Outdated content on client's Wiki still appears in Google Search

@Zac,
Typically, how long does it take for cached into to fall off the map? If it's a short interval, then I'll probably leave well enough alone.

@Kimputer,
From what you know, is the link you provided similar to Zac's?

Thanks,
Steve

It all depends on when Google acknowledges and addresses the request. It doesn't usually take much time as I have replaced an entire companies website and it was updated with the new content by the next day.

If you want to permanently remove it and not replace it then the form I linked you to is your best alternative but you will still have to wait until Google addresses it but I have never waited more than a couple of days.

OK, I was not clear in my question. :) I meant: if I do not do anything, how long does it take to fall off the map (or will it?) Thanks.

It won't be removed from cache, the phrase "Once on the Internet, Always on the Internet" applies here. There are still pages from the early 2000's that have data cached on there. The cache is updated regularly but if there is no new content on the exact URL then it is not replaced or removed.

Got it.
So, as I think about it, two types of content appeared on the search:
1. Pages that no longer exist.
2. Content within a page that no longer exists.

I would imagine my request will handle #1 but now about #2?

Also, just curious: On what TA did you find this question? Would be good to know for the future as I'm getting useful info. :)

Thanks.

Pages that no longer exist will fall off when the cache is refreshed but it may take a couple of days. The same for the content that no longer exists as well.
As long as the exact URL didn't change for the content it will be updated and the old content will go away and be replaced with the new content.

What do you mean by TA?

Sorry, TA=Topic Area. :)

>>Pages that no longer exist will fall off when the cache is refreshed but it may take a couple of days. The same for the content that no longer exists as well.<<

Without going through that URL you mentioned in your first post?  I thought I understood that, unless I proactively do something, the searchable info could linger for a decade or more... :)

Thanks.

I didn't use a topic area, I have collected information throughout all my years of web development and computer repair and I maintain a repository with information I have used in the past.

The searchable info will only linger if it isn't removed from the web or updated. With that said, there are still some times when a Google search will return results from old content but when you click the result it shows an error going to the content due to it being removed or it will link to the updated content while propagation is still taking place (usually 24-48 hours)

OK thanks.
I'll keep an eye on the search over the next few days. If it's still returning my old info by Monday, I'll look into further action. No need for you to respond anymore unless I post another "cry for help" :)

OK, it's now been about a week and the outdated URLs are still there. Does that mean I need to use that link to request that Goggle removes them?
Thanks.

Yes, I would do that.

Will do. Thanks!

Zac,
OK, I pasted the first of the four URLs. The confirmation window says:

This content is gone.
We've confirmed the content no longer exists, or is blocked from Google.
Now you can submit your temporary removal request. The site's webmaster may receive a notice from Google that an outdated page removal was sent for this URL.


But, what do they mean by temporary?

The content is removed for 90 days. After that, the content will be retrieved again for display.

Basically, they are saying the information will be removed "Temporarily" unless you complete additional steps to make the removal permanent. The only reason you would want this to be permanent is if you are removing the page forever and never plan to put a page in it's place. If you plan to make the content private, simply add a password to access the URL and Google cannot index it.

You can do this by completing one or more of these options:

* Remove or update the actual content from your site (images, pages, directories) and make sure that your web server returns either a 404 (Not Found) or 410 (Gone) HTTP status code. Non-HTML files (like PDFs) should be completely removed from your server.

* Block access to the content, for example by requiring a password.
   
* Indicate that the page should not to be indexed using the noindex meta tag. This is less secure than the other methods.

Yes, in effect, I want to remove the page "forever" with nothing in its place. I archived the content under my private space which requires my credentials.

I tried bringing up the URL and saw the following. (Apologizes for the small font.)

We use Confluence our Wiki, so I'm wondering the above is Confluence's way of displaying a 404 error?

Do I need to work with my client's Webmaster to resolve?

Thanks,
Steve


Thanks.

According to what I can see online about Confluence, that appears to be their 404 Not Found page. You can customize it but that is the default one.

Zac do you have a link to that Confluence info?

And, based on my previous post, what do I need to do to avoid having to re-request my "remove" request to Google after 90 days?

Thanks.

Info is gone from Google Search!

So far so good. So, how can I avoid needing to submit a new removal request after 90 days?
Thanks.

As long as you don't put the content back out on that same URL it won't reappear.

The removal is temporary only if when Google indexes your site the content is found again. If the content is never put back it will not be indexed and the removal is permanent.

Zac, Thank you!!

Note: The only portion of your solution I tried was:

https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/removals 

Have a good weekend.
Steve

I'd recommend in the future you setup a 301 redirect on these URL's and leave them in your sitemap until they have been removed from the index.

In many cases, if Google runs across a 404 error (because you moved a page) they take a cautious approach and leave it in their index, expecting that it's a temporary thing and you may fix it.

However, if you 301 redirect, you are effectively telling Google that the page has been moved permanently and will not come back. This causes them to update their index. On top of that, when they are directed to the new location, you'll probably serve them a 403 Error (Forbidden) since it's located in a private location. In this flow, you've effectively told Google to forget about this page.

This is how you would expedite the entire process.

Thanks again everyone. Apologies for forgetting about this question, as I had moved on to other projects.

I'll set an Outlook reminder to search for my content in a week or so, and report back at that time. :)

Steve