I oversee a website with 500,000 URLs. Recently, I removed a significant number of URLs in order to optimize crawl budget by either adding 'noindex+nofollow' tags or returning a 404 response. After some time, I discovered that some of these URLs had valuable backlinks from high domain authority sites.
- Is there a possibility that removing these URLs could have a negative impact on my site’s rankings?
- Can I create custom tools to detect URLs that have external backlinks but are noindexed or returning a 404 error (by analyzing, for example, the Apache logs)?
- What are the top commercial tools available for identifying such URLs?
It is possible that removing URLs with valuable backlinks, even if they are noindexed or return a 404 error, could negatively impact your site’s rankings. While search engines might not directly attribute link juice from a noindexed or 404 page, the backlinks can still provide signals about the overall authority and relevance of your website. Removing these links could potentially disrupt these signals and lead to a decline in rankings, especially if the backlinks are from high-authority domains.
Creating custom tools to analyze Apache logs and detect URLs with external backlinks that are noindexed or returning a 404 error is feasible. You can parse the logs for specific HTTP request codes, like 404, and extract the referring URLs. By cross-referencing this information with a backlink checker tool, you can identify the URLs that are noindexed or returning a 404 error but have backlinks.
Several commercial tools are available for identifying URLs with external backlinks that are noindexed or returning a 404 error. Some popular options include:
- Ahrefs: Ahrefs provides comprehensive backlink analysis, including the ability to filter backlinks based on specific HTTP status codes. You can identify URLs that are noindexed or returning a 404 error, even if they are not directly linked from your website.
- SEMrush: SEMrush offers similar features to Ahrefs, allowing you to filter backlinks by HTTP status code and identify URLs with backlinks that are noindexed or returning a 404 error.
- Moz: Moz’s Open Site Explorer tool also allows you to filter backlinks by HTTP status code, providing insights into the status of URLs with backlinks.
- Majestic: Majestic provides a detailed backlink analysis tool that includes filters for HTTP status codes, enabling you to identify URLs with backlinks that are noindexed or returning a 404 error.
When choosing a tool, consider your budget, the specific features you need, and the ease of use. It’s recommended to try out a few different options to find the best fit for your requirements.