Google search result going to a page that I did not put on my site

[RupDog]

Hi,

I am seeing a very strange result in google for my site. When doing a search for the term "london reflexology" my site comes up 18th in the results. But when I click the link or check the URL it shows up as: http://www.reflexologyonline.co.uk/reflexologyonline.php?Action=Webring

This is not right at all. It looks like some sort of cloaking but I am not sure. I am new to SEO and I do not know why goole is showing this URL that does not exist on my site and of witch the content is totally wrong.

Can anyone please help with this? See the 2 linked images for more details.

It seems to me the site might be hacked or something to that effect.

Please help....

jyJdP.png 71Mf4.png

[ClickConsult]

Don't panic, but it does look like you've been hacked. Using Yahoo! Site Explorer you can see where that page is linked from:

http://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com/uk/search?p=www.reflexologyonline.co.uk/reflexologyonline.php?Action=Webring&bwm=i&bwmo=d

^ 34 links to your page, all from other pages that have "Action=Webring" in the url. If you've never heard of a webring before then here's a primer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Webring - but basically it's a shady SEO tactic (from around 2000), the idea being that if everyone in the Webring links to each other on their page then that will give SEO benefit to each page in the ring.

If you hadn't said you knew nothing of it then I would have assumed you'd signed up to such a scheme but if not then someone has planted that page there

Solution:

1. Log into your FTP and delete reflexologyonline.php

2. I can see from this link that you're using Wordpress: http://www.reflexologyonline.co.uk/wp-admin/ so upgrade to the latest version.

3. If you notice this problem comes back then it is likely one of Wordpress plugins you have installed that has a security issue. In that case you're best disabling everything not-essental, and updating the essential ones to the latest version.

Of course your SEO agency/web developer will be able to do this for you if you're not part of the tech squad - at least I know we'd do it for our client.

Any more questions, give me a reply.

• Jon

[Daylan]

Hmm, it's an odd one. Is their anything in the root called refelxology.php? If so, check it out to see if that query is being pulled in from anywhere in particular.

Otherwise, a couple of things you could do to get rid of it.

• 301 the page to somewhere else. (perhaps 301 anything with the query ?Action=Webring
• Add it to your robots.txt file to not crawl.
• if reflexology.php does exist, add a canonical tag to it.

I know that doesn't answer why it's happening, but at least it will take care of the crappy result for your clients.

[RupDog]

Hi Jon,

Thank you for the answer. This is all very new to me so all the help I get is much appreciated. I can assure you I did not join a "webring". I think it must be a plugin I installed on the site.

I have to do everything myself as I am doing the SEO for my girlfriend's site. My budget is 0 so it is a DIY job. The only money I spend on it is for SEOMoz.

Thank you for the good advice. the problem is fixed now.

[RupDog]

Thank you Daylan, the 301 help instantly. Great suggestion.