Google search results are linking directly to Confluence image preview instead of page

[Lisa Brown]

When searching from a Google search, we've found that the URLs for a couple of our pages go directly to the attachment preview on a Confluence page, instead of the page itself!

The images themselves aren't named in any way that would have made them show up in the search, and we can't see any differences in how the images were inserted or the pages created compared to the hundreds of other pages we have that show up normally in Google search.

We don't want people to go directly to the image preview from Google... we want them to land on the page. Any ideas why this is happening and how we can fix it?

Here's how the Google search result looks, with the link going directly to the image preview instead of the page:

When refreshing the search, it seems to cycle through the images on the page, providing the preview URL to whatever random image it chooses. It will even select images that aren't even displayed on the page and only exist in the page's attachments.

[Stephen Sifers · Accepted solution]

Hello Lisa,

The issue you’re describing sounds to be a Google SEO related issue. The pages with images are ranked within Google higher than other available pages. Google has an SEO start guide which can be found at Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Starter Guide. Along with this, there are Atlassian Marketplace add-on which allow you to better manage your SEO. You may find those plugins at Atlassian Marketplace preset search for SEO.

I hope this helps to provide a path for adjust and improving your Confluence SEO.

Regards,
Stephen Sifers

[Lisa Brown]

Thank you, Stephen. This pointed me in the right direction and I was able to solve the problem!

In browsing through the SEO guide you linked, I learned about Google Search Console. After verifying our site and inputting the URL, I found that this page was not being indexed by Google. The reported reason was "Page with redirect."

This made little sense to me until I investigated with my team and found that several months ago, someone had created a page with the same name and placed a redirect on it. They later deleted the page and created a new one with the same name.

Through Google Search Console, I was able to request reindexing. Since the page no longer has a redirect, the problem has been solved!

If others are having a problem with any page showing up in Google search, this tool might help you identify the problem: https://search.google.com/search-console/welcome.