Most SEO experts are familiar with error codes and redirect pages, and know how useful and necessary they are in terms of managing web pages which are not working properly or are under construction. Some of the most familiar and popular server codes are the 301, 302 or 404, but a code that is being used more frequently is the 503 code. This code is just a status error code like the others, yet it is the one code which a lot of companies do not use to their full advantage. Whilst it cannot be used in every instance, there are benefits to using this code when it counts, and it can make a vast difference in terms of the effectiveness of your SEO.
The main reason why SEO consultants do not regularly use this code is simply down to a lack of understanding and also out of habit. As the other codes are generally seen more throughout the web in general and are more accepted, they are more commonly used over the 503 code.
The most distinctive characteristic of the 503 status code is that unlike some of the other codes, this one is usually displayed when there is an actual problem with the server and not because there are corrupt links or web pages under construction or review, or any other reason that is not server related. Any time the server is unavailable, the 503 code will be displayed.
Error messages for server issues are commonly caused by a large amount of traffic going to a site, and if the crawlers and robots searching do not understand the reasons why, it can affect page ranking and index scoring. This is arguably one of the best features of the 503 code, as it tells the search robots exactly what the problem is. In a similar way that you can adapt standard redirect pages to inform consumers when a site will be up and running, a 503 code can inform the search engines.
If you know that your site will be unavailable for a specific time frame then it is possible to instruct the search engines of this time frame and advise them when they can return. This is a clever tactic as it means that the search engine will stay away whilst the site is not working, resulting in less damage to the indexing, yet it will return when the site is actually fixed and not leave it alone altogether because your site was deemed a broken one. If the problem is purely a vast amount of traffic then the search engines can be instructed to simply return when the traffic flow has decreased.
The 503 code can even be used alongside other error codes for instances, such as site maintenance as a communication tool for the search engines. Whilst a 301 or 404 direct can be included to inform website visitors how long they should expect the site to be down, the 503 can offer the same information to the search engines, resulting in everybody being happy.
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Posted by Richard.
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