How to Boost Organic Traffic by Cleaning Up Crawl Errors

We’ve all been there: pages disappearing, analytics dropping, and Google Search Console pinging warnings about crawl errors. Crawl errors may sound technical, but cleaning them up can directly boost your site’s organic traffic. In this article, you’ll learn what crawl errors are, how to fix them, and why doing so matters—step by step.

Understanding Crawl Errors

Crawl errors happen when search engine bots—like Googlebot—try to access pages but face problems, such as broken links, server failures, or misleading redirects. There are two main types:

• Site-level errors: issues preventing overall site access (DNS resolution issues, server downtime).
• URL-level errors: issues with individual pages (404 Not Found, 5xx server errors, redirect chains).

These errors can hurt search engine crawling efficiency, impede indexing, and weaken organic performance.

Why Fixing Crawl Errors Boosts Organic Traffic

Cleaning up crawl errors helps because it:

1. Improves crawl efficiency: Bots can’t index what they can’t access. Fixing errors ensures all your valuable pages are discovered.
2. Enhances user experience: Visitors hitting dead ends (404s) frustrate quickly—they bounce, hurting engagement and SEO.
3. Preserves link equity: Broken pages can waste inbound link value unless correctly redirected.
4. Signals healthy site to search engines: A clean site structure tells Google your site is well-maintained and trusted.

In short: fewer crawl errors = smoother crawling + better user experience + potential rank benefit.

Step‑by‑Step: Clean Up Crawl Errors to Boost Traffic

Here’s a practical roadmap:

1. Identify Crawl Errors

• Log in to Google Search Console.
• Navigate to Coverage (under “Index”) to see Error and Excluded pages.
• You’ll find error types like:
  • 404 Not Found
  • 5xx Server Errors
  • Redirect Issues (too many redirects, loops)
  • Submitted URL marked ‘noindex’
• Download the error report for review.

2. Prioritize Which Errors to Fix First

• High‑traffic URLs: Use Analytics to find pages with most organic visits.
• Pages with inbound links: Backlink tools (or GSC links report) tell you which broken pages carry link value.
• Broad-issue pages: If many old posts throw 404s, that’s a systemic issue worth fixing early.

3. Resolve 404 (Not Found) Errors

• If it was legitimate content, restore the page or rebuild it.
• If it’s obsolete or gone:
  • 301‑redirect to the most relevant existing page (e.g. similar resource or parent category).
  • If no alternative exists, return a proper 410 (Gone), signaling permanent removal (less confusing for bots).
• Clean up internal links pointing to broken URLs—update them.

4. Fix 5xx Server Errors

• These indicate server-side problems. Steps:
  • Diagnose server logs for root cause.
  • Check plugin or script failures.
  • Ensure server capacity and uptime.
  • After fixing, use Search Console’s Validate Fix to request re‑crawl.

5. Straighten Out Redirect Chains & Loops

• Too many chained redirects (A → B → C) slow down crawling. Instead, point A → C directly.
• Redirect loops confuse bots and users—eliminate loops immediately.
• Use tools like Screaming Frog or Sitebulb to detect chains and loops.

6. Handle “Submitted URL Marked Noindex” Errors

• Occurs when submitted for indexing but has a noindex tag.
• Action: If you actually want indexing, remove noindex; if not, remove the URL from sitemaps and resubmit.

7. Monitor & Resubmit Sitemaps

• Submit updated sitemaps in GSC.
• Watch the Coverage report for decreases in error numbers and increases in valid pages.

8. Set Up Regular Monitoring

• Revisit Coverage weekly or monthly.
• Use alerts (through third‑party tools or GSC notifications) to catch new errors fast.
• Treat crawl errors like broken links—they’re an ongoing cleanup job.

9. Track Results

• Use Google Analytics to monitor changes in organic sessions.
• Look for improvements in:
  • Organic traffic volume
  • Pages indexed
  • Crawl stats (under Settings → Crawl stats in GSC)
• Include a note: “took X days/weeks to re‑crawl and reflect changes.”

Frequently Asked Questionss

Can 404 errors harm my rankings permanently?

Not necessarily—404s are common as content ages. What can hurt is leaving them unfixed when they’re tied to traffic or links. Redirecting or restoring helps preserve value.

How long does it take for Google to re‑crawl after fixes?

Typically a few days to a few weeks—depending on crawl budget and site authority. Use “Validate Fix” in GSC to speed up priority URLs.

Should I use 410 instead of 404?

Use 410 when you’ve permanently removed a page and don’t plan to redirect. It tells search engines clearly: stop trying.

What’s the difference between server errors and soft 404s?

• 5xx errors mean your server failed to respond properly.
• Soft 404s serve a “not found” message with a 200 status (bot sees it as OK, user sees an error). Fix by returning proper 404/410 or redirecting.

Example Case Study (Hypothetical)

Example: A blog noticed organic traffic dipped 10 % over two months. GSC revealed 200 404 errors—mostly from outdated blog posts with broken internal links. The steps taken:

1. Reviewed and removed outdated posts.
2. Redirected high‑value broken URLs to relevant evergreen content.
3. Cleaned internal links.
4. Submitted updated sitemap and tracked coverage.

Result: Within two weeks, valid pages increased, crawl errors dropped; in the next month, organic traffic recovered and grew 15 %.

Conclusion

Cleaning up crawl errors might not be the most glamorous part of SEO—but it’s one of the most effective. By following this step-by-step guide, you’ll make your site easier to crawl and index, improve user experience, and protect valuable link equity—all of which can lead to a noticeable boost in organic traffic.

Quick Recap:

• Identify errors using Google Search Console’s Coverage report.
• Prioritize based on traffic, backlinks, and content value.
• Fix 404s, 5xx server errors, and redirect chains.
• Review “noindex” issues and update sitemaps accordingly.
• Resubmit updated sitemaps and validate fixes in GSC.
• Track improvements using Analytics and Search Console.
• Maintain your site health with regular crawl error audits.

Want expert help analyzing and fixing your site’s crawl errors?
Book a free strategy session with a Workroom SEO expert and start turning technical issues into traffic gains—fast.