A customer follows an old link to your website and finds a missing page. That does not automatically mean Google is penalising the rest of your site. It does mean someone who wanted something from your business may need help finding it.
In a new Google Search Central episode published on 28 October, Gary Illyes and Cherry Sireetorn Prommawin revisit 404 errors: the responses websites send when a page cannot be found. Their reminder is useful for businesses in Bath and the South West with old event listings, changing services or discontinued products. Start with what happened to the page and what a visitor needs next.
A missing page is not always a fault
Websites change. A workshop finishes, a product is withdrawn or an outdated page is removed. A genuine 404 response is a normal way to tell browsers and search engines that the requested address has no page to show.
Google’s current HTTP status guidance says it does not index content returned with a 404 response. Previously indexed addresses returning that response are removed from Search over time. That is about the missing address; its Search Console advice confirms that a legitimate 404 does not, by itself, damage the rankings of your healthy pages.
The distinction matters when reviewing Search Console. A list of missing addresses is a starting point for investigation, not an instruction to revive everything. Equally, a booking page that should still work deserves attention even if the rest of the website looks fine.
Decide what each address should do
There are three useful situations to separate. First, the page should still exist. Perhaps a service link was mistyped or a recent website update broke it. Ask whoever maintains the site to restore the intended page or correct the link, then test the actual customer route.
Second, the content has moved or has a clear replacement. Google’s guidance on missing pages recommends a permanent 301 redirect to that replacement. For example, a service moved to a new address should take visitors to the same service there. Relevance matters: an unrelated page is not a useful substitute just because it loads.
Third, the content has genuinely gone and there is no similar replacement. A 404, or a 410 response indicating it has gone, can be appropriate. There is no need to invent a destination for every retired address. Automatically sending all missing pages to the homepage leaves visitors to work out what happened and start their search again.
Give people a useful way onwards
A custom 404 page lets you explain the problem in your usual website design. Keep the message brief and friendly, retain recognisable navigation and offer a small number of useful next steps. Depending on the site, those might be current services, product categories, forthcoming events or a working search box.
Imagine a Somerset workshop organiser whose expired event page still receives visits from an old newsletter. If there is no direct replacement, a missing-page message with a link to the current programme gives people a choice without suggesting that the old session is still available. This is an example, not evidence of any particular organisation’s results.
The technical response must match the message. A page saying something is missing while returning a success code can be treated as a soft 404 and excluded from Search. Ask your developer to confirm that the missing address really returns 404, even when the page looks polished. A screenshot alone cannot establish that.
Check the journeys that matter first
Start with links people are likely to use: your main navigation, current adverts, profile links, recent newsletters and important older pages. Prioritise a broken enquiry or booking route over an obscure address nobody needs. Correct links you control rather than making every visitor depend on the error page.
Then test the experience on a phone. Is it obvious that the requested page is unavailable? Can someone reach a relevant section without opening several menus? Do the suggested links work? If the site offers a way to report a broken link, make sure that route works too.
Have your developer check both the visible page and its response code after any change. Keep a short record of the addresses tested and the intended outcome. This makes later SEO and website reviews easier to follow, especially when several people maintain the site.
This is routine website care, with no guaranteed improvement in rankings or enquiries. The useful outcome is simpler: customers can understand what happened and choose a sensible next step, while search engines receive an accurate response.