Old URLs show new pages - strange!

JM6891 · Post by **JM6891** » Tue Jan 08, 2013 3:01 pm

Hi there,

I have a really really strange scenario...

We recently rebuilt a clients site using CMSMS. Their previous site was a bespoke php site.

When reviewing the Google Webmaster Tools, I noticed there were some Title tag duplications - between old pages from the old site and new pages on the cmsms site.

The thing is for these pages, no 301 redirects have been added from old pages to new ones, and no new pages have been set up in their place with the same page alias.

So, for example:

I have an old page url "http://www.site.com/view.php?id=1308&ac ... ld&page=21

When you visit this in the browser it displays a cmsms page on that URL, e.g. it might display the about us page, or the contact page. It doesn't redirect to a new page, it simply displays that page with this url as access. Sometimes it displays the content, sometimes it just displays the page with everything but main body text. This could cause duplicate content issues but I'm confused as to why this would happen in the first place.

There is no reference to view.php?id=1308&access=sold&page=21 in the database or in the .htaccess file - so how can the site be displaying one of the new pages for this url?

Furthermore, the CMSMS site went live on completely new hosting - so it can't be something set up at server level, can it? I've also looked in the control panel where the domain is held and can't seem to find anything in there. Any ideas any one has would be very much appreciated.

Thanks!

Rolf · Post by **Rolf** » Tue Jan 08, 2013 9:58 pm

You use pretty url?
"...page=21" is probably enough to rewrite the url and open the page.
Try to disable pretty url and try again.

Rolf

JM6891 · Post by **JM6891** » Wed Jan 09, 2013 9:00 am

Hi there,

Yes I use pretty urls. page=21 would be the page ID wouldn't it? How can I check the page ID within CMSMS so I can see if this is what it is doing?

Ideally I don't want to disable pretty urls as the site is live.

Thanks again

Post by **paulbaker** » Wed Jan 09, 2013 8:32 pm

Go to Content -> Pages and hover over a page name. The link will be something like

Code: Select all

editcontent.php?_sx_=7988cf4e&content_id=55&page=

So the ID in this case is 55.

Even easier if you're using OneEleven admin theme, it shows you the ID in a little popup when you hover over the page name.

Rolf · Post by **Rolf** » Thu Jan 10, 2013 8:36 am

Add to the top of your html template just after <head>:

Code: Select all

{if isset($canonical)}<link rel="canonical" href="{$canonical}" />{elseif isset($content_obj)}<link rel="canonical" href="{$content_obj->GetURL()}" />{/if}

It will tell Google what the correct URL is. The old URL will disappear from Google in a short time resolving your problem.
Read more http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canonical_link_element

grtz. Rolf

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Old URLs show new pages - strange!

Old URLs show new pages - strange!

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Re: Old URLs show new pages - strange!