404 error

[OtterBliss]

Hi,

I changed some things on my website last week and since then, on EKM pinpoint, 3/4 times have noticed an error 404. Couldn't work out what it was.

On Google's webmaster tools, it says "Google detected a significant increase in URLs we think should return a 404 error but do not".There are listed 24 items, products, categories and, this is the one, an index category, which I deleted beginning of May. A lot of other items I deleted have gone, just leaves these 24, some go back to begin of April.

It is the index category one I don't understand. Why is it suddenly appearing and where is it coming from, how are they finding it.

Any ideas and how to stop it, as I don't think it looks good

Thank you

Yvonne

 

[antropy]

404 just means "Page Not Found" so if there was a page that had been indexed in Google Webmaster Tools and then you deleted it, it would now show a 404 error.

 

[Kevin H]

Looking at the message you got from Google it would appear that Google doesn't think you deleted the page and that it still exists.

This is often caused when you 'remove' a category or similar in a CMS but what actually happens is the page redirects to the home page instead of actually 'deleting' a file. (Soft-404)

What happens when you go to the URL?

If the you get redirected to a new page then this is the issue.
If you get the standard 404 page not found page message then you can try removing the URL in WMT and then mark that error as fixed in the report.
If you get sent to a custom-404 then the likelihood is that you have set up a redirect to the custom-404 using a 301 or 302 redirect rather than still returning a 404 code.

 

[MikeInTheMiddleAgain]

It can sometimes be caused by paginated results where the number of products in a category page has changed since last being indexed eg

www.domain.com/fish/?page=10 and there's now only 9 pages worth of fish... category can also lead to duplicate meta tag warnings in webmaster tools

or possibly a category or product has been changed since last being indexed by google eg www.domain.com/fish/ changed to www.domain.com/sharks/, www.domain.com/product/guppys/ www.domain.com/product/guppies

One possible solution is to put a 301 redirect in place from the old category/product name giving the new category/product name so google will index the new version in future

 

[skytecuk]

It is best to try to find this page, as I believe Google will penalise the whole site if a page-not-found error is happening regularly? It could affect your ranking- but don't worry unduly- I think it has to happen a lot.

 

[OtterBliss]

Thank you all for your replies.

I had just deleted the items and products and categories because products are no longer available i.e. discontinued.

In google webmaster tools, I can find the URL which if I click on it comes up with the page, it has all the outside page bits and says in the middle section where the product/category should be the standard page/product not found etc.

I have 301 direct installed on ekm. So if I go to WMT for the Url, put it into the old code, put the URL for my home page in the new code and then go back to WMT and click fixed, they should get my home page (if I get the right one)?

Sorry, I really am a complete novice.

Discovered yesterday I have another problem, my Google Merchant account, but will do another thread , just puzzled how I can be suspended for violation when I have never uploaded anything.

Thank you
Yvonne

 

[JonathanSEO]

It is best to try to find this page, as I believe Google will penalise the whole site if a page-not-found error is happening regularly? It could affect your ranking- but don't worry unduly- I think it has to happen a lot.

You won't get penalised for 404 errors.

However, if the 404 pages have external links pointing to them you'd be wise to redirect them to the new or next best location so they hold their value.

And of course update the internal links if they're not dynamically generated.

 

[OldWelshGuy]

Jonathan makes a very important point there, 404 error analysis should be part of your regular housekeeping. Often people will link to your site with a typo, or malformed url, picking it up on 404 error stats and putting a 301 in place pulls back the link juice

 

[OtterBliss]

Thank you for your replies.

In EKM 301 redirect I tried to redirect the shambala bracelet I had deleted by typing in the old URL from WMT and copied and pasted the homepage URL from my account into the new, but it hasn't worked. If I click on the old link in 301 it comes up with no homepage, just Google's oops page. If I Google shambala otter bliss, it comes up with the homepage with the 404 error. I don't know what/where I have done wrong, so might have to leave it for now.