I was checking some external links on my website the other day when I clicked on a link pointing to an ex-client’s blog post about copywriting. Instead of seeing their brilliant article (which I’d quoted extensively), I was unceremoniously dumped on their homepage with no explanation. The article had vanished, but rather than telling me it was gone, they’d decided to pretend nothing had happened and show me their homepage instead.
Not only was this bloody annoying (I was looking for that specific article for a reason), it was also terrible SEO practice. And it turns out Google hates this practice just as much as I do.
Google’s Martin Splitt says stop it. Now.
In a recent episode of “SEO Office Hours Shorts” Google’s Developer Advocate Martin Splitt didn’t mince words when asked if redirecting 404 pages to the homepage affects rankings:
“Yes, and also it annoys me as a user.”
That’s about as clear as Google gets. Not only does this practice hurt your SEO, but it also irritates your visitors. Double whammy of badness.
If you don’t want to hear it from me, here’s Martin, telling it straight.
What actually happens when you redirect all 404s
Let’s be clear about what we’re talking about. When someone clicks a link to a page on your site that doesn’t exist (maybe it’s been deleted or never existed), they should see a 404 error page saying “Oops, this page isn’t here.”
But some website owners think they’re being clever by redirecting these visitors to their homepage instead.
Here’s why this is a bloody terrible idea:
1. You’re confusing your visitors
Imagine walking into a shop asking for blue trainers. Instead of the shop assistant saying “Sorry, we don’t have those,” they silently walk you back to the entrance of the shop and smile at you.
That’s what you’re doing when you redirect 404s to your homepage. Your visitors clicked a link expecting specific content. When they land on your homepage with no explanation, they’re confused and annoyed.
2. You’re disorienting Google’s crawlers
Google’s crawlers are trying to make sense of your site. When they hit a proper 404 page, they understand “this content doesn’t exist” and move on.
But when you redirect them to your homepage, they get confused. As Splitt explains, the crawlers essentially think “Oh, new page to explore!” and start the whole process again, potentially creating an endless loop of wasted crawl budget.
3. You’re sending false signals about your content
A redirect tells Google “this content has permanently moved HERE.” When you redirect a non-existent page to your homepage, you’re essentially telling Google that all your missing content is actually your homepage.
Which just makes you look daft.
Real examples of 404 redirect disasters
The product catalogue nightmare
I once worked with an online shop that redirected all their discontinued product pages to their homepage. Their thinking was “better to show them all our products than nothing at all!”
The result? Furious customers who clicked on links to specific products from their emails, only to land on the homepage with no explanation. Their customer service team was bombarded with emails asking “Where’s the red dress from your newsletter?”
This was also telling Google that their homepage was the “official” destination for hundreds of different URLs.
Their rankings tanked.
The content migration mess
Another client moved their blog to a new system but didn’t want to “lose traffic” from their old blog URLs. Instead of properly redirecting each old post to its new equivalent (or keeping a proper 404 for truly deleted content), they redirected everything to their homepage.
Their bounce rate skyrocketed as confused readers landed on the homepage instead of the articles they wanted. Even worse, Google started to see their site as less trustworthy because it was essentially “lying” about where content had moved to.
Unsurprisingly, their rankings also tanked.
What Google actually wants you to do
Martin Splitt’s advice is pretty straightforward:
- If content has moved somewhere else specific, redirect to that specific new URL
- If content is genuinely gone, keep the 404 status code
- Don’t redirect to the homepage or what you think might be “close enough”
Pretty easy advice to follow, yeah?
How to handle 404s properly
1. Create a helpful 404 page
Your 404 page should:
- Clearly explain the page doesn’t exist
- Include your navigation menu
- Offer a search function
- Suggest popular content or categories
- Have a clean, branded design
2. Check your 404s regularly
Use Google Search Console to identify 404 errors on your site. For each one, decide:
- Has this content moved? → Create a specific redirect to its new location
- Is this content gone forever? → Keep the 404 status
- Was this a misspelling or mistake? → Fix the link if it’s on your site
3. Redirect strategically, not lazily
When you do need to redirect content, always redirect to the most relevant replacement. If a product is discontinued, redirect to a similar product or the product category page, not your homepage.
404s aren’t a problem to “fix” by hiding them
404s are a normal, healthy part of any website. They tell both users and search engines the truth: this content isn’t here.
Being honest with your visitors and with Google helps maintain trust. And in the world of SEO, trust is currency.
So the next time someone suggests redirecting all your 404s to your homepage, you can confidently tell them that Google’s Martin Splitt (and your visitors) would rather you didn’t…
Starting a website migration or redesign project, and want to make sure you’ve got your technical SEO right? Book in a call and let’s see if I can help.
