How Google Indexes Your Site

[Dave]

Google is now showing an interest in our website and listings seem to be increasing by the day as we add more products and content.

Looking at our listings in google below the main page heading it shows the content of the left hand column IE the menu structure

Does anyone know if its possible to somehow force google to pickup the content from the middle column where your product information is??

How are other people's sites ranking in google and do they have the same problem with the menu structure showing in the listings?

Thanks,

Dave

[petad]

Hi Dave

Not quite sure what you mean. Are you saying that when you appear on the Google listings, the menu options on the left of, say, your Home Page are what is displayed in the Google text description? I have not seen this happening with my listings.

Normally, it should show what is in your Meta Description associated with your Page or Product. Try adding these (via the Meta Data tag) and this should be what is used by Google.

I'm no expert, so maybe there others who can add to this?

Pete

[Rich]

Looking at our listings in google below the main page heading it shows the content of the left hand column IE the menu structure

Does anyone know if its possible to somehow force google to pickup the content from the middle column where your product information is??

I have to say that sounds a little strange, Google invariably uses your Meta Description (as set in Site -> Configuration: Site tab).

[Dave]

Hi Dave

Not quite sure what you mean. Are you saying that when you appear on the Google listings, the menu options on the left of, say, your Home Page are what is displayed in the Google text description? I have not seen this happening with my listings.

Normally, it should show what is in your Meta Description associated with your Page or Product. Try adding these (via the Meta Data tag) and this should be what is used by Google.

I'm no expert, so maybe there others who can add to this?

Pete

Hi Pete,

Good to see another Leicestershire user of Bluepark

Yes its the menu structure that appears underneath the product heading.

Below is one of your products I found on Google to show what I mean

Junior Red Skyking Trike
Our Products. Uglydolls · Activity Books · Pedal & Ride-on · • Licensed Brands · • Pedal Cars · • Pedal Planes · • Rocking Toys · • Trikes ...
www.fatbananafeet.com/trikes/junior-red-skyking-trike.html - 19k

Regards,

Dave

[petad]

Good to see another Leicestershire user of Bluepark

There are more of us, actually. Bumps & Beyond are literally round the corner from us, and I think there's someone else...?

[petad]

Below is one of your products I found on Google to show what I mean

Junior Red Skyking Trike
Our Products. Uglydolls · Activity Books · Pedal & Ride-on · • Licensed Brands · • Pedal Cars · • Pedal Planes · • Rocking Toys · • Trikes ...
www.fatbananafeet.com/trikes/junior-red-skyking-trike.html - 19k

Ooooh err! Never seen one of those before. The product record has its own Meta Description, so it should be using that. Wonder what's going on..?

(Edit)
I have just carried out a Google search on the Junior Red Skyking Trike and I didn't get the menu effect shown above. I didn't get the Meta Description either - it shows the start of the description on the product page. I give up.

[Dave]

Ooooh err! Never seen one of those before. The product record has its own Meta Description, so it should be using that. Wonder what's going on..?

(Edit)
I have just carried out a Google search on the Junior Red Skyking Trike and I didn't get the menu effect shown above. I didn't get the Meta Description either - it shows the start of the description on the product page. I give up.

Pete,

I pulled the listings up by using the site command that displays all pages currently indexed. Perhaps it displays it different using this command as opposed to a natural search!?

I will have to do a bit of testing and see.

Regards,

Dave

[Gillf]

I had the same thing happen to my site last year, but now it seems ok... Google does strange things.