A 404 error means a browser or search engine requested a URL and the server responded that the page does not exist. An SEO company treats 404s as a routine part of running a website rather than an automatic problem. The work is mostly about finding the 404s that matter, deciding what each one deserves, and cleaning up the links that lead to them.
Finding 404 errors
The first step is locating dead URLs. An SEO company usually starts with Google Search Console, where the Pages report lists URLs under a “Not found (404)” status. This shows which missing pages Google has actually tried to reach. The company then runs a site crawler to catch 404s that Search Console may not surface, such as broken internal links, dead links inside menus, and outdated URLs in old content. Crawler data and Search Console data are reviewed together because each finds things the other misses. Server log files can add a third view by showing which 404 URLs are still being requested by visitors or search engine bots.
Deciding what to do with each 404
There is no single fix for a 404. An SEO company evaluates them case by case, and there are three reasonable outcomes.
The first option is to restore the page. If the URL still matches a real search need, earns backlinks, or recently had traffic and rankings, bringing the content back is often the best move. The signals that the page still has value are the reason to keep it alive.
The second option is to redirect the URL. When the original content is gone but a closely related page exists, a 301 redirect points visitors and search engines to that equivalent. The replacement should genuinely match what the old URL offered. A common mistake the company avoids is sending every dead URL to the homepage, because that frustrates users and search engines can interpret it as a soft 404.
The third option is to leave the URL as a 404, and this is frequently the correct choice. If a page is permanently gone and has no relevant equivalent, a clean 404 is the honest answer. Some companies use a 410 (“Gone”) status for content removed on purpose. A genuine 404 tells search engines to stop crawling that URL, which keeps crawl activity focused on pages that still matter.
Fixing internal links to dead URLs
Whatever happens to a 404 URL, an SEO company also fixes the links that point to it. Internal links aimed at a dead page send visitors into an error and waste the path search engines follow through the site. The company updates those links to point at the live destination, whether that is a restored page or a redirect target. Relying on a redirect alone is not enough, because internal links should reference the final working URL directly.
Normal 404 versus soft 404
A normal 404 returns the correct 404 status code, so search engines understand the page is missing and will not index it. A soft 404 is different and more harmful. It happens when a page that has no real content still returns a 200 (“OK”) status, telling search engines everything is fine when it is not. Search engines can index soft 404 pages and may keep crawling them, which spreads crawl attention across URLs that offer nothing. An SEO company fixes a soft 404 by either returning the proper 404 or 410 status if the page should be gone, or by adding genuine content if the page should stay live.
Why not every 404 is a problem
A working website naturally accumulates 404s as old pages are removed, products are discontinued, and outside sites link to URLs that no longer exist. These do not directly lower rankings. An SEO company does not try to eliminate every 404. The goal is to make sure pages with real value are restored or redirected, internal links never point at dead URLs, and soft 404s are corrected. The remaining 404s, for content that truly should not exist, are left alone on purpose.