Search engine bots accessing strange URLs

Question

We have ELMAH enabled on our site and get errors whenever a Page Not Found error is triggered on the website.

We have recently redesigned a new website and so we understand that search engine robots might have previously indexed pages which they try to access and result in a Page Not Found errors. For this reason, we have set up permanent redirects for such previously indexed pages to the respective new pages.

The website in mention is www.chambercollege.com and for example, a previously indexed URL was www.chambercollege.com/special-offers.aspx. This page is no longer accessible so we have created the necessary permanent redirect to redirect to the respective page on www.chambercollege.com/en/content/special-offers-161/.

Now we are starting to receive Page Not Found errors of search engine bots (e.g. MSN bot) trying to access the URL www.chambercollege.com/special-offers.aspx/images/shadow_right.jpg/.

Any idea how could a search engine make up that strange URL and whether you have any suggestions of what to do best?

Answer 1

Firstly, that is not a strange URL, it is the URL of one of the image that you had in your deleted page.

I believe that you have properly redirected to your old page to the new page giving Google some time to reindex your blog. Don't expect Google to do that for you in a day. Google will take time may be a week or two but the crawlers will of course find that you have redirected you page, and they will pick it up.

It is just a matter of time. You shed no worries.