Google’s Search Advocate, John Mueller, has provided insights into Search Console’s validation process, addressing how it handles 404 errors and redirects during site migrations.
Key Points
A Reddit user shared their experience with a client’s website migration that led to a loss in rankings.
They explained that they took several steps to address the issues, including:
- Fixing on-site technical problems.
- Redirecting 404 pages to the appropriate URLs.
- Submitting these changes for validation in Google Search Console.
Although they confirmed that all redirects and 404 pages were working correctly, they failed to validate the changes in Search Console.
Feeling frustrated, the user sought advice on what to do next.
This prompted a response from Mueller, who provided insights into how Google processes these changes.
Mueller’s Response
Mueller explained how Google manages 404 errors and redirect validations in Search Console.
He clarified that the “mark as fixed” feature doesn’t speed up Google’s reprocessing of site changes. Instead, it’s a tool for site owners to monitor their progress.
Mueller noted:
“The ‘mark as fixed’ here will only track how things are being reprocessed. It won’t speed up reprocessing itself.”
He also questioned the purpose of marking 404 pages as fixed, noting that no further action is needed if a page intentionally returns a 404 error.
Mueller adds:
“If they are supposed to be 404s, then there’s nothing to do. 404s for pages that don’t exist are fine. It’s technically correct to have them return 404. These being flagged don’t mean you’re doing something wrong, if you’re doing the 404s on purpose.”
For pages that aren’t meant to be 404, Mueller advises:
“If these aren’t meant to be 404 – the important part is to fix the issue though, set up the redirects, have the new content return 200, check internal links, update sitemap dates, etc. If it hasn’t been too long (days), then probably it’ll pick up again quickly. If it’s been a longer time, and if it’s a lot of pages on the new site, then (perhaps obviously) it’ll take longer to be reprocessed.”
Key Takeaways From Mueller’s Advice
Mueller outlined several key points in his response.
Let’s break them down:
For Redirects and Content Updates
- Ensure that redirects are correctly set up and new content returns a 200 (OK) status code.
- Update internal links to reflect the new URLs.
- Refresh the sitemap with updated dates to signal changes to Google.
Reprocessing Timeline
- If changes were made recently (within a few days), Google will likely process them quickly.
- For larger websites or older issues, reprocessing may take more time.
Handling 404 Pages
- If a page is no longer meant to exist, returning a 404 error is the correct approach.
- Seeing 404s flagged in Search Console doesn’t necessarily indicate a problem, provided the 404s are intentional.
Related: Google Cautions On Improper 404 Handling
Why This Matters
Website migrations can be complicated and may temporarily affect search rankings if not done correctly.
Google Search Console is useful for tracking changes, but it has limitations.
The validation process checks if fixes are implemented correctly, not how quickly changes will be made.
Practice patience and ensure all technical details—redirects, content updates, and internal linking—are adequately addressed.
Watch also: Technical SEO Best Practices: How to Improve Discoverability, Crawlability & Rankings
Featured Image: Sammby/Shutterstock
