rankings.

How often should I check for soft 404s?

Regular monitoring is essential. Conducting audits monthly or at least quarterly ensures that new pages are properly indexed and that any soft 404s are identified and resolved promptly, maintaining both site health and search performance.

What’s the difference between a soft 404 and a hard 404?

• Hard 404: Returns a proper 404 HTTP status code to users and search engines, signaling that the page does not exist.
• Soft 404: Returns a 200 OK status to Google, even though the page effectively shows “Page Not Found” or minimal content to visitors. Soft 404s confuse search engines and can harm SEO if not addressed.

Do redirects solve soft 404 issues permanently?

Properly implemented 301 redirects can resolve soft 404 issues by directing users and search engines to relevant, functional pages. This preserves link equity and prevents indexing of empty or irrelevant pages. However, redirects must lead to contextually appropriate content; otherwise, Google may continue to flag them as soft 404s.

Can e-commerce sites trigger soft 404s automatically?

 Yes. E-commerce sites are particularly prone to soft 404s due to:

• Empty product pages
• Filtered or faceted search results with no products
• Discontinued SKUs
  Handling these situations with proper redirects, canonical tags, or informative “out-of-stock” content prevents soft 404s and maintains SEO integrity.

Does improving thin content prevent soft 404s?

Absolutely. Enhancing pages with meaningful content, user-focused information, images, videos, or guides reduces the likelihood of Google classifying pages as soft 404s. High-quality content not only improves SEO but also boosts user engagement and authority.