How to Remove 404 Errors in Google Search Console? (2024)

Proven Ways to Remove 404 Errors in Search Console

Encountering 404 errors in Google Search Console can be frustrating, but fixing them is important for improving your site's performance in search results. 404 errors, also known as page not found errors, occur when a URL on your site leads to a page that no longer exists. This negatively impacts user experience and can hurt your site's search engine rankings. Fortunately, with some time and effort, you can identify and remove 404 errors from Google Search Console.

Why Fix 404 Errors

There are a few key reasons why you should make fixing 404 errors a priority:

• Improves site navigation- Broken links resulting in 404s create a poor user experience. Fixing 404s improves site navigation and keeps users on your site.
• Saves lost traffic- Links to 404 pages lose you traffic and potential conversions. Redirecting these URLs preserves that traffic.
• Avoids search engine penalties- Too many 404s could get your site penalized or demoted in search results. Fixing them keeps your site in good standing.
• Creates positive user experience- Working links and easy site navigation encourages users to explore your site and convert.
• Refreshes old content- 404s may reveal outdated or useless content that should be refreshed or removed.

Spending time to resolve 404 errors results in an improved, user-friendly site that performs better in search.

Identify 404 Errors in Search Console

The first step is identifying which URLs are resulting in 404 errors. Here's how to find these in Google Search Console:

1.In Google Search Console, click onPagesin the left sidebar

2.Under Pages, click onNot Indexed

3.This will display a list of pages not indexed by Google. Click on the filter icon and select "404 - Page not found" to show only 404 errors.

4. Just click on inspect url and it will show you the exact source from where that link is getting crawled.

5.You can click on any individual URL to see more details.

6.Export the full list by clicking the download icon in the upper right corner. This will download a CSV file.

Reviewing these 404 URLs will reveal any patterns and help you identify what needs to be fixed.

Investigate and Fix the 404s

Once you have your list of 404 errors, it's time to go through each one and determine the proper fix:

Check for incorrect URLs

One reason for 404s is simple typos in the URL. Double check each URL for any incorrect characters, extra spaces, or minor errors. Fix any typo by redirecting the 404 URL to the correct page.

Find any site changes

Many 404s are caused by site changes like:

• Reorganized site architecture
• Changed URL structures.
• Removed pages/content.

See if any 404 URL matches old locations that changed when your site was reorganized. Redirect each outdated URL to the new location.

Update internal links

Broken internal links are a common source of 404 errors. Check if any 404 URLs are being linked to internally. Update those links to the correct working URLs.

Refresh outdated content

For dated or useless content that's now 404ing, consider updating and improving the content rather than removing it. This refreshes old pages and preserves inbound links.

Create 301 redirects

For 404s you can't update or change, create 301 redirects that point the old URL to a relevant, working page. This passes link equity and preserves traffic.

Remove useless URLs

Some 404 URLs are one-off legacy links or temporary pages no longer needed. These should redirect to your home page or be removed.

With a combination of fixes - typo corrections, redirects, content updates, link updates, and removals - you can eliminate the vast majority of 404 errors.

Use Google Search Console Tools

Google Search Console provides some useful tools to supplement fixing 404 errors:

Submit new URLs

As you update redirects and change URLs, submit the new URLs to Search Console. This helps Google index the changes faster.

Request indexing of updated pages

For updated content on old URL redirects, request Google recrawl those pages so the fresh content gets indexed.

Mark as fixed

In Search Console's crawl errors report, you can mark URLs as fixed once you resolve the 404 error. This signals to Google the issue is corrected.

Block crawled errors

Once you fix or redirect a 404 URL, you can block it in Search Console to prevent Google wasting crawl budget on it.

Leveraging these tools in combination with your 404 fixes helps Google reflect changes faster.

Prevent Future 404s

To stop more 404 errors cropping up, implement some 404 prevention best practices:

• Update sitemaps- Make sure your XML sitemap and any sub-sitemaps accurately reflect your current URL structures.
• Improve internal linking- Audit and update internal links to point to active, working pages.
• Enforce link hygiene- Establish link hygiene processes where stale or broken links get reported and fixed regularly.
• Monitor for site changes- When migrating, reorganizing or changing URLs, put in place proper redirects and test them.
• Regularly audit Search Console- Check crawl errors monthly to find new 404s before they accumulate.

Staying on top of your site's link structure and quickly redirecting changed URLs helps minimize 404 occurrences.

How to remove bulk 404 urls from search engine?

Currently Google search console doesn't not support bulk removal, but there is still possibility to remove bulk urls from index.

Install Bulk URL Removal Chrome Extension:

Search for and install a Chrome extension that allows you to submit multiple URLs for removal. Examples include "Google Index Removals" or similar extensions. but most of them are paid so choose wisely.

Conclusion

Removing 404 errors from Google Search Console should be an ongoing search engine optimization practice. Start by identifying and investigating 404 URLs in Search Console's crawl errors report. Redirect or update each URL based on why it's erroring. Leverage Search Console tools to mark fixed pages and request indexing of changes.

Lastly, implement 404 prevention, so the errors don't creep up again. With this comprehensive 404 monitoring and removal process, you'll keep your site's navigation working properly and your pages findable in search.