How To Get Google To Update?

**Boojum** · December 22, 2003

I'm not sure if there's any more specific category for this, so I'll ask it here.

An old version of my site still exists on my previous host's servers, and Google's index still points to it. (To test this, try a search for "squort".)

So, how do I get Google to update its index before having the old version deleted? And, indeed, should I? Or is this a case where the index will be updated only when the old version has been removed?

What I don't want is to have the old host delete the pages only to find that the site disappears from Google altogether, which is why I have not yet taken any action.

I ask here because Google doesn't provide any means of contact--and besides, it seems there's always someone here who knows the answer to any question, however obscure. Rock Sign

TCH-Rob: Moved as Google is aimed a bit more at promotion.

Edited December 22, 2003 by TCH-Rob

**SEO** · December 22, 2003

Ideally you will have access to a .htaccess file at www.cruzers.com

Then do a permanent redirect:

>redirect 301 /~pointzero/index.html http://www.squort.com/index.html

This will pass all Google 'memory' (i.e. PageRank, backlinks, etc.) from your old site to the new.

Hope this helps.

More on Redirects Here

**Boojum** · December 23, 2003

TCH-Scott:

Unfortunately, I do not have access to .htaccess or any other files at my previous host; it was also my previous ISP, so my login will not work now that my account with them is closed.

I could try asking them to prepare a 301 themselves, but my sense is that they are unaware of having the pages still on their server, and would likely react to the request simply by removing them without further ado. And this would create the exact situation I least want, where Google's index leads to pages that no longer exist and for which there is no redirect.

Any other approaches I could try?

**SEO** · December 23, 2003

You can do the redirect below at the old site. Now this is for visitors not spiders. Well it is for spiders too in that you could receive a penalty if you have duplicate content (i.e. two URLs with the same content).

You will have to wait for spiders to pick up the new site. For Google, this is best done by supplying links to the new site from external pages (i.e. get other people to link to your new site).

Have you added your site to our Family Members pages?

><html>

<head>
<title>Redirection Example</title>
<noscript>
<!--
   meta-tag "refresh" is provided for those browsers that
   do not support JavaScript.  Please note that the time
   delay is greater than zero.

   Notice that this is nested within a "noscript" block.
   Which means that browsers that support JavaScript will
   not "see" the refresh meta-tag.
-->
<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="2; URL=http://www.somewhere.com/something.html">
</noscript>
<script language="JavaScript">
<!--

// This is the file to which we will redirect.
//  IF this is changed please remember to change the
//  entries in the meta-refresh as well as in the
//  link in the document body.
//
//  sTargetURL is declared in the JavaScript 1.0 version
//  code block but it will be available in all later version
//  JavaScript code blocks.
//
var sTargetURL = "http://www.somewhere.com/something.html";

function doRedirect()
{
   //  The JavaScript 1.0 version of this function supports
   //  browsers that don't have the ability to replace this
   //  file in the browser history.  As a result we want to
   //  make sure that we briefly delay so when the visitor
   //  is moving back through their browser-history they
   //  will have time to press the back-button on this page
   //  before the script moves them to the redirection
   //  target page again.
   //
   //  Notice that we have the timeout the same amount as in
   //  the meta-refresh version.
   //
   setTimeout( "window.location.href = sTargetURL", 2*1000 );
   
   //  The 2*1000 equals 2 seconds.
}

//-->
</script>

<script language="JavaScript1.1">
<!--
//  Browsers that support JavaScript 1.1 will replace the
//  earlier definition of doRedirect defined in the
//  JavaScript 1.0 code block.  Make sure that this
//  definition appears after the 1.0 definition in the file.
//
function doRedirect()
{
   //  JavaScript 1.1 added the 'replace' function on the
   //  location object so we can change locations without
   //  adding to the browser's history.
   //
   window.location.replace( sTargetURL );
}

//  Just to be a bit fun -- we call the doRedirect function
//  directly here.  This means that it is called before the
//  page fully loads.  If your visitor is using a later
//  browser, then they will most likely not even see any of
//  "this" page at all.
//
doRedirect();

//-->
</script>

</head>

<!--
   Use the "onload" event to start the redirection process.
-->
<body onload="doRedirect()">

<!--
   Provide a link that the user can click on just in case
   there is a problem with the other redirection methods.
-->

<p>Loading <a href="http://www.somewhere.com/something.html">redirection target</a></p>
<p>In approx. 2 seconds the redirection target page should load.<br>
If it doesn't please select the link above.</p>

</body>

</html>

**Boojum** · December 24, 2003

TCH-Scott:

My primary problem, once again, is that I have no access to the old site.

Is there some way to make the script you supplied work without that?

**SEO** · December 24, 2003

If you do not have access to the old site then, no there is not a way to alter it (i.e. redirect).

Sorry.

You will just have to wait until all things change. I would ask your old ISP to delete the files though (and maybe ask if you can put a redirect up).

Good luck.

**Boojum** · December 31, 2003

Well, I now have an update on the situation.

I spoke to my previous ISP/host, asking them, as a courtesy, to set up a 301 redirect page so anyone reaching the old site via Google would be forwarded to the new URL.

Their reaction: They removed the pages, all right. And then they redirected all visits to their "custom 404 page," allowing anyone who tried to find the site to view an assortment of lovely unsolicited advertisements while concluding that my site no longer exists.

Now, can anyone tell me any means of getting Google to update its index?

(Note: There are already several inbound links, using the correct URL, from other fairly popular sites, and these do appear on a Google search, so I must conclude that Google found nearly identical content at two different URLs and decided that the old version was the real site.)

**charle97** · December 31, 2003

resubmit your site to google and other engines.

heck, i'm in a giving mood. i'll link to your site from my blog. that should help you a bit to get crawled by google. google loves my blog.

Edited December 31, 2003 by charle97

**Lianna** · December 31, 2003

I think that Scott will disagree with the suggestion to resubmit. The way I hear it that can cause many more issues than it could solve.

I'll defer to Scott for the specific recommendations regarding Google though.

**charle97** · December 31, 2003

forget about the resubmitting. you're listed in google, just not for the term squort. you should put Squort.com in a nice header tag. like so,

><h1>Squort.com</h1>

i'm pretty sure google likes words in header tags. since the h1 tag is fairly huge and may not match your design, you can control the size of the h1 or any header tag using css.

**Boojum** · January 1, 2004

charle97:

When you say Squort.com is listed in Google, what keywords do you mean that it's listed under?

So far, the keywords/phrases that I've routinely used to check Google listings all point to the old URL--which now in turn points to a "custom 404 page" comprising unsolicited advertisements. :rolleyes:

**SEO** · January 2, 2004

Boojum:

No, your site is not indexed in Google. As I stated earlier, you have to be patient... it could take 30+ days to get your site indexed (and being indexed is no guarantee). I would consider your new site as just that, a new site and completely forget about the old one.

As charle97 suggested (although again do not consider this resubmitting, it will be submitting for the first time) submit the site to all the search engines (with one exception).

The exception is, as Lady Li suggested, Google (do not submit to them). Get as many other relevant sites to link to you... Google will pick the site up following these links (i.e. this is the best way).

[Thank carle97 for the link ]

Again, best to be patient

Good luck.

Edited January 2, 2004 by TCH-Scott

**charle97** · January 2, 2004

charle97:

When you say Squort.com is listed in Google, what keywords do you mean that it's listed under?

try, 'www.squort.com' and 'http://www.squort.com'.

i just searched google using 'squort' and i'm number three and four. woohoo.

**SEO** · January 2, 2004

Use site:www.squort.com -querty in the Google search field (this gives you the total number of pages within a site that are indexed).

Yes, the home page has been recently indexed (but not crawled; i.e. only one page indexed).

**Boojum** · January 3, 2004

charle97:

I do indeed thank you for the links. Please let me know if I can reciprocate.

**Boojum** · January 3, 2004

TCH-Scott:

1. Thanks for the information on indexing, but I'm a bit confused.

When I type "site:www.squort.com -querty" in the search field, Google returns a "no documents found" page; removing the space yields a page requesting the addition of some search terms, but when I add, e.g., "...+warthoggish" (a keyword that does bring up pages from the old site when used by itself), I still get the same page.

2. How exactly do you determine from Google's responses just how recently the page/site in question has been indexed? Or, indeed, that it has been indexed at all?

**Boojum** · January 3, 2004

Two annoying apparent forum bugs:

1. Although I have selected "Enable email notification of replies" in each of my posts, for the past few days I have received no such notifications.

Is this an ISP issue, or have others experienced the same problem?

2. When I attempted to post a new topic on this subject, I kept getting "Mail Error!" pages.

**Deverill** · January 3, 2004

As I understand it, the email notifications only work if you Log Out of the forums. If you just close your browser or navigate away then it thinks you are logged in and doesn't need to send the notification.

I may be wrong but it doesn't appear to me that Squort.com has been indexed by Google. They do, however, appear to have your old cruzers pages indexed so make sure that's not causing the confusion.

**Deverill** · January 3, 2004

I just read in another thread that the emails are something the gang is working on. It will be fixed as soon as possible.

**Boojum** · January 3, 2004

Thanks, Jim.

I have now taken the step of asking about this index-updating issue at Google forums. Now we get to see if that helps. :lol:

**SEO** · January 3, 2004

This is what I get:

**Deverill** · January 3, 2004

Maybe Google was in a flux or something. That's exactly what I tried earlier and got nothing. I just now tried it and got the same as you, Scott.

Google's posessed!

:lol:

**Boojum** · January 3, 2004

Jim:

Well, that would accord well with the rumor that Google forgot to pay its exorcist--and got repossessed.

**Deverill** · January 3, 2004

I know you didn't just say that!

:dance: :dance:

**charle97** · January 4, 2004

squort.com is #1 on google when searching for squort! congrats boojum. on a side note, i'm #3.

**Boojum** · January 4, 2004

Jim:

Yes, I'm afraid I did say that.

And yes, I know I'm heading straight for the punitentiary.

**Boojum** · January 4, 2004

charle97:

Excellent. Thumbs Up

(Now, if we can only somehow induce everyone to search Google for "squort," we've both got it made. Of course, that raises further questions--such as exactly what we've got made.)

**Nick_** · January 4, 2004

Kinda off topic, but I noticed that TCH is listed on top for "total choice" above DirecTV's Total Choice package deal and all...kinda interesting, I would have thought DirecTV's thing would be on top

Kudos to Scott and team....I wish I understood more about Search Engine Optimizing :lol:

I bought the Google Hacks book, but haven't even cracked it yet.

**Deverill** · January 4, 2004

Nick,

You would think Direct TV would be on top from the external links alone but they don't have our secret weapon! Scott rules!

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