31 Aug SEO: Avoid 404 Errors on Your Products!
As you know, one of the Boss’s main concerns is your search engine ranking.
You should know that these little critters index everything they can find: pages, articles, projects, portfolios, and… your products.
The goal, of course, is for internet users to find you, especially through your articles.
But sometimes, some of them are out of stock or simply no longer offered in your catalog.
Above all,
do not delete them!
Keep them in your Product database, even if they are no longer displayed in your catalog.
“But why?” you might ask us (and you’d be right, it’s natural to clean up this way)
Imagine…
An internet user searches for a specific product and finds one of your fantastic articles in their search results (because you followed our advice and are among the first, if not the very first).
You no longer offer it in your catalog, but you have kept it in your database.
The internet user will arrive on your site, they will undoubtedly be disappointed that the product that caught their eye is unavailable, but…
They will certainly be interested in the other products offered, similar or not, that your catalog contains!
All this to tell you:
Better a slightly disappointed customer at first, who stays on your site to explore your other products, than a 404 Error page (incorrect URL) that will definitively drive them away.
Moreover, this type of error particularly annoys search engines.
“Why offer a product that no longer exists, illogical human?!” (artistic license)
This will only result in you dropping in the search results ranking because, precisely, the search engine will no longer know if your products will still be visible by the time its database is updated, which is between 1 to 3 months. (Yes, it’s a lazy, vengeful one – personal opinion, editor’s note).
In conclusion:
The solution is to direct the internet user to a similar product.
(Yes, there are systems for that)
Two advantages: you eliminate 404 Errors, so the search engine will consider you a model site, and you encourage your internet user to view other products that interest them. Consequently, you increase your number of visits and improve your ranking. It’s all profit!
Of course, as we explained in a previous article, the quality of your texts (the presentation, or “summary,” text and the one describing your product) is paramount! They must provide elements to the search engine within the framework of GEO for AI search engine results: detailed description and usage, with a sprinkling of experience and expertise.
If you don’t have the time or if it bothers you (to put it politely), don’t hesitate to contact our “Copywriter” (author, if you prefer. That’s me!) who will offer you top-notch texts, in the style you desire.
What are you waiting for to write to us ?
