How to deindex an entire wordpress site?

by 10 replies
12
I want a clients site to no longer be listed on Google. It still has to exist in case someone visits. Redirect to the new site isn't an option. It'll also help with avoiding duplicate content.

So: Client has a new website. Their new website is the one I want to appear in Google searches. The old one still needs to exist I don't want a redirect. How do I take it completely off Google search results? Site is on the Wordpress platform.

Thanks in advance!
#search engine optimization #deindex #entire #site #wordpress
  • use robot.txt to stop search engine to index your site
    • [1] reply
    • or you can select settings => Reading => Discourage search engines from indexing this site.
      • [2] replies
  • You can go to:

    Webmaster Tools > Google Index > Remove URLs

    Send them your URL removal request.

    Quoting GWT:

    "Use robots.txt to specify how search engines should crawl your site, or request removal of URLs from Google's search results ( have you read our removal requirements? ). Only site owners and users with full permissions can request removals."

    You can find this in Google Webmaster Tool.

    Daniel
  • That makes absolutely no sense, and is proof-positive why some(most) people should
    stop taking paying clients.

    Paul
    • [1] reply
    • Paul,

      This happens in many scenarios. I understand his dilemma and situation as I worked with many clients who restructured their site, want some to stick and others to be gone. We use Webmaster Tool to send URL removal requests.

      Daniel
      • [1] reply
  • Wow, what strange hostility, particularly before asking for more background information to clear up why it made "no sense" to you.

    The clients existing site was penalised during Penguin 2.0 due to previous SEO. The new website is being created by me with a view to rank for the previously penalised keywords. The existing site cannot be forwarded to the new domain due to the adverse SEO effects it would have. However, the old one still needs to exist because all of their literature up to this point, previous/existing clients, they want to keep the email accounts etc, so when someone punches their domain directly into the browser the website still appears.

    In terms of "you should know already", I'm fully aware of using robots.txt (Matt Cutts does not recommend this method), de-indexing from Webmaster Tools and the discourage search engines tab, however what I was looking for was the most effective way. It has nothing to do with my ability as an internet marketer or a businessman that takes on clients - I've never had this issue before. If a client took on a new domain in the past I'd simply redirect the old domain or delete the old site, thus obviously de-indexing it.
    • [1] reply
    • Well now it makes no sense to me neither. This is not how to deal with a Penguin link penalty. Maybe you should not be taking on clients afterall.
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    How to deindex an entire wordpress site?

    I want a clients site to no longer be listed on Google. It still has to exist in case someone visits. Redirect to the new site isn't an option. It'll also help with avoiding duplicate content. So: Client has a new website. Their new website is the one I want to appear in Google searches. The old one still needs to exist I don't want a redirect. How do I take it completely off Google search results? Site is on the Wordpress platform.