By Shad Super in Questions —

How Do Crawl Errors Reported in Google Search Console Affect a Website's SEO, and How Can They Be Fixed?

Summary

Crawl errors reported in Google Search Console can negatively impact a website's SEO by preventing pages from being indexed, reducing visibility in search results. Fixing these errors involves addressing the root causes, such as broken links, server errors, and soft 404s, to ensure that search engines can effectively index and rank your website. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to identify and resolve crawl errors.

Understanding Crawl Errors

Crawl errors occur when a search engine's crawler, such as Google's, encounters issues accessing a page on your website. These errors can be detrimental to SEO because they prevent pages from being indexed, which can reduce search engine visibility and potentially harm user experience.

Types of Crawl Errors

  • Server Errors (5xx): These indicate that the server failed to respond to the crawler's request, usually due to server overload or a misconfiguration.
  • 404 Errors: These occur when a page is not found. This can happen if a page is deleted or if there are broken links.
  • Soft 404s: These happen when a page returns a "200 OK" status code but the content indicates a "Page Not Found" message.
  • DNS Errors: These occur when the domain name server cannot convert the domain name into an IP address, preventing access to the site.

Impact of Crawl Errors on SEO

Crawl errors can severely impact a website's SEO. If search engines cannot index your pages, these pages will not appear in search results, leading to decreased traffic. Additionally, a high number of errors can signal to search engines that a site is poorly maintained.

Fixing Crawl Errors

Server Errors

To fix server errors, ensure your server is properly configured and can handle peak traffic loads. Consider using a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to distribute load and improve reliability [Google Search Central, 2023].

404 Errors

Regularly check your site for broken links using tools like Screaming Frog SEO Spider. Set up 301 redirects for moved content and update internal links to point to the correct URLs [Google Search Central, 2023].

Soft 404s

Ensure your server returns a proper 404 status code for pages that do not exist. This helps search engines differentiate between valid and non-existent content. Properly configure custom 404 pages to enhance user experience [Moz, 2023].

DNS Errors

Verify that your domain's DNS settings are correct and that DNS servers are functioning properly. Regularly monitor DNS health using tools like What's My DNS [Google Search Central, 2023].

Tools and Monitoring

Regularly monitor your site with Google Search Console to identify crawl errors quickly. Use the "Coverage" report to see details on errors and fix them promptly.

Conclusion

Addressing crawl errors is crucial for maintaining a healthy website and ensuring optimal search engine visibility. By proactively monitoring and resolving these issues, you can enhance your site's indexing and ranking potential.

References