Definition HTTP response codes

 404 error, 500 error, website editors, and users have all encountered such messages when trying to visit a website. Besides the inconvenience caused, these errors also have a negative impact on credibility and SEO.

What is an HTTP code?

Also called a status code, an HTTP code provides an indication as to the result of a request. These status codes are categorized according to the type of message they return. Among the most common are:

• 200 OK: this code indicates that everything was successful;
• 301 Moved permanently and 302 Found to signify that the URL has been modified, respectively, permanently or temporarily;
• 401 Unauthorized for unauthorized access;
• 403 Forbidden when the client does not have access rights;
• 404 Not found: by far the most common answer. It occurs when the resource was not found by the server. This happens for example following the update of a plugin or in the event of modification of a URL;
• 500 Interval server error and 503 Service are unavailable to stipulate a server error.

404 error: what impact on your visibility?

A 404 error indicates that the URL is wrong or that the page never existed. Either way, neither the Internet user nor the search engine can access the content.

However, too many 404 errors can impact the visibility of a site in the SERPs. Search engines like Google indeed prioritize user experience (UX). An inaccessible page obviously does not go in this direction. It is therefore quite logical that the SEO rating assigned to a site with too many 404 errors is downgraded.

However, 404 errors are not inevitable, their detection is easily done with the appropriate tools and plugins. Once a 404 is highlighted, there are a number of ways to fix it, including a 301 redirect or changing access.

To spot any 404 standard errors on your site and measure the impact on your SEO, contact the SEO.fr team to get your diagnosis.