The best way you can gain the trust of customers is by allowing them to know what goes in-between their browser and the server.
Are you wondering how can you let them access this information?
The answer is very simple; you can use HTTP codes to delegate this information to your customers!
What are the benefits of using HTTP codes?
- Faster response
No user would prefer waiting for a longer period for a website to load.
HTTP codes provide immediate solutions and are essential in displaying a good response to users by enabling faster data exchange.
- Troubleshoot
When you know how to use an HTTP code, it becomes easier for you to resolve problems related to the server of your website. Once you sort out the technical issues, engine crawlers can easily enter your website and display the info when a user types a related query.
- Secure website
Most of the search engines label those websites as secure who use HTTP code. These codes help a search engine analyze the status of a website.
How can the HTTP code affect SEO?
- Through Good ranking
It is an obvious fact!
When you use SEO-oriented keywords in your content, your website gets a good rank. Besides, the HTTP code helps to secure a site and enables it to reach a higher rank in search engines.
- By Dominating SERPs
The faster the results display, the more it dominates SERPs. The search engines scan through the SEO oriented content and check the loading speed of pages. Websites that satisfy these criteria have more chances of ranking well.
- Through SEO audit
SEO auditing is an essential step to ensure that a website is performing effectively and to check whether SEO elements are functioning properly or not. An HTTP code can assist in SEO analysis of a website by helping the webmaster know the potent threats of a website and ways to resolve it.
What are the different HTTP categories?
There are five different categories of HTTP, which indicates the type of error or request:
- 1xx code-information request
This class depicts that the information is still in process, and the user request shall accomplish soon.
- 2xx code-success
This reflects that all information has successfully reached the user. This is the most demandable category that every e-commerce owner wishes to have over his website.
- 3xx code-redirection
This class explains that the client is requesting more information (unavailable on the current website).
- 4xx code-client error
This common category displays itself when the client faces error while browsing for information.
- 5xx code- server error
This class purely reflects a server-side error.
What are HTTPs codes that are mandatory for good SEO Practice?
- 404- not found
When a user searches an answer for a query but does not find the required information due to the unavailability of the URL, this code is displayed on the screen of users. This could be a problem for SEO trends because when users come across a website and do not find information, there are many chances of increasing bounce rates.
- 301- moved permanently
This useful code helps browsers in knowing about the permanent shifting of websites to another URL. Marketers can use this code to channelize their customers to another website or a new website.
- 302 – found
This temporary code redirects customers to a temporary website. These kinds of HTTP codes are used during temporary suspension or site maintenance work.
- 307-temporary redirect
This refers to a temporary redirecting path; however, it does not demand the search engines to update the page index from time to time. This code makes the browser redirect the users to another URL.
- 503- service unavailable
This code stands for displaying technical errors. The significance of this HTTP code is – it stops the de-indexing of web pages. However, it is imperative to sort out the issues as soon as possible since it may lead to a drop in SEO rankings.
- 410-gone
This code explains the deletion of a page permanently. If you are a website owner and you are making certain changes in your web pages and you find this code over your site URL. Please address it as soon as possible!
You can use codes like 301, 302, 307, or 503. Using these codes will certainly help you resolve your website issue and save from the de-indexing process.
Conclusion
Having a good knowledge of HTTP codes and the impact it may cause over SEO is mandatory for good marketing.
However, the SEO trends might vary from place to place; therefore, it is important to target specific market segments (regionally). Thanks, to the upcoming professional SEO companies who provide local SEO packages (which include services related to HTTP codes) and make SEO ranking easier.