404 pages after an SEO app, after changing URL

404 pages after an SEO app, after changing URL

tiffaninl
Tourist
6 0 2

I make a product in Shopify and it automatically makes an URL link.

Then I go to the SEO app to optimalize for Google. 
The app prefer another URL for SEO, so I changed it (Someone said its not oke for Google to do it like this, is this right?) but now all the links Shopify created is an 404 page, who will redirect to my homepage. Now Google search control says I have a lot of 404 pages. 

 

Is this really bad? Or how can I do it better?

Reply 1 (1)

Yvonne_Yoast
Shopify Partner
120 5 11

Hi @tiffaninl

 

Changing the URL of a product in Shopify is generally okay, and Shopify automatically creates a redirect from the old URL to the new one. This helps users who saved the old URL to land on the correct page. However, if you are seeing a lot of 404 errors in Google Search Console, it might be because the redirects are not set up correctly or there are other issues with your site structure.

 

Redirecting all 404 pages to your homepage is not a good practice. According to SEO experts, including John Mueller from Google, this approach does not solve the problem and can make it harder to identify and fix real errors on your site. Instead, you should set up proper 301 redirects for each old URL to the new URL.

 

To manage redirects in Shopify, you can use the built-in redirect feature. Shopify automatically adds a redirect when you change the slug of an existing post. You can also upload CSV files with your redirects or use the URL redirect feature in the navigation section of the admin settings.

 

Yvonne_Yoast_0-1724283996249.jpeg

 

For more detailed guidance, you can refer to these resources:

 

I’m excited to let you know that the Yoast SEO App is now available on Shopify! This app can help you optimize your store’s SEO and improve its visibility.

You can take advantage of a 14-day free trial to explore its features and see how it works for your store. It’s a great opportunity to test its capabilities and determine how it can enhance your SEO strategy.