Request for Assistance with 404 Error on Indexed Page

Hello,

We apologize for the issue you are facing with the 404 error on your indexed page. Thank you for providing the details regarding the error.

A 404 error occurs when a user or Googlebot tries to access a URL that does not exist. This can happen if the page has been removed, the URL is incorrect, or broken links point to a non-existent page. Here are some steps you can take to resolve this issue:

1. Redirect Removed Pages: If the page has been moved, create a 301 redirect from the old URL to the new one. This helps preserve any link equity from the old URL. You can refer to our guide on how to do this here.

2. Fix Broken Links: Check internal and external links pointing to the missing page and update them accordingly. If possible, reach out to the sites linking to your deleted pages and request an update to the correct URL.

3. Create a Custom 404 Page: Design a user-friendly 404 page that guides visitors to helpful content on your site. Include links to popular posts or a search bar to help users find what they want.

4. Check Your Web Server Settings: Ensure that your web server is configured to return a 404 error for missing pages. If your server is not configured correctly, it may be returning a 200 status code instead of a 404, which will cause Google to index the page even though it doesn’t exist. Contact your web hosting provider to fix this and ask them to check your server settings.

Once you have taken these steps, you can resubmit the URL in Google Search Console for indexing.

If you need further assistance, please reply to this ticket, and a human agent from the Rank Math Support team will be happy to help you.

Thank you for raising this concern!

Sources:
How to Fix Indexing Issues in Google Search Console » Rank Math
How to Fix the Submitted URL Seems to Be a “Soft 404” Error » Rank Math