Add noindex,nofollow prior to removing pages resulting in 404's

[Prospector-Plastics]

We're working with another site that unfortunately due to how their website has been programmed creates a bit of a mess.

Whenever an employee removes a page from their site through their homegrown 'content management system', rather than 301'ing to another location on their site, the page is deleted and results in a 404.

The interim question until they implement a better solution in managing their website is:

Should they first add noindex,nofollow to the pages that are scheduled to be removed. Then once they are removed, they become 404's?

Of note, it is possible that some of these pages will be used again in the future, and I would imagine they could submit them to Google through Webmaster Tools and adding the pages to their sitemap.

[MikeRoberts]

Personally I don't think the NoIndex, NoFollow solution is the best because they'll be harming or killing any link equity that was going to the site through that page instead of consolidating it. The best solution would be to come up with the means of adding that 301 as soon as you can so they stop hurting themselves needlessly.

Could they possibly leave the page up and just add some form of "Product Discontinued" type of message on the page to direct people to the most pertinent category page and other listing/product as needed? That way they don't shoot themselves in the foot while they wait on the ability to easily 301 and then once they can they just need to 301 the pages with the "Discontinued" message to one of the relevant pages listed.