Hallucinated links and the Power of 404 Pages

404 Pages are an often-forgotten part of a website, something that is needed but not always fully understood. But when used correctly, these pages can play an important role in user journeys, and aid SEO performance. With growth predicted in Hallucinated Links, AI tools generating fake URLs causing 404 errors, how you handle 404 errors and the 404 page that you present is more important than ever.

Hallucinated Links, What Are They?

It has been known for some time that AI tools and content generators can create incorrect and misleading content if the training data is flawed, or missing key information. Taking this issue a step further, many website managers have noticed traffic leading to non-existent pages coming from these AI content generators. They are creating URLs for citations, even though the content doesn’t actually exist.

So, What Is A 404 Page?

A 404 page is a page that the website presents when a 404 error occurs. This error code iseives a request for a resource but cannot find it. The reason for the error could be link, or a deleted/moved file. When that resource is a web page, a 404 error page is presented.

BBC News 404 Page

Are 404 Errors Bad?

This depends on why the error is being triggered. If it is being caused by a user error or an erroneous external link, a 404 error is fine – it is doing its job, and a good error page can help put users back on the right track. When a 404 error becomes a problem, it is often when the source of the error is from within your site. The main causes are either broken links, pages that have been moved or removed, internal links that have not been updated to reflect this change, or incorrect pages in the sitemap that are being indexed. 404 errors are a natural part of the web, but it’s crucial to manage them effectively. Focus on eliminating 404s caused by problems within your own website to ensure a good user experience and maintain your site’s SEO.

In the case of Hallucinated Links, which often don’t use a URL structure that matches the site, the best course of action would be to rely on the 404 page. The website owner is not responsible for the generation of the link, so there is nothing on site to fix. A redirect will not take the user to the expected page unless there is content on the site that matches both the intent and style of content requested.

Why Are 404 Pages Important?

It’s really easy to land on a 404 page accidentally, and it is becoming easier with the growth of AI search tools. Initally the 404 page, was the default plain text page highlighting the error code. But a well-designed page can do so much more, aiding both SEO and UX. Users will always make mistakes, and rather than being forced to start their journey again, a 404 page could be seen as an aid.

The SEO Impact of 404 Pages

It is always best practice to fix any broken links on your site to reduce the chance of a 404 page being presented. But a good 404 page can aid SEO performance. As search engines place more importance on user behaviour, perceived engagement/bounce rates are becoming more important. Therefore presenting a suitable user journey for a 404 error should have a positive impact.

Similarly, putting in place a good 404 page could improve crawlability. A standard plain text 404 page would contain no further links and would end that crawler’s journey through the site. Including links to core service or product pages could negate this issue, and potentially tidy up the number of pages crawled and indexed, removing loose ends.

User Experience on 404 Pages

As mentioned above, there are many reasons why a user ends up on a 404 page. Some of these may not be the user’s fault and could be their first impression of your site. With this in mind, create a 404 page that presents the value that your site could add to the user or provides a site search tool to take the user to a relevant landing page. If this stops a potential customer from exiting the site and continuing their journey, it has been helpful.

Some 404 page ideas:

• Be bold: This is an opportunity to keep a user on the site and tell them why they should stay. This needs to be in keeping with your brand tone of voice.
• Offer core products or services: The chances are that the user is here to find one of these.
• Include site search: Conducting a site search or using keywords from the URL string to provide a list of suitable pages for the user to follow can lead to a next step similar to their intended journey.
• Use lead generation tools: This page could present an opportunity to promote an event or newsletter, as long as the tone of voice is correct.

To Summarise

As mentioned above, 404 errors are a natural part of the internet. There will always be erroneous links and user errors, and they need to be handled correctly. The best way to do this is to have a 404 page that can complement the user journey rather than halt it. This gives you time to review the cause of the 404. Where this is under your control, it is best practice to get it fixed, update links to point to the correct location, and put in redirects.

For most, the 404 page is an afterthought, something that is required rather than wanted. By changing that mindset and considering this core page in your user journey planning, your 404 page can play an important role in keeping users engaged and putting them on the right path. With AI tools now starting to generate traffic for many sites, the chance of 404 errors will increase with Hallocinated Links, meaning getting on top of your 404 page is more important than ever.