Customized 404 page

[kusadasi-guy]

How can i create customized 404 error pages efficiently for both spiders and visitors?

Do you think that customized 404 error pages is useful for Google?

[SEO studio]

We have setup a custom error page that has a link back to the site map page.
I am not sure if the spiders would follow the site map link, but I am sure our visitors will appreciate it.
The only problem we had run into was trying to remove a dead link from the search engine’s index. We could only do it by turning custom error handling off for a while until the next spider visit, which would find the dead link and delete the link from it’s index.
Is there a better way to remove a page from the search engine’s index?

[digitalpoint]

I don't think it's useful for Google, but I do think it's useful for the users. As far as how to set a custom error page, it depends on your web server. What web server are you using?

- Shawn

[kusadasi-guy]

i am using win2k3 and i can easly do it DigitalPoint,

i just meant that sometimes i am deleting pages then adding new ones, so maybe it may useful for Google when it comes to old pages for crawl (it may come from my internal pages via un-updated links or external sites).

[digitalpoint]

Well for Google, the best thing to do is to redirect to the new page using a HTTP 301 (permanent) redirect.

- Shawn

[kusadasi-guy]

Thank you so much Digital Point;

But whats your choice, 301 or customized 404?

[seo guy]

Kusadasi Guy, a 404 is for when a page does exist but the server is having problems retrieving it (OR so I think) a 301 redirect is the one to use if your page is "permanantly moved" so if the page has been deleted then use a 301 it also tells the SE not to come back as its gone now

[jocelyn]

[QUOTE=seo guy]Kusadasi Guy, a 404 is for when a page does exist but the server is having problems retrieving it (OR so I think) a 301 redirect is the one to use if your page is "permanantly moved" so if the page has been deleted then use a 301 it also tells the SE not to come back as its gone now[/QUOTE]
I'd use a 301 for any page I kill. If there was a link added to it on a site and you don't know, it will still serve a good page to the visitor.
Webmasters check the links once in a while. If the link serves a good page chances are he will not remove it.
Sending the visitor to the map may just make him leave since he is not finding what he was looking for, but if you send him to a different but related page, he might even not notice...