Wrong eShop domain name listed on search engines

[Samprod]

We have an ongoing problem with getting our domain name listed on search engine results for our BT eShop. The results keep coming up with the default https://btowstore..., rather than our own http://www.mydomainname...

Despite moving our domain name to BT 5 months ago we are finding that the results are still incorrect. When questioning this with the VAS team we have been fobbed off with SEO issues that are out of their control. However, we have worked with the BT Search Success team who have confirmed that this needs to be corrected through the site set up, and it is NOT a SEO issue. A number of reasons confirm this:-

1. New pages added to the site still get listed with the wrong domain name

2. The changes made to individual pages with the SEO company (BT Search Success) are shown on the results for the wrong domain name

3. The incorrect domain name shouldn't even be seen by search engines because it has 'https' in the URL

Can anyone suggest a solution to this very frustrating problem, or provide a useful contact who can bottom this issue?

Regards 

[ironscot]

It appears that you're not the only person with this problem (to help raise it's profile with BT) see http://btb.lithium.com/btb/board/message?board.id=Webhosting&thread.id=2465

[eShopTeam · Accepted solution]

Hello Samprod,

Unfortunately an 301 redirect from https://btowstore... to http://www.mydomain... is not possible.

Google, Microsoft and Yahoo  has now released a new html tag, which is named "canonical" with that everything changes.

This solves the problem with double contents. Online shops do create dynamic web pages, which has individual parts needed for each page. These urls normally having parameters, which are needed from the content management system.

For example:

http://www.mydomainname..../chiefjewelery?color=red&size=24&id=2138

The searchengine indexed this site, with this url. But if the content management system recognizes a visitor from a partner site, for example google adwords, then the url could have different parameters, but using the same content. The same could happen with internal recommendation links.

Now the eshop could be indexed with more than one url:

For example:

First Link:

http://www.mydomainname..../chiefjewelery?color=red&size=24&id=2138

Link through adwords:

http://www.mydomainname..../chiefjewelery?color=X&size=X&id=2120&ref=adwords&key_1=indian&key_2=costueme

Double contents are often blacklisted from searchengines. Double content also reduces chances to be crawled the right amount of traffic, most crawlers do have limitation on how many pages they crawl.

For more information look for keyword "canonical tag" on google, you will find information sites quickly.

In fact with the tag "canonical" the searchengine follows your recommendation and is indexing your eshop with it. This function has been added today. You can now create short urls for all your content sites automatically or edit it manually if the content name wanted to be different.

The code:

<link rel=”canonical” href=”http://www.mydomainname..../” />

To get back to your question about indexed https://btowstore... . These sites normally shouldn´t be indexed. One way this urls be has been indexed, are some links are pointing to your eshop with this url from external sites. (forum, webpages etc.)

To be sure we recommend to use tools like "etracker" to analyse it. And a tipp never post the https://btowstore../yourshop.sf url anywhere.

[Samprod]

Thanks,

So will this new feature resolve our problem? Or will the old URL's still be available and indexed on search engines?

We have created these new short URL's but can see no difference when using the website - is it active yet?

[eShopTeam]

Hello Samprod,

Yes, the new short URLs and the canonical tag will solve the problem. Since the canonical tag is also used on HTTPS pages of the shop, the HTTPS links on the search results should disappear. I cannot say how long this mitght take.

Sincerely,

[Samprod]

Thanks again for your response.

Is the canonical tag feature different to the short URL feature?

Can we get any more information about this and future updates?

[Samprod]

Please see the link below to another forum post. This suggests that the canonical tag will not resolve this problem?

Short URL's and Canonical tags

Can you please provide more details about which answer is correct?

[Fiona]

Hi Samprod

As the E Shop team updated the other post today, i suspect that is the correct and most up to date answer. As the E Shop team said, the update and fix's to the shop are due to take place next year.

Kind Regards

Fiona

BT Business Forum Moderator