HTTP responses like 200 (OK), 301 (Redirect), 404 (Not Found).
The Secret Language of Your Website: Understanding the Status Code
We have all seen that frustrating “404 Not Found” page, which is a signal that something has gone wrong on a website. What you might not know is that this simple three-digit message is actually the backbone of technical SEO.
I want to let you in on the server’s secret language and explain What is the Status Code?, because fixing these codes is a quick way to earn trust with Google. Mastering these codes is like giving your website a clean bill of health.
What is the Status Code?
The **Status Code** is a three-digit number a web server sends to a browser or search engine bot in response to a request for a page. It tells the requester what happened: whether the request was successful, moved, or resulted in an error.
These codes are categorized into five groups: 2xx means success (like 200 OK), 3xx means redirection (like 301 Moved Permanently), 4xx means a client error (like 404 Not Found), and 5xx means a server error (like 500 Internal Server Error).
I view them as critical health signals because search engines use them to decide what to crawl, what to index, and what to remove.
Status Code Impact on Different CMS Platforms
While the server generates the status code, your CMS configuration directly influences which codes are served for specific actions.
WordPress
For WordPress, broken links often lead to 404 errors, which I fix using redirect plugins like Redirection or Yoast SEO. The biggest challenge is correctly managing 301 redirects when changing a post’s slug or deleting an old page.
A bad plugin conflict can sometimes cause a devastating site-wide 500 Internal Server Error, which requires immediate diagnosis.
Shopify
Shopify automatically handles 404s when a product or page is deleted, but I still manually check that it sets up 301 redirects when I change a product’s URL. I use the built-in URL redirects feature in the Navigation menu to manage this.
Correct 301 implementation is vital for preserving the link equity earned by old, popular product pages.
Wix and Webflow
Wix and Webflow offer great built-in tools for setting up 301 redirects to control your 3xx codes. It is simple to use their visual interface to ensure that any deleted or moved page sends the correct permanent redirect signal.
This careful management ensures I do not lose any SEO value from older content.
Custom CMS
With a custom CMS, I have total control, but I must rely on the development team to correctly code all status codes. I make sure we have a robust system to log all 4xx and 5xx errors for immediate fixing.
Properly configuring the server to send a 503 Service Unavailable code during maintenance is essential for telling Google to “come back later.”
Industry-Specific Applications of Status Codes
Fixing status codes impacts every business type by proving site reliability, which is a major factor in SEO success.
Ecommerce
A high number of 404s on an e-commerce site is a major problem, as it kills the shopping experience and wastes the crawl budget. I use 301 redirects to point out-of-stock or discontinued product pages to relevant category pages.
This maintains link value and keeps shoppers on the site, ready to purchase an alternative product.
Local Businesses
For a local business, a 5xx Server Error or a persistent 404 on the contact or location page is an instant loss of business. I prioritize monitoring these pages in Google Search Console.
Any status code other than 200 OK on a key page means I am losing actual phone calls and walk-in customers.
SaaS (Software as a Service)
SaaS documentation and feature pages are often updated, so I use 301 redirects heavily to merge old pages into new, updated guides. Using the correct redirect preserves the authority of the original content.
This prevents a broken link experience for users searching for older product information.
Blogs and Content Sites
Blog archives can accumulate thousands of old 404s from deleted articles, which wastes Google’s time. For truly deleted content, I often use a 410 Gone status code, which tells Google to remove the page from the index faster than a generic 404.
I use this to keep the site clean and focus the crawl budget on my best, most current posts.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the most important status code for SEO?
The two most important codes are 200 OK, which means success, and 301 Moved Permanently. A 200 OK is what you want for every live page, and a 301 is what you must use to transfer SEO value when you move a page to a new address.
What is the difference between a 404 and a 410?
Both mean a page is missing, but a 404 Not Found suggests the page might return, while a 410 Gone is permanent. I use a 410 when I want Google to remove a page from the search index immediately and definitively.
Should I redirect all my 404 errors?
No, you should not. I only redirect a 404 if the page had value and a clear replacement page exists. If a page was never important, I prefer to keep it as a 404 and create a custom, helpful error page for the user.
