Why is Google indexing my IP address?

[prfb]

I recently noticed that Google seems to have around 500 pages from my site indexed under the IP address rather than the URL.

Some -- but not all -- are pages I block with robots.txt and removed using Webmaster Tools. (They weren't always blocked.)

I've found at least one non-blocked article that's indexed under the IP address but NOT the URL.

On the (potential) plus side, Webmaster Tools is showing some of these as sources of "external links" to pages on my site.

Additional weirdness: I just noticed that G is indexing both what Ping shows as my site's IP address AND a number one digit lower. I.e., if my address is 99.99.999.99, what's in the index is 99.99.999.98. I use a VPS, if that tells you anything. Both have about 500 pages.

Should I be concerned? What should I do?

[bwnbwn]

One of your competitors discovered this oversight and linked to the ip address. If your a DB site google can actually indexe the whole site under the ip address. this is a duplicate content nightmare.

[webmasterworld.com...]

[webmasterworld.com...]

These will help you correct the issue with the ip being indexed but it needs to be fixed and fixed fast.

[prfb]

*phew* Thanks for the links, bwnbwn. I have it sorted out now.

What's curious is that it wasn't a competitor -- it was a post I had written on a 3rd party forum, according to a G search for "link:99.99.999.98" . The post I wrote used the URL form, but somehow Google indexed it as the IP address.

Stranger still, G indexed all three: ..98, ..99 AND www.example.com from the same post. .98 is the IP of my DEV site, .99 is www.

Anyway, both IP addresses now 301 to www.example.com. THANKS!

[bwnbwn]

Glad ya got it taken care of this is just a little thing we can miss and cause huge problems down the road.