How bad are 403 errors compared to 404s in regards to technical SEO?

[RosemaryB]

Google Webmaster Tools reports "Access Denied" 403 errors.  They also provide an explanation of what they mean at https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/2409441?ctx=MCE&ctx=AD&hl=en.

What are the implications of these Access Denied errors?  Should they be 301 redirected internally?

[PatrickDelehanty]

Hi there

It really depends on the purpose of that page and if it exists. What is it supposed to be? Is there another page on your site that has the content contained on this page previously?

Content lives elsewhere - 301 redirect, remove from sitemap, and update internal links / backlinks 
Page is gone for good and has no where to go - Create a 404 page that's useful. Remove from sitemap and update links / backlinks to a new page

Hope this helps! Good luck