How HTTP Status Codes Affect SEO

In the digital landscape, HTTP status codes are more than just technical responses – they play a critical role in how your website is crawled, indexed, and ranked by search engines. Whether you’re an SEO beginner or a seasoned marketer, understanding these codes can help prevent ranking issues, improve site performance, and ensure a seamless user experience.

Let’s explore how HTTP status codes affect SEO, with practical examples, tips, and best practices tailored for Indian businesses.

What are HTTP Status Codes?

HTTP status codes are server responses sent when a browser or search engine requests a page. They inform whether the request was successful, redirected, resulted in an error, or denied access.

They are grouped into five categories:

1xx: Informational
2xx: Success
3xx: Redirection
4xx: Client Errors
5xx: Server Errors

Why HTTP Status Codes Matter for SEO

Search engines like Google use status codes to determine if a page should be crawled, indexed, or dropped from search results. Incorrect status codes can lead to:

Crawl budget waste
Deindexing important pages
Broken internal linking
Reduced user trust

This technical aspect directly impacts visibility and revenue for businesses in India relying on digital presence – like aesthetic clinics, real estate firms, and hotels.

Essential HTTP Status Codes and Their SEO Impact

1. 200 OK

Meaning: The request was successful, and the content loads correctly.

SEO Impact: Ideal for all indexable pages. Ensure important pages return a 200 status.

2. 301 Moved Permanently

Meaning: The page has permanently moved to a new URL.

SEO Impact:

Transfers link equity (ranking power)
Crucial for website migrations, rebranding, or HTTPS upgrades
Google treats this as a strong signal

Example:

Old: http://yourclinic.com/services
New: https://yourclinic.com/services

3. 302 Found (Temporary Redirect)

Meaning: Temporary move to a new URL.

SEO Impact: Does not pass full link equity. Avoid using permanent redirects.

Best Practice: Use 302 only for temporary changes like A/B testing.

4. 404 Not Found

Meaning: The server can’t find the requested page.

SEO Impact:

Hurts user experience and crawlability
If important pages return 404s, they may get deindexed

Solution:

Redirect outdated or deleted pages using 301
Regularly monitor broken links using tools like Screaming Frog or Search Console

5. 410 Gone

Meaning: The page is permanently removed.

SEO Impact:

More definitive than 404 for telling Google to remove the URL from the index.

Use Case:

Pages that no longer exist (e.g., old offers, seasonal landing pages)

6. 500 Internal Server Error

Meaning: A generic error occurred on the server.

SEO Impact:

Blocks crawling and indexing
Frequent 500s may lead to ranking drops

Tip: Use uptime monitoring tools to catch and resolve server issues quickly.

Other Important Status Codes

403 Forbidden: The server is denying access. SEO-unfriendly if shown to bots.
503 Service Unavailable: Used during maintenance; tells Google it’s temporary.
429 Too Many Requests: Throttling errors can delay crawling.

How to Monitor HTTP Status Codes

Google Search Console: Check crawl errors
Screaming Frog SEO Spider: Crawl and export status codes
Ahrefs/Semrush Site Audit: Track 3xx, 4xx, 5xx issues
Server Logs: Identify user-agent-based issues

Best Practices for Managing Status Codes

Use 301 redirects for any permanent URL changes
Minimize 404 errors by auditing links regularly
During website migrations, map and redirect every URL
Avoid chained redirects (301 to 302 to 301)
Use 503 when doing planned maintenance to prevent indexing issues
Create a custom 404 page that guides users to relevant sections

Final Thoughts

HTTP status codes may seem technical, but they are fundamental to your site’s SEO health and user experience. Whether you’re running an aesthetic clinic in Mumbai, a resort in Goa, or a startup in Bangalore, ignoring status codes can cost you visibility, traffic, and business.

Need Help With Technical SEO?

Blow Horn Media specializes in technical SEO audits, GMB optimization, and full-stack digital strategies for national and international businesses. Let us help you uncover and fix status code issues that might be hurting your rankings.

How HTTP Status Codes Affect SEO