Google indexes name server

wrong url listed

[rrl]

Does anyone know what might cause Google to index the name server's domain instead of the website's domain? In other words, Google is listing www.nameserver'sdomain.com/contact.html instead of www.website'sdomain.com/contact.html

Thanks.

[cyberdigm]

I don't have an answer, but I have a similar problem.

I have two domains that currently point to the same URL.

When I go to Google and search for "our keyword phrase" my site comes back as the number 3 link (yeah!) but the URL that Google picks up is not my site. The domain name listed was hosted on our Web server at some point, but is dead now and is thus invalid.

In fact, if you go to the cached version of the page, all of the URLs resolve to www.wrongdomain.com/whatever... instead of www.ourdomain.com/whatever...

Effectively my site is inaccessible.

What do I need to do? Is this a DNS issue? We have tried to make sure our DNS entry is up to date. Do I need to switch to a different physical Web server box and IP?

Any help would be appreciated.

Chris O'Leary

[edited by: WebGuerrilla at 2:38 am (utc) on Sep. 25, 2002]
[edit reason] removed specific urls [/edit]

[rrl]

Chris, you moron, it's me Rich. LOL!

[WebGuerrilla]

I take it you two know each other? :)

Welcome to WebmasterWorld Chris

[amoore]

I probably can't solve your problem, but I may get you close. There are a couple of things that cause this, and it's usually related to the fact that you have several sites (virtualhosts) run on the same IP address.

In apache, you can set up a default virtualhost to get served when a browser requests a site that is not otherwise configured. If you don't set one up, it's my understanding that it uses the first one.

Also, in apache, in each virtualhost you can set up a ServerName configuration option (I think that's what it's called) that is supposed to be the canonical name for each virtual host. You can also set up several serveraliases that are other acceptable names for that virtualhost. This is what makes some sites so that when you request example.com you end up getting www.example.com in the address bar of your browser once the page loads. (and there was no redirect).

Now, here's what could be happening. There's a hostname that resolves to your machine that doesn't have an apache configuration set up for it. There's a link to it somewhere. You don't have a servername or whatever directive properly set up. Google follows the link and happily spiders your site under the wrong name.

Some of the details may be a touch off, but hopefully this will get you down the road to one possible cause. Oh yeah: I hope you're using apache. This may help as well: [httpd.apache.org...]

[cminblues]

Also, in apache, in each virtualhost you can set up a ServerName configuration option (I think that's what it's called) that is supposed to be the canonical name for each virtual host. You can also set up several serveraliases that are other acceptable names for that virtualhost. This is what makes some sites so that when you request example.com you end up getting www.example.com in the address bar of your browser once the page loads.

Ok, but for this have to happen, only the DNS configuration for this host [-> example.com] is really authoritative.

Apache, in fact, answer to 'raw' TCP-IP 'requests' for an IP.
The 'Host' value [-> i. ex. 'www.example.com'], is only in the header of the browser/spider HTTP request.

Moreover, Apache use his server-configured DNS in resolving httpd.conf configured 'ServerName' data.

All this make the whole thing a little bit complicated.
And more complicated, in name-based hosting sites ;)

I think that, unfortunately, some knowledge of DNS and Apache is needed in understanding the reasons of these glitches..

cminblues

[GoogleGuy]

You're telling me that the number of people who have problems with our index is so small that not only do that fit in the same room, but they're actually talking about the same site? ;)

Basically, make sure that virtual hosting is set up correctly by your ISP.

[cminblues]

You're telling me that the number of people who have problems with our index is so small that not only do that fit in the same room, but they're actually talking about the same site?

Hehe GoogleGuy, the majority of people is not here, they're searching Ganymede-Oracle answers..

And, yes, we're actually talking about google.com ;)

cminblues

[cyberdigm]

D'oh,

Well, you didn't describe the problem right. That's why I didn't recognize you. ;-)

Chris

[rrl]

Thanks, Googleguy, that was the problem. The virtual hosting didn't have that domain name defined and it defaulted to the primary.