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Forum: Why does Google show the PRINT version of website pages?

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  1.  
    • CommentAuthorejsimmons
    • CommentTimeMay 11th 2008
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    Using Semiologic Pro RC-3. My new site is already getting good organic search results. However, the print version of my pages come up, instead of the regular version. That is, a Google search for an important keyword phrase returns in results page 1 position 1 and 2:
    http://mysite.com/time-limits/?action=print
    instead of
    http://mysite.com/time-limits/
    and
    http://mysitehomepage.com/?action=print
    instead of
    http://mysitehomepage.com/

    Is there a way to get Google's robot to send people to the regular and not the print version of pages?

    Regards, - E. J.

    p.s. Thank you Denis and Mark for the ability to get good SEO as a relative beginner
    • CommentAuthorPaul
    • CommentTimeMay 11th 2008
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    I'm looking for the answer to this one myself, as a short term fix i just removed the print link.
    • CommentAuthorejsimmons
    • CommentTimeMay 11th 2008
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    Paul -

    When I searched topics for "remove print" I found only one thread, from April of 2007:
    http://forum.semiologic.com/discussion/1406/remove-print-and-email-links/#Item_0

    in which Denis commented that "... the print link's page [is] already set to enforce a noindex."

    It seems that this was lost in the current version. The source for the print version does not contain the word "noindex". Most users want SEO so it seems to me that this would be important.

    Unless there is an official response, I will have to try the custom.php method suggested in thread http://forum.semiologic.com/discussion/2309/ or by you in thread http://forum.semiologic.com/discussion/2718/

    Thanks, - E. J.
    • CommentAuthorPaul
    • CommentTimeMay 11th 2008
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    I wasnt positive that those customs worked anymore.

    I just unselected the print option thru it's widget.
    • CommentAuthorejsimmons
    • CommentTimeMay 11th 2008
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    Paul -
    Thank you for the direction to the widget, it worked and I do not have to deal with unfamiliar custom.php issues.
    Best regards, - E. J.
    • CommentAuthorfrazietl
    • CommentTimeJun 20th 2008
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    Has anyone come up with a better fix to this than removing the print function? I am having the same problem with my print pages being indexed by Google.
    • CommentAuthorchris_c
    • CommentTimeJun 20th 2008 edited
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    without getting into a whole discussion about robots.txt you will notice that the final entry on this list is the one that will stop the print function being indexed:

    User-agent: *
    Disallow: /wp-content/cache/
    Disallow: /wp-content/themes/
    Disallow: /wp-content/plugins/
    Disallow: /wp-admin/
    Disallow: /wp-includes/
    Disallow: /wp-login.php
    Disallow: /wp-register.php
    Disallow: /page/
    Disallow: /feed/
    Disallow: /*/feed/$
    Disallow: /*/feed/rss/$
    Disallow: /*/trackback/$
    Disallow: /?

    Hope that helps - but bear in mind that now your pages are in the index they could remain in there for sometime!

    Chris
    • CommentAuthorfrazietl
    • CommentTimeJun 21st 2008
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    Thanks- added these commands to my robots.txt file.

    As an aside, was this handled automatically in the prior verion of Sem Pro?
    • CommentAuthorchris_c
    • CommentTimeJun 21st 2008
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    No, but there has always (?) been a sample robots.txt file included - but as with all things internet/seo there are a range of opinions as to what to include etc.
    • CommentAuthorfrazietl
    • CommentTimeJun 27th 2008
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    Update-

    When I disallowed the robots from going to my feeds, I really shot myself in the foot. Turns out Google Blog search uses this to index your posts. I couldn't figure out why my posts all of the sudden dropped off the face of the earth. Changed the robot file and hope it starts working again.

    Chris_C- still appreciative, though, for the list.
    • CommentAuthorsminc
    • CommentTimeJun 27th 2008
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    frazietl,

    What did you change in your robot file?

    Jeff

    • CommentAuthorfrazietl
    • CommentTimeJun 27th 2008
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    Jeff,

    I used the list above originally, so I got rid of:
    Disallow: /feed/
    Disallow: /*/feed/$
    Disallow: /*/feed/rss/$

    Still not be indexed but I'll have to give it some more time.

    Tracy
    • CommentAuthorsminc
    • CommentTimeJun 27th 2008
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    Thanks Tracy, those lines were never in my robot file, just wanted to make sure! :)

    Jeff

    • CommentAuthorchris_c
    • CommentTimeJun 27th 2008
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    I perhaps should have been clearer in my original post :)

    I used the example purely to illustrate that robots.txt is a method of controlling how google indexes your site. It was not meant to be an example/recommendation of the precise use robots.txt

    there is a wide ranging and vigorous discussion about what to exclude/include -as you would expect.

    Chris
    • CommentAuthorMike_K
    • CommentTimeJul 25th 2008
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    The noindex, nofollow was missing for the print page in 5.5. This is fixed in 5.6.

    Mike

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