Redirect 404 Errors to Homepage with 301 Redirection: The general rule of thumb is that if you have a 404 error on your site, you should redirect it to the most relevant page possible. So if someone is looking for a specific product that you sell and they end up on a 404 page, you would want to redirect them to that product’s page.
There are a few different ways to set up a 301 redirect, but the easiest way is to use a plugin like Yoast SEO for WordPress. Once you install and activate the plugin, you can go to the Redirects section and add a new redirect.
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In the first field, you’ll enter the URL of the page that doesn’t exist. In the second field, you’ll enter the URL of the page you want to redirect to. And that’s it! Once you save your changes, the redirect will be active and anyone who tries to visit the old URL will be automatically redirected to the new URL.
Redirecting 404 errors to your homepage is generally not a good idea.
While it might seem like a good idea to redirect all of your 404 errors to your homepage, it’s actually not a good idea from an SEO perspective.
- First of all, it’s important to have some 404 errors on your site. It’s a sign that you have a lot of content, and it’s not all perfect. Having a few 404 errors here and there is actually a good thing, and it’s nothing to worry about.
- Second, redirecting all of your 404 errors to your homepage is just going to confuse users. If they’re looking for a specific piece of content and they end up on your homepage, they’re not going to know where to find it. And if they can’t find what they’re looking for, they’re going to leave your site.
- Third, when you redirect a 404 error to your homepage, you’re essentially telling search engines that the page doesn’t exist. This is going to hurt your SEO because search engines will index your homepage instead of the actual page that the user was trying to reach.
Ultimately, it’s up to you whether or not you want to redirect your 404 errors to your homepage. If you have a lot of 404 errors, and you’re not sure what to do with them, redirecting them to your homepage is probably the easiest thing to do. But from an SEO perspective, it’s not the best idea.
Stop redirecting all of your 404 pages with 301.
Don’t take this to mean that you shouldn’t 301 redirect 404 errors. We’re telling you to be specific. There’s nothing wrong with a few 404 errors on your site, and you should keep an eye out for them. Yoast SEO Premium’s redirect manager or 404 to 301 – Redirect plugin can make this process a breeze.