Should users be directed to a 404 page or a landing page?

1. Should you redirect to a 404 page?
2. What should be on 404 page?
3. Do 404 pages affect SEO?
4. Why custom 404 page is important for SEO?

Should you redirect to a 404 page?

404s should not always be redirected. 404s should not be redirected globally to the home page. 404s should only be redirected to a category or parent page if that's the most relevant user experience available. It's okay to serve a 404 when the page doesn't exist anymore (crazy, I know).

What should be on 404 page?

The rationale for a no-frills 404 page is typically pretty technical: the page is only supposed to serve notice of an error, and shouldn't do much more, other than provide a link to the homepage.

Do 404 pages affect SEO?

Google directly says 404s don't affect your site's rankings. As a matter of fact, “404 page not found” and 301 redirects are preferred to soft 404 errors. Advanced SEO documentation for Developers on Google Search Central suggests that you fix soft 404 errors to redirect or definitively return 404 or 410 errors.

Why custom 404 page is important for SEO?

An effective custom 404 page will encourage users to further explore your site and help them find what they are looking for. At a minimum, an error page should contain links to common resources, consistent branding, a clearly stated error message, and an apology for the error.