404 errors frustrate visitors and waste link value. They should be monitored in Google Search Console and fixed with redirects. A good 404 page guides the user onwards.
What it means in practice
A 404 error is the “page not found” message shown when someone visits an address that doesn’t exist – e.g. after a page was deleted, its URL changed or a link has a typo.
Why it matters for your business
404 errors frustrate visitors and make them leave. If links from other websites pointed there, you also lose those links’ SEO value.
Examples and good practice
- Monitor 404 errors in Google Search Console.
- Redirect deleted pages (301) to the closest equivalent.
- Create a friendly 404 page with search and links.
- Check links after bigger changes to the website.
How Novi handles it
Novi websites have a friendly 404 page, and when migrating from an old website we set up 301 redirects so nobody ends up nowhere.
