Yahoo Big Bug

jmdb71 · #1 (**permalink**) 06-21-2004, 11:05 AM

Hi,
On the Yahoo site help section, they explicitly say to use 301 redirects when chaning pages. However, now they are punishing sites for "duplicate content" that do this and basically removing them from all relevant searches.

What should i do? is there a yahoo phone number? This is ridiculous!

Brittany · #2 (**permalink**) 06-21-2004, 11:11 AM

jmdb71,

Thanks for posting! I've moved your thread to our new Yahoo! forum. Now you have a place to post all your Yahoo-related questions :)

Hopefully someone here can give you an answer to your question!

Brittany

Lee Deeming · #3 (**permalink**) 06-21-2004, 11:15 AM

Well, while frustratingly confusing, in my mind, the answer is obvious, if they are going to such lengths as to remove sites from their index for doing it - don't do it.

jmdb71 · #4 (**permalink**) 06-21-2004, 11:33 AM

Hi,
I already did the 301s, according to the yahoo guidelines, and was basically dropped from the yahoo results for it. What can i do to get included again? Anyone know their phone support number? thanks!

bhartzer · #5 (**permalink**) 06-22-2004, 12:04 PM

I've seen where Yahoo! admitted that they have an issue with 301s. They say that they're dealing with it, and hopefully will have it corrected soon.

The 301 Permanent Redirect is an internet standard, and Yahoo! is not complying with internet standards by honoring proper 301 Permanent Redirects.

I still recommend that you continue using the 301 Permanent Redirect because you're telling visitors and spiders that your domain name (or page) has permanently moved to another location. That's the proper thing to do if your domain or page has truly moved permanently.

jmdb71 · #6 (**permalink**) 06-22-2004, 02:53 PM

thank you very much for the informative reply. i hope they come up with a solution soon - i was enjoying top rankings on yahoo, with a legitimate spam-free site, and then i was dropped for following THEIR guidelines..
its all part of the fun, i guess.

Lee Deeming · #7 (**permalink**) 06-23-2004, 11:11 AM

bhartzer, surely it is not worth getting dropped from the Yahoo! index, just, because you think it is neccessary to follow internet standard. Why not use another form of redirect, simply because they have taken this rediculous action, at least until the situation is rectified.. :)

OneMoreBite · #8 (**permalink**) 06-23-2004, 12:48 PM

On which site did you use the 301 redirect, and how do you know that is what affected your ranking? When I did a search on Yahoo for tools for flooring, I get links in the top 10 for your site, http://www.ejwelch.com - which includes the tools4flooring word in the title, so I figured that was the redirected site, but if you try the links for the old yahoo listings for ejwelch.com you get 401 not found. If you go directly to ejwelch.com you don't get redirected to tools4less.com

Is it to some other site you are referring in this post? Just curious. I like to see for myself when someone says they have a problem, and I'd love to see the evidence.

Kathryn

jmdb71 · #9 (**permalink**) 06-23-2004, 04:02 PM

The catalog was at www.ejwelch.com, then i switched the catalog to its own site at www.tools4flooring.com The 301 redirects from the ejwelch site to the new site are what caused the drop. The new site did come up on the first page for searches for "flooring tools","carpet tools", etc. and now is nowhere to be found.

But anyway, the cause is the 301 redirect bug in yahoo. This is, without any doubt, what is affecting my ranking. Id like to call to make sure my site gets put on the 'correction' list, but im reluctant to call long distance to CA and be on hold forever...they better fix this soon, id say this is a MAJOR flaw.

bhartzer · #10 (**permalink**) 06-23-2004, 06:17 PM

Yahoo! tells you to use the 301, so I would go ahead and continue to use it:

http://help.yahoo.com/help/us/ysearc...dexing-08.html

Are you sure that the 301 caused you to be dropped from the index? What makes you believe that the 301 did it?

cbp · #11 (**permalink**) 06-23-2004, 06:29 PM

Quote:

The catalog was at www.ejwelch.com, then i switched the catalog to its own site at www.tools4flooring.com The 301 redirects from the ejwelch site to the new site are what caused the drop. The new site did come up on the first page for searches for "flooring tools","carpet tools", etc. and now is nowhere to be found

I am with Bill - I can see no 301 redirect and both sites are in the Yahoo index - they just rank poorly --> look for other reasons.

CBP

jmdb71 · #12 (**permalink**) 06-24-2004, 11:58 AM

I removed the 301 redirects, hoping yahoo will see this and maybe fix my problem quickly. I dont understand why you are saying this is not the reason - my site enjoyed top ranking for searches specific to my page. Now, the tools4flooring.com site no longer shows up. It and the ejwelch page that redirects to the catalog are seen as duplicate content. Check out the insider reports forum on this site, and see Garrett's article on the 301 redirects. This is certainly what has happened with my site.

Thank you for pointing out that the e.j. welch site is showing up on searches. I had taken out the redirect, but suppose i will reinclude it now..

cbp · #13 (**permalink**) 06-24-2004, 07:08 PM

Quote:

removed the 301 redirects

OK - that would explain why I no see it. I thought you might have *thought* you had a 301 redirect when you didn't and that was the problem.

I recall a thread over at WMW a year or so ago in which a major ecommerce site (lots of staff) got dropped by Google after they apparently did a 301... there was a lot of anger being directed at Google about its corporate responsibility etc (staff had to be layed off by the ecom business due to drop in sales)... turned out they thought they had a 301, when it wasn't .... it was simply fixed.

CBP