Phantom Post in SERPS

  • scottareed

    (@scottareed)


    13 years, 1 month ago

    I have traffic entering my website via a phantom post that I never created and which does not reside in my WP application. The so-called Post has no content other than a photo which resides on my Home page, a menu bar, sidebar, and comments section. No text except the photo caption. It’s URL is http:/ThisIStheNorthwoods.com/?attachment_id=129. No post ID. Says at the top of the page “From the Blog” even though it is not a valid post.

    Google must have indexed this thing somehow (no keywords or other SEO) because people find it and enter the site through it. When they post a comment on any other valid post, approval of the comment places the comment on the phantom post vs. the post they are reading.

    I want this thing to go away. But since it is not in my WP, I can do nothing with it. I’m guessing that this thing came into being about the time that I installed a Yoast plugin for a simple sitemap. Just a guess. How do I get rid of this thing?

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)
  • Gabe Young

    (@gabeyoung)

    13 years, 1 month ago

    Just making sure I understand what you’re asking. What’s the thing you want to get rid of? The plugin? The comments? The visibility to Google?

    Thread Starter scottareed

    (@scottareed)

    13 years, 1 month ago

    Hi Gabe,

    Since this phantom post is obviously not something that I created, and it’s a poor excuse for a post anyway, I want IT to go away. Since it is not in my WP admin, and I have no idea what created it, there is not much that I can do about it. That’s why I was acquiring if there were options or if others have seen this happen on their site.

    Visibility to Google AND visitors needs to stop. More and more visitors are using this bogus post to enter my site. They leave some great comments on other posts. But those comments go to their point of entry for some reason. So if they entered the site via the phantom post, I don’t approve the comments. I don’t want anymore content on that phantom page. Does that help? I don’t want Google to index it, I don’t want surfers to see it. I don’t know what created it. I’d like to cut it loose from my site. That may not be possible.

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)

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