How to handle URL's from removed products?

[U-Digital]

Hi All,

I have a question about a fashion related webshop. Every month about 100 articles are removed and about the some amouth is added to the site.

Most of the products are indexed on brandname and type (e.g. MyBrand t-shirt blue)

My question is what to do with the URL / page after the product is removed. I'm thinking about a couple of solutions:

1. 301 the page to the brand categorie page

2. build a script which shows related articles on the old URL (and try to keep it indexed)

3. 404 page optimized for search term with links to brand category

4. any other suggestons?

Thanks in advance,

Sam

[AsafY]

Personally I 301 the page to a new/similar product page. in my case every product has a related products list, and when a product is removed/archived i redirect to the first related item in the list.

I think this is best since any links out there will be redirected to the new product.

[U-Digital]

Hi Asaf,

Thanks for your awnser. Is the creation of the related product list an automated process?

[AsafY]

Currently No,

Since new products I get need to be manually linked to existing products (over 500)

But I plan to do it automatically over time based on other viewed items in the same category by the same user.

[U-Digital]

Does anyone has any other suggestions?