Strange Extension on URL in SERP (includes "twitter")

[Panthro]

I did a quick search, didn't see any threads but I'm sure this is not something new. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know.

In Google SERPs, a clien'ts site is appearing with a strange string of text added to the end of the page's URL. It looks like this:

example.com/index.html?sms_ss=twitter&at_xt=4ddaadf6dad1f079,0

This is a static html site, only a few pages. I've done a quick scan of the code and the only funny thing I've found is this:



at the very beginning of the sitemap.txt file.

[deadsea]

I googled "sms_ss" and it appears to be a url parameter that is used by the "addthis" social media sharing widget. Is your client using this widget?

[Panthro]

Yeah, after looking that's what I'm thinking too. They do use AddThis for social sharing.

Anyone else seeing this for their sites that use AddThis? Strange that Google picks it up like that.

Would be cool if that meant an extra page in the SERPs somehow lol.

[g1smd]

This URL probably indicates some sort of tracking of a user who followed a link in a twitter message that they had originally received as a text message on their mobile phone.

Ah. Other people type faster.


Make sure the page contains the rel="canonical" tag pointing to the canonical URL for the page.

You should not refer to the filename when referring to an index page. The canonical URL should simply end with a trailing slash.

[bhartzer]

If someone used the "addthis" social sharing widget and tweeted, and their twitter feed is syndicated (such as their website showing their latest tweets), that is one way that would cause the URL to indexed--there's a link to it.

[Panthro]

Hm, interesting. Thanks a-many guys!