Does redirecting hyperlinks leading to 404 pages benefit the cost of Google search engine optimization?

We know that links pointing to pages that don’t exist to 404 oz. some thing soft 404, are hyperlinks that Google does no longer be counted – this isn’t always new. But John Mueller of Google talked about how you may from time to time redirect vintage 404 pages and this link can flow to a brand new web page, although that 404ed hyperlink is years vintage?

To be clean, the hyperlink pointing to page 404ed does not count. If this web page is 404ed for a 12 months or more and you then add a redirect, I surprisingly doubt that Google will begin counting this hyperlink once more. However John Mueller stated that in some cases, if the hyperlinks to a two-yr-vintage 404ed site are very sturdy, Google would possibly count number them once more once you redirect it. Or perhaps he was kind to the person that asked the question?

John said: “i might say you can still cross returned for some time and upload a redirect for those character connections you notice that way. I do not know if that might make a big distinction after two years except it is surely strong connections. That result in your website and wander away. “

This question and answer got here up on At 19.43 within the video chat last Friday:

https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=sH_tdGP_76o

here is the transcript:

seo: the second trouble concerns broken hyperlinks on our website, in which our website has round forty,000 pages and duplicates links. So we have approximately 20,000 broken connections as a result of a broken migration from one platform to another. Seeing that then, we’ve began to be aware a decline in natural visitors. We used to rank for say 20k, 25k consistent with day in natural traffic, now we most effective get 2k to 3k or 4k at max. So that you think a terrific degree of search engine optimization ranking is to dispose of the ones damaged links and 404 pages?

John Mueller: when did you do this migration? Is that a long term ago?

search engine optimization: sure, it came about in 2020, now approximately two years ago.

John Mueller: I don’t suppose for the maximum element that subjects anymore. This is some thing i would look out for in any migration due to the fact. Essentially, the principle factor you need to seize is a state of affairs wherein someone externally connects on your web site and that hyperlink in your website essentially is going nowhere. So if you see a person outdoor linking to a page this is now page 404 due to the fact you forgot to redirect it, that hyperlink is kind of misplaced. And in case you see this occurring on a bigger scale, then these hyperlinks are matters you will lose and can ultimately be contemplated in search consequences as nicely.

For some time, I’d say you can nonetheless cross lower back and add a redirect for those individual links you spot that way. I don’t recognise if after years this will make a huge distinction except there are actually strong links that result in your web page and hence wander off by some means.

Glenn Gabe summed it up nicely on this series of tweets:

greater: you may also compare this by means of checking the server logs. If you note that a number of spiders are shifting from the hunt engine to a sure 404, it’s miles on occasion a signal that they assume there may be something useful there, however they wander away. Decide what you could redirect https://t.Co/fGr9HUoTCx p.C.Twitter.Com/5MBZ0APikS

– Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) March 22, 2022

The video explains what you may search to see if Google remains trying to get admission to those 404s, this is, your log files.

I doubt the link to web page 404, which has been like this for 2 years, is really fixable, however perhaps i am incorrect?

forum dialogue on Twitter.