Resolving 404 Issues in Google Search Console
Currently, there's a surge in peculiar incidents within the Search Console domain. Various 404 errors are appearing with /1000 at the end.
What's behind this mysterious phenomenon, prompting even seasoned SEO pros like Lilly Ray and Andor Palau to ponder? Here, you'll learn all about it and how to fortify yourself against it.
The Ominous Discovery
Lately, reports of 404 errors in the Google Search Console with the inexplicable suffix /1000 are on the rise. Some SEO pros like Lily Ray or Andor Palau have already noticed and reported on this. Yet, what exactly lies behind it remains unclear.
Ralf Seybold and his "OnlySpams Team" colleague Lars Weber (Berlinaten) have jointly searched for a solution and origin of the problems.
Backgrounds and Causes
After intensive investigations, it becomes clear that these attacks are the result of targeted manipulation. Someone is attempting to increase the number of 404 errors on websites by adding /1000 to them. The goal is to create duplicate content, paired with bad links and malware on the attacked page, in order to manipulate the site's ranking.
Particularly alarming is that some Content Management Systems like Typo3 Edition 12 do not display these errors in the Search Console. Instead, they are treated as duplicates and even marked as canonical. As a result, Google mistakenly assumes that the page exists multiple times on the website – which also negatively impacts your rankings.
Invisible Threat: Hidden Backlinks
Some websites simply redirect these pages and do not see them in the Search Console. This only leads to bad backlinks that no one can see or find – not even the common backlink tools. This is a heavy blow to your website and your rankings and should be avoided at all costs.
How can I detect such an attack?
As mentioned earlier, you can track down these suspicious links in your Search Console.
By tracking the URLs, you can use the "INSPECT URL" feature to see where these attacks are originating from.
However, the challenge lies in the fact that these URLs are difficult to find for conventional backlink checkers as they hide behind CloudFlare. When attempting to check these URLs, simply clicking on them - but ensure your antivirus tool is up-to-date, as many of them are combined with malware.
It's important to emphasize: These links are not recognized by common backlink tools.
Neither ahrefs, semrush, Link Research Tools, nor any other common SEO tool can detect these backlinks.
Additionally, these backlinks are not displayed in the "Links" section within the Google Search Console!
The only way to identify these negative linkings is to inspect the 404 errors using “Inspect URL”.
Resolving 404 Problems: Effective Steps to Secure Your Website and Rankings
Given these alarming developments, it's vital to take proactive action and implement appropriate countermeasures. Here are some steps you can take to safeguard your website:
1. Update the .htaccess file: The first step should involve editing the .htaccess file and setting this as the first Rewrite rule:
RewriteRule ^1000/?$ - [G]
RewriteRule /1000/?$ - [G]
This accomplishes the following: When Google accesses your page, they will immediately be redirected to a 410 page, indicating the page no longer exists. They won't produce a 404 error anymore, thus not affecting your rankings.
2. Robots.txt adjustments: You can also disallow bots from crawling these pages in your robots.txt file:
User-agent: *
Disallow: /1000$
Disallow: /1000/$
Disallow: /*/1000$
Disallow: /*/1000/$
This prevents bots from visiting these pages (works with Google Bot, Yahoo! Slurp, and msnbot). However, this does not prevent a large number of new bad backlinks from reaching your website.
3. Manual review and Disavow: Manually search for any data found in the Search Console and list these pages in the Disavow file.
It's best to have a professional like me handle this for you!
4. Perform Link Detox: Hire a professional agency to conduct a thorough link detox analysis to identify and remove harmful backlinks.
Warning! This should be done by a certified expert, someone who truly knows what they're doing. Never trust half-hearted promises.
5. Content optimization: The linked pages may have been linked from pages that not only provide bad links like Casino, Dating, Adult content, etc., but also use your choice of words.
For the most important keywords, review the pages for ranking losses and consider editing the content (i.e., rewriting it).
6. Strengthen the site: Through targeted link building, you can increase trust in your website and improve your authority in the eyes of search engines.
So, if you're wondering about the /1000 links you're receiving, there are some ONLYSPAMS experts who know what to do.
Recommendation
The increasing threat of 404 errors with /1000 is a serious issue that cannot be overlooked. By taking proactive action and implementing appropriate measures, you can effectively secure your website against such problems and ensure its visibility.
Be vigilant and don't let these hidden threats catch you off guard. If you need assistance or have questions, please don't hesitate to contact us. We are always ready to help you secure your online presence.
