In the world of e-commerce, it’s inevitable that products will get removed, either because they are out of stock or have been discontinued. But when a product is removed, you can’t just delete the page and forget about it. That page may have valuable backlinks or be driving a lot of traffic. If a user lands on a page with a 404 error, it’s a bad experience, and a search engine will see it as a signal that your website is not well-maintained.
The good news is that you don’t have to lose that traffic or SEO value. You just need to have a plan for how to handle removed products.
What to Do with Out-of-Stock Products
When a product is temporarily out of stock, you have a few different options. You can leave the page up and tell a user that the product is out of stock, or you can redirect them to a similar product page.
Leave the Page Up
If you leave the page up, you should:
- Make it clear that the product is out of stock. You should have a clear message that tells a user that the product is not available.
- Provide an estimated restock date. If you know when the product will be back in stock, you should tell the user. This can keep them from going to a competitor.
- Add a button to be notified when the product is back in stock. This is a great way to keep a user engaged.
- Add internal links to other products. You should include a list of similar or related products that a user might be interested in.
Redirect the Page
If a product is out of stock for a long time, or if you don’t have an estimated restock date, you can redirect the user to a similar product page. This is a great way to keep a user from getting a dead end. You should use a 302 redirect, which is a temporary redirect that tells a search engine that the product will be back soon.
What to Do with Discontinued Products
When a product has been permanently discontinued, you have a few different options. You should never just delete the page and let it become a 404 error. That page may have valuable backlinks or be driving a lot of traffic.
Redirect the Page
The best way to handle a discontinued product is to redirect the user to a similar or related product page. You should use a 301 redirect, which is a permanent redirect that tells a search engine that the page has moved for good. This is a great way to preserve your SEO value.
Remove the Page
If there is no similar product, you can remove the page and let it become a 404 error. However, you should still have a custom 404 page that is helpful and provides a user with a path forward.
What is a 301 redirect?
A 301 redirect is a permanent redirect that sends a user and a search engine from an old URL to a new one. It is the best way to handle a discontinued product and preserve your SEO value.
What is a 302 redirect?
A 302 redirect is a temporary redirect that tells a search engine that a page has moved for a short time. It is the best way to handle an out-of-stock product.
What is a 404 error?
