Google Webmaster reporting dead links/404

DefenceTalk.com · October 6th, 2010, 02:14 PM

Hey,

I noticed google webmaster tools is reporting 404 and dead links within photopost install...

I don't know where this is coming from but the 404 originate from this link:

- Military Pictures - Air Force Army Navy Missiles Defense

The pictures on that page do exist but their links (SEO) are different than what is displayed there.

Chuck S · October 6th, 2010, 02:23 PM

My question would be is where are you getting that url in our program. Your cat variable is set to some non numeric identifier in that specific url which is the issue and I do not see how you would be getting that link in the program anywhere.

cat=archive

If I remove that in the url then the seo urls correctly work.

DefenceTalk.com · October 6th, 2010, 02:31 PM

I don't know where its coming from...

Chuck S · October 6th, 2010, 02:35 PM

Thats the issue. I dont see anywhere in the program we would be generating a url like that. I wonder if thats google playing with the urls.

DefenceTalk.com · October 6th, 2010, 02:43 PM

Hmmm, google would only follow the url it come across, check this out:

defencetalk cat=archive - Google Search

DefenceTalk.com · October 6th, 2010, 02:46 PM

its something to do with member galleries.... I have those disabled on AutoTalk.com and do not have the same problem there. I disabled member galleries at defencetalk.com and now you do not see the images when going to that url.

Chuck S · October 6th, 2010, 03:06 PM

what I am saying is our cat variable is a numeric value so what I am trying to express with not much luck is where in our program are we making the urls your seeing in that cookie link

Military photos - Military Pictures - Air Force Army Navy Missiles Defense

I do not see anyway we are creating links where cat is archive. cat would be a number do you follow what I am saying?

I see nowhere that we place a cat variable in the name of archive. You can see once I remove that in that custom url which maybe google is making the links show right.

DefenceTalk.com · October 6th, 2010, 03:42 PM

I see what you are saying...

But how is google able to get to that link? It seems to be for one user mostly...

Chuck S · October 6th, 2010, 04:51 PM

well its not the first time I have seen bots play with url structures.

I cant say I just have been clicking around our application trying to see if I see anything but I will be darn if I can find anything.

DefenceTalk.com · October 6th, 2010, 05:15 PM

I disabled SEO urls and switched back to SPIDER and links on this page do not give 404 error then....

- Military Pictures - Air Force Army Navy Missiles Defense

Chuck S · October 6th, 2010, 06:47 PM

Yes I know that because the cat variable is not needed for spider urls

We still are back to where are you getting that url from because it is not coming from our application. I can see the url format like that but not this part which is the problem

&cat=archive

DefenceTalk.com · October 6th, 2010, 07:43 PM

Here is another hint, if you change the domain to "AutoTalk.com:"

- Auto & Car Photos Gallery

I am not sure what can be done about this...

Chuck S · October 6th, 2010, 08:19 PM

not sure what you mean by that comment

What I have said though is the cat variable in our program is typecast as an integer and that is what we pass in a url.

I do not beleive our program is outputting a url with the cat variable set to archive. I do not find anything like that in either site you have.

This whole thing is about some google link. We have no control over google content here. If I can find our program actually outputting the cat variable in a url as archive not a number then I can say this is an issue with our program.

Right now I am thinking as I noted above that a google bot is playing around with url content.

DefenceTalk.com · October 6th, 2010, 08:29 PM

Why with only one domain? I don't see same issue with other pp installs/domains that are configured in same google webmaster account.

How would google know what to put in the url? It doesn't look so simple...

Chuck S · October 6th, 2010, 09:06 PM

Your issue is this. On the one domain you used SEO urls.

Somehow in google you have some weird url that neither of us see the actual program making. You have in the urls cat=archive which is the issue. Cat variables are numeric and we grab the catname from that numeric identifier and use that in the SEO url. Your catname is empty in your links because your cat variable is wrong.