404 Pages on Ecommerce Sites: SEO Impact and How to Handle Them

1 min read

Every time you remove a product from your store, its URL returns a 404 error. If that product had backlinks, organic traffic, or was indexed by Google, you just threw away SEO value. Here's how to handle 404s without losing rankings.

Why 404s Hurt Ecommerce SEO

A 404 error tells Google the page doesn't exist anymore. Google removes it from the index, and any ranking power that the URL had accumulated from backlinks and internal links is lost. A few 404s are normal. But stores that regularly delete products without redirecting can accumulate hundreds of 404s, creating a poor crawl experience.

The Fix: 301 Redirects

When you delete a product, set up a 301 redirect from the old URL to the most relevant alternative: **Best option:** Redirect to a very similar product. **Good option:** Redirect to the parent collection/category page. **Last resort:** Redirect to the homepage. The key: redirect to something relevant. A redirect from a deleted shoe product to your handbags collection passes less value than redirecting to another shoe product.

Setting Up Redirects

**Shopify:** Go to Settings → Navigation → URL Redirects. Enter the old URL path and the new destination. **WooCommerce:** Use Yoast SEO Premium's redirect manager, or install the free 'Redirection' plugin. Pro tip: Before deleting a product, check Google Search Console for any queries driving traffic to that URL.

Custom 404 Page Best Practices

For 404s you can't redirect, make sure your 404 page is helpful: - Include a search bar - Show links to popular collections - Include a clear 'Back to Home' CTA - Keep the same header/footer navigation RankRipper flags redirect chains and broken canonicals that often accompany deleted products.

buildRelated Fix Guides

build

How to Fix Redirect Chains on Shopify & WooCommerce

Redirect chains slow your site and waste crawl budget. Learn how to find and fix double redirects on Shopify and WooCommerce stores.

build

How to Fix Missing Canonical Tags on Shopify & WooCommerce

Fix missing canonical tags on your Shopify or WooCommerce store. Copy-paste code included. Prevent duplicate content from tanking your SEO rankings.

Keep Reading

article

301 Redirects for Ecommerce: When and How to Use Them

Learn when to use 301 redirects on your ecommerce store, how to set them up on Shopify and WooCommerce, and common redirect mistakes to avoid.

article

Crawl Budget for Ecommerce: Why Google Might Not Find All Your Products

Google doesn't crawl every page. Learn what crawl budget means for your store and how to make sure your most important products get indexed.

Check your store now

Scan your site for free — get copy-paste fixes in 60 seconds.

searchScan Now — It's Free