404 error
404 · The HTTP status code reporting that the requested page cannot be found on the server, and the page shown in that case.
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Why it matters
Deleted pages or pages whose address changed return 404. It is normal for non-existent pages to return 404 and it does not hurt rankings on its own; but old pages that receive external links or bring visitors returning 404 means lost traffic and link value. A good 404 page guides visitors to search and important pages.
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Example
Search Console shows that a campaign page deleted a year ago, which still receives links from other sites, returns 404. The page is 301-redirected to the closest current campaign page.
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Common mistake
Returning a 200 code instead of 404 for pages that do not exist. Search engines may then take empty pages for real ones, causing soft 404 problems.
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