Page Indexing on Google Search Console Contains Old Links

[renatarubio]

Hello, my Google Search Console contains a bunch of old links to the previous Wix website I used. It also isn't working properly for all my Shopify links. I am unsure of how to resolve all of the issues in the Google Search Console and am just looking for some guidance. Thanks!

[CodingFifty]

Hi @renatarubio,

1. Remove Old Wix Website Links:
   Since you’ve switched from Wix to Shopify, you’ll want to remove any old Wix URLs that are still showing up in Google Search Console. You can do this by using the URL Removal Tool. In the Google Search Console, go to Removals and choose Temporary Removals. Enter the URLs from your old Wix site that are no longer relevant, and Google will remove them from search results temporarily.

2. Add Your Shopify Site to Google Search Console:
   If you haven’t already, you need to add your new Shopify site to Google Search Console. Log in to your account, click on "Add Property", and enter the URL of your Shopify store (e.g., https://www.yourshopifystore.com). Follow the verification steps (usually by adding a verification code to your site's HTML or through your domain provider) to prove ownership of the site.

3. Submit Your Sitemap:
   Once your Shopify store is connected to Google Search Console, submit your website’s sitemap. Shopify automatically generates a sitemap at https://www.yourshopifystore.com/sitemap.xml. Go to the Sitemaps section in Google Search Console and enter your sitemap URL. This allows Google to crawl and index your Shopify pages more efficiently.

4. Fix Crawl Errors and Set Up Redirects:
   Check the Coverage section of Google Search Console for crawl errors. Common errors include 404 (Page Not Found) due to old Wix URLs. You should either set up 301 redirects from the old URLs to relevant Shopify pages or remove those URLs from the index if they no longer exist. Fixing these crawl errors ensures that Google crawls your current site properly and avoids any potential penalties.

5. Request Re-Indexing for Shopify Pages:
   If some of your Shopify pages are not being indexed by Google, use the URL Inspection Tool to check their status. If a page is not indexed, click "Request Indexing" to prompt Google to crawl and index it again. This will help your pages appear in search results and improve your site's overall SEO.

By following these steps, you’ll ensure that Google Search Console is properly configured for your Shopify website and that your old Wix URLs are no longer causing issues.