Improve SEO With a Custom 404 Page

Editor’s note: For an updated look into custom 404 pages, see our How to Design a 404 Error Page That Saves a Sale post. Custom 404 Page FAQ: How can I enhance my website’s SEO using a custom 404 page?  Custom 404 Page Creating a unique 404 page really is one of the most overlooked […]

How to Configure a Custom 404 Error Page in Microsoft IIS Server

The 404 error page is a generic, browser-issued web page that tells a visitor when a page they are looking for can’t be found. A custom 404 error page, on the other hand, is a specially designed page that delivers the same message but in a more helpful, user-friendly way that honors the brand. It can tell the visitor what’s going on and what to do next. It can even be crafted to save a sale.

This post walks through the steps of setting up a custom error 404 page if you’re a small business administering your own IIS server either directly or through a hosting provider.

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How to Configure a Custom 404 Error Page — Apache Server Edition

Getting a custom 404 error page up and running on the Apache Server is a five-part process. In this post we cover parts 3, 4 and 5 of this process; determining what type of server you’re using and amending your .htaccess file to tell your Apache server to deliver a custom 404 error page, and testing. If you’re using an Apache server — read on!

Read How to Configure a Custom 404 Error Page (Apache Server Edition).

15 of the Most Important On-Page SEO Tactics

Here’s a short list of what we believe to be some of the most important on-page SEO tactics you should focus on.

How to Remove a Webpage

Sometimes it is necessary to remove a webpage from your site. But taking pages down could impact SEO or user experience. Learn how to remove webpages without causing SEO or user experience issues on your site.

What Makes a Webpage Quality?

When it comes to competing in the search results, it’s quality over quantity. Low-quality webpages reflect poorly on your brand and ultimately just won’t rank. So what actually determines webpage quality? Here are some helpful tips to improve your webpage quality and keep your site competitive.

How to Design a 404 Error Page that Saves a Sale

Whatever baby wants, baby gets. Unless baby mistypes a URL — then baby gets a 404 error page.

So, what do we do? Turn adversity into opportunity, of course!

I like to think of the 404 error page as your damage control page. Your customer just tried to go to a page on your website, and now they are faced with disappointment. The 404 error page greets them immediately at their peak moment of disappointment – what a perfect opportunity for you to tell them you could care less with a machine-generated white-screen error message. Said no one ever. This is your time to deflect those bad feelings and offer a solution that inspires positive feelings!

Follow these five steps to create a custom 404 error page that makes your customer feel like you’re there for them, even when your content can’t be.

Read How to Design a 404 Error Page that Saves a Sale.

404 error page: The battle between SEO and useability

A 404 error page refers to the page displayed to a user when the page requested is no longer available on the website. 404 error pages provide a way of displaying a user-friendly message to a potential customer when a requested resource (page, image, video, etc) is temporarily unavailable on a website. A 404 error […]

Super Sleuthing Page Age

Most professionals in the SEO industry are well versed in how to assess a site’s age. That’s been well documented. You can use any one of the fine SEO plug-ins out there. A fave of mine is SEO Book’s SEO for Firefox. But you could use Webconfs.com’s bulk domain age checker or go old skool with a good WhoIs service.

But enough splashing around in the shallow end of the SEO pool. Let’s say you need the find out the age of a particular page on a site. There are several reasons you might need to find this out.

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5 Unusual Technical SEO Best Practices

Here are five technical SEO best practices you should follow and how to get started to ensure your website is primed for both users and search engines.