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Undesired webpage ranking higher in Google than the desired webpage. Why?

by Hillwalk Tours
10 replies
  • SEO
    • |
Hi Folks,

Newbie to the forum and somewhat the SEO world so forgive me if this has been asked numerous times.

Basically the following hillwalktours.nl/wandelen.../hadrians-wall-path-9-dagen-gemiddeld is displaying 17th in the search for the keyword 'hadrian's wall path' on google.nl however the page we want to be ranking for is actually this hillwalktours.nl/wandelen-engeland/hadrians-wall-path-overzicht.

I'm unsure as to why the first undesired page seems to be ranking over our desired page (the second one).

Any help or insight would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,
Alex.
#desired #google #higher #ranking #undesired #webpage
  • Profile picture of the author Campbell24
    These types of things happen ALL THE TIME in the SEO world and the key to learn is to NOT STRESS OUT ABOUT IT.

    I remember when I, like you, got frustrated with things like this that I could not control to a t and I wanted to pull my hair out trying to micromanage everything. If you are ranking one web page highly, just use that page to funnel your traffic/sell to them and stop worrying about the fact that the other page is ranking lower.

    But on another note over time if you just keep building more links to the other page to increase its authority and also update/post better content at that web page then over time you will actually see that page rank higher. But it does take time.
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    • Profile picture of the author Hillwalk Tours
      Thanks Campbell,

      It's good to know that it's a common occurrence in the SEO world and not just for my site. I'm just wondering if there's a reason why undesired pages get ranked higher than desired ones?

      I don't actively optimise for the undesired pages at all, so do you think there's a reason why they show up above the desired ones that I do actively optimise for?
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    • Profile picture of the author irawr
      Banned
      Originally Posted by Campbell24 View Post

      I remember when I, like you, got frustrated with things like this that I could not control to a t and I wanted to pull my hair out trying to micromanage everything. If you are ranking one web page highly, just use that page to funnel your traffic/sell to them and stop worrying about the fact that the other page is ranking lower.
      You don't have any hair...
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  • Profile picture of the author Hillwalk Tours
    Hi Guys,

    I'm just wondering if anyone else has any views on this? I've recently come across a similar issue and I'm sure there must be a solution to it.

    For months, our keyword 'trekking Schottland' has been ranking for the desired page of http://www.hillwalktours.de/wandern-schottland/. However, in the past couple of months it has suddenly started ranking the undesired page of Wandern Schottland - West Highland Way Wandertouren - Wandern auf dem West Highland Way.

    Can anyone think of a reason as to why this might be happening?

    Thanks very much for any advice,

    Regards,
    Alex
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    • Profile picture of the author SnackMemory
      Originally Posted by Hillwalk Tours View Post

      Hi Guys,

      I'm just wondering if anyone else has any views on this? I've recently come across a similar issue and I'm sure there must be a solution to it.

      For months, our keyword 'trekking Schottland' has been ranking for the desired page of http://www.hillwalktours.de/wandern-schottland/. However, in the past couple of months it has suddenly started ranking the undesired page of Wandern Schottland - West Highland Way Wandertouren - Wandern auf dem West Highland Way.

      Can anyone think of a reason as to why this might be happening?

      Thanks very much for any advice,

      Regards,
      Alex

      I have had good ranking pages rank accidently for key words that I wanted to rank on other pages for, just because of a prominently placed keyword term on the undesired page that ranked better that was the main keyword of the newer page's keyword I was trying to rank. I modified it so it was less prominent.
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      • Profile picture of the author DABK
        Remove links from the page that's ranking, point them to the page you want to rank.

        Or add more links (of same or higher quality than the page currently ranking has) to the page you want ranked.

        Also, link from the page that's ranking to the page you want to rank, using that keyword as anchor text.

        Originally Posted by SnackMemory View Post

        I have had good ranking pages rank accidently for key words that I wanted to rank on other pages for, just because of a prominently placed keyword term on the undesired page that ranked better that was the main keyword of the newer page's keyword I was trying to rank. I modified it so it was less prominent.
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        • Profile picture of the author SnackMemory
          Originally Posted by DABK View Post

          Remove links from the page that's ranking, point them to the page you want to rank.

          Or add more links (of same or higher quality than the page currently ranking has) to the page you want ranked.

          Also, link from the page that's ranking to the page you want to rank, using that keyword as anchor text.


          Using a link with that keyword as anchor text could cause a powerful page to rank for that keyword rather then the page it links too.
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          Remember the snack Dunkaroos? !

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          • Profile picture of the author DABK
            That's why I didn't say, add... just link from existing content.

            I am assuming the keyword's already on the currently-ranking page.

            Originally Posted by SnackMemory View Post

            Using a link with that keyword as anchor text could cause a powerful page to rank for that keyword rather then the page it links too.
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        • Profile picture of the author Hillwalk Tours
          Originally Posted by DABK View Post

          Remove links from the page that's ranking, point them to the page you want to rank.

          Or add more links (of same or higher quality than the page currently ranking has) to the page you want ranked.

          Also, link from the page that's ranking to the page you want to rank, using that keyword as anchor text.
          Thanks guys - I haven't been optimising the undesired pages at all, so there have been no links pointing to them. This is why I'm confused as to why it's only started happening in the last couple of months.

          Any other suggestions?

          Thanks!
          Alex
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          • Profile picture of the author DABK
            Someone linked to it? (Someone other than you, I mean. It happens.)

            Google's only recently crawled that page and it's giving it a bump for a while because it's new. Will drop it in a few weeks.

            Because Google counted the words on each page and determined that the undesired page has more words in close proximity than the desired one?

            Mr. Page had stopped eating scrambled eggs for breakfast?

            El Nino is stronger this year than it's been in the last 25 years?

            Igor's girlfriend said OMG in a flat tone of voice?

            You don't give enough info for real meaningfulness.

            Originally Posted by Hillwalk Tours View Post

            Thanks guys - I haven't been optimising the undesired pages at all, so there have been no links pointing to them. This is why I'm confused as to why it's only started happening in the last couple of months.

            Any other suggestions?

            Thanks!
            Alex
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