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GWT reporting a 404/Google not updating its index

by flm
7 replies
  • SEO
    • |
Hi,

I've removed a page from my site. It's not linked anymore from any other page. Google webmaster tools has been reporting a 404 for months. If it's seen as an error by Google then it's probably not good for ranking.
I'm wondering why this 404 persists and google does not update its index and if I should redirect that old page to the home.

Cheers,
FL
#404 #404 or google #gwt #index #months #reporting #updating
  • Profile picture of the author PROmotions LLC
    Is it still listed in your sitemap? Try re-submitting your sitemap with that link removed.
    Signature

    Signature!

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    • Profile picture of the author flm
      I don't have an xml sitemap. Would that make a difference? Why would Google not remove the page from its index if it's not linked from anywhere any more?
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  • Profile picture of the author yukon
    Banned
    If Google found the page when the page was live & returns to that same indexed URL again, then it's going to find a 404 when the page/URL is dead, doesn't matter If you remove all internal links pointing to the 404/URL.

    Do a 301 redirect back to another page that's working.

    I always do a sitewide 301 redirect back to my Index page for all 404s, I'm not going to mess around chasing down dead internal links, so I catch them all & send them back to the Index page.
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    • Profile picture of the author flm
      Originally Posted by yukon View Post

      If Google found the page when the page was live & returns to that same indexed URL again, then it's going to find a 404 when the page/URL is dead, doesn't matter If you remove all internal links pointing to the 404/URL.

      Do a 301 redirect back to another page that's working.

      I always do a sitewide 301 redirect back to my Index page for all 404s, I'm not going to mess around chasing down dead internal links, so I catch them all & send them back to the Index page.
      According to Google:
      "Returning a code other than 404 or 410 for a non-existent page (or redirecting users to another page, such as the homepage, instead of returning a 404) can be problematic."
      ...
      "We recommend that you always return a 404 (Not found) or a 410 (Gone) response code in response to a request for a non-existing page."

      Returning a 410 may have the same effect has submitting a removal request (as Kevin suggested) and be the answer.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kevin Maguire
    Originally Posted by flm View Post

    Hi,

    I've removed a page from my site. It's not linked anymore from any other page. Google webmaster tools has been reporting a 404 for months. If it's seen as an error by Google then it's probably not good for ranking.
    I'm wondering why this 404 persists and google does not update its index and if I should redirect that old page to the home.

    Cheers,
    FL
    Yeah I think you mean like "Soft 404".

    If you have your site in Google Webmasters.

    Left Menu Bar>
    Select>Google Index
    Select>Remove URLS
    Select>Create A New Removal Request

    Copy and Paste the URL of the 404 problem. And submit for removal.

    After that's done, You can go back To your Crawls Errors report screen. And mark the problem as fixed. Takes about 24-48 hours to clear off your report screen. But its fixed.
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    • Profile picture of the author paulgl
      Errors don't matter, unless they cannot find your "real" pages.
      Then you have a problem.

      But I know, webmasters for some reason just cannot stomach
      seeing any errors.

      If google removed every page that returned a 404 error, man,
      that would be insane and send the internet into a panic.

      A 404 error, to be exact, does not mean the page will never be
      live again, hence the insane part about de-indexing.

      Paul
      Signature

      If you were disappointed in your results today, lower your standards tomorrow.

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    • Profile picture of the author flm
      Originally Posted by Kevin Maguire View Post

      Yeah I think you mean like "Soft 404".

      If you have your site in Google Webmasters.

      Left Menu Bar>
      Select>Google Index
      Select>Remove URLS
      Select>Create A New Removal Request

      Copy and Paste the URL of the 404 problem. And submit for removal.

      After that's done, You can go back To your Crawls Errors report screen. And mark the problem as fixed. Takes about 24-48 hours to clear off your report screen. But its fixed.
      I have a soft 404 for which I created a removal request as I know that url should never been indexed. Thanks Kevin.
      Then I have a hard 404, content that does not exist anymore. But what if I create a removal request and at some point later want to create new content for that url. Can it be reindexed then?
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