cache: operator showing many wrong sites

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cache: operator showing many wrong sites

drall

3:45 pm on Mar 3, 2008 (gmt 0)

We have discovered a serious bug in Googles search engine probably database related.

First we noticed it on a few pages of our site then we noticed it on several sites of similar rank, now we are seeing it spread to other more powerful websites with pageranks of 8 plus. We have amassed quite a few examples from about 20 authority sites showing the wrong websites cache of page.

So for example when you hit cache from your toolbar or googles search for a given page it shows a completely different website and page. My buddy here thinks its a database issue where ID's or something are messed up for documents.

Also when this error happens to a page the given page looses all ranking and authority in google.

[edited by: tedster at 4:37 pm (utc) on Mar. 3, 2008]
[edit reason] remove specifics [/edit]

tedster

4:40 pm on Mar 3, 2008 (gmt 0)

This sounds like a similar bug mentioned in another thread: info: operator brings up a different site [webmasterworld.com]

I'd sugggest the same remedy I did in that thread - do the cache: operator search on an affected domain and then scroll down to the bottom of the results page. There is a link there with the text "Dissatisfied? Help us improve." You can submit a report to Google there.

new_seo

7:15 am on Mar 13, 2008 (gmt 0)

< moved from another location >

Hello Friends,
Today I found an interesting thing during work.
I got a new site to work for. I was checking the cache page of the site, but I was surprised when I saw that it is showing a totally different site at the cache result. The site that is showing in cache result has no connection with my client’s site.

I am totally confused by the situation. Hope experts here can help me.
Regards
new_seo

[edited by: tedster at 7:23 am (utc) on Mar. 13, 2008]

tedster

7:37 am on Mar 13, 2008 (gmt 0)

Here are some ideas to look into:

1. Check the DNS settings for the site for any errors.

2. If this is a shared IP address, check to see if the wrong domain shares the IP with the right domain.

3. Set up a Webmaster Tools account and look there for any feedback about crawling/indexing troubles.

4. And finally, do a search that brings up the incorrect cache: result and report the error to Google through the link near the bottom of the results page that says "Dissatisfied? Help us improve".

[edited by: tedster at 8:05 am (utc) on Mar. 13, 2008]

new_seo

7:45 am on Mar 13, 2008 (gmt 0)

Well, thanks a lot for your clarification.Things are clear to me, except one.

4. And finally, do a search that brings up the incorrect cache: result and report the error to Google through the link near the bottom of the results page that says "Dissatisfied? Help us improve".

Will please clarify this part, not clear to me.

tedster

8:04 am on Mar 13, 2008 (gmt 0)

Every search results page has that link at the bottom. Google has it there to collect reports of quality problems, and they do read that user input. So just do any search that brings up the wrongly cached page as one of the results - even a search such as site:example.com. Then use that link to give Google feedback.