Google shows temporary URL for my site

[ldor]

Hi all,

I have just moved my site to a new host. After I updated the DNS records to point to the new host, instead of my regular URL, Google now shows the temporary URL like this: hostaddress.com/~mysite/ . In fact, it seems that Google also knows the real URL of my site but thinks that these are two different sites - I did a more specific search and found my site with its real URL too. I used this temporary URL to test the site before updating the DNS records and it is still available. But I of course don't want Google to show it as my site's link. How can I get this corrected?

[zico82]

When you were 'testing' the site before it had gone live did you not block the url via robots.txt? If not you should have done and should do now.

You can also remove URLs via Google WMT.

[ldor]

Thank you for the suggestion but is it possible to disallow a temporary URL through robots.txt? It looks like a completely different URL, so I don't think it can be blocked this way - otherwise people would be able to use robots.txt to block the sites of their competitors
As for WMT, I did not find how to block an URL there, could you please tell me? But in this case the same question arises - as it looks like a completely different URL, not like a part of my main URL, will it be possible to block it?

[ozzyr]

if you still have access to the old site, try and block it with a robots.txt now.

if the host of your temporary site location deletes it from their server, it'll disappear from the index after a while.

you won't be able to delete the URL's of the old site using WMT unless you're registered as an admin of the other domain in WMT or can add that domain in your WMT.

[ldor]

Maybe I didn't explain it clear enough. Both URLs belong to the new site (As a new user I am not allowed to post the URLs so that you could see them, but they look completely different as the host names are different). Technical support told me that the development URL cannot be disabled, it is a part of their system. Nor can it be redirected using 301.

[Test-ok]

Why not post the message you got from tech support and not try and interpret it.

[ozzyr]

when i said "old site" and "new site", i was referring to the location of the site, like the hostnames, as you said they were different.

it's really unfortunate that they won't delete the URL of the development site or do a redirect for you. if you still have access to it, i would just delete all of the content that it has.

[ldor]

It is not possible to delete the content of the "old" site as it shares the content with my actual site. In other words, it is the same site but it is accessible via two different url's

[ldor]

Why not post the message you got from tech support and not try and interpret it.

I did not save the chat session with tech support but they clearly told me that the development url cannot be deleted and that 301 redirect will not work on it. By the way, I still tried 301 redirect and my site became completely inaccessible, so what they told me is true.

[ozzyr]

i'm at a loss on how this is even possible if you've pointed the dns elsewhere. are you using frames to display the old site inside if your new one?

if not, use the rel=canonical tag to point to the right domain.

http://support.google.com/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=139394

[ldor]

i'm at a loss on how this is even possible if you've pointed the dns elsewhere. are you using frames to display the old site inside if your new one?

if not, use the rel=canonical tag to point to the right domain.

http://support.google.com/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=139394

Thank you for all your suggestions. I have finally found a solution on another forum (cannot post its url as I am not allowed to). And it IS a 301 redirect despite what tech support has told me:

RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^gator608.hostgator.com/~syportal/$ [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://www.sahajayogaportal.org/$1 [L,R=301]

And regarding what you say that "how this is even possible", maybe I still could not explain the thing properly. The DNS are now pointed to my new host. But this host (as many others) provides another URL ("development URL") to every site it hosts. That is quite normal, only thing I don't know is how Google managed to find it as I did not link to that "development URL" from anywhere. Anyway, now the problem seems to be solved (I mean, I hope Google will now update its info when it finds this 301 redirect).

[ozzyr]

i understand the idea of offering a development site, but you should still be able to change the content on one and it not effect the other.

if you put that redirect in the htaccess file on your new domain, it won't do anything.

you can still go to the old domain. at least all of the subpages are 404 now, unless that was always the case.

[ldor]

if you put that redirect in the htaccess file on your new domain, it won't do anything.

You are right - I've just found out that my problem is still not solved and .htaccess doesn't do anything as you say. First it looked like redirect was working but that was somehow caused by the proxy I use. After deleting all recent history, I see that the redirect does not work.

you can still go to the old domain. at least all of the subpages are 404 now, unless that was always the case.

There is no old domain. I created the site under the temporary or "development' URL and then pointed the DNS to the new host.

[ozzyr]

There is no old domain. I created the site under the temporary or "development' URL and then pointed the DNS to the new host.

by "old domain" i meant the development url. "new domain" i meant the address you pointed your DNS to.

sorry for the confusion.

if you still have access to the "development" site, you should add a rel=canonical tag on the pages to link to the address you pointed your DNS to