rankmath messed up my site’s link structure and indexing

Hello,

We apologize for the issue you are facing with your site’s link structure and indexing. Thank you for raising this concern.

It seems that the problem stems from the removal of the /product path, which has led to Google indexing your product pages without this segment. Since you’ve reverted back to normal links but Google still has the old URLs indexed, this is causing the 404 errors.

Here are some steps you can take to resolve this issue:

1. Redirect Old URLs: You can set up 301 redirects from the old URLs (without /product) to the new URLs (with /product). This will help guide both users and search engines to the correct pages. You can do this using Rank Math’s redirection feature.

2. Update Your Sitemap: Ensure that your sitemap is updated and includes the correct URLs with the /product path. After making changes, resubmit your sitemap to Google Search Console.

   • You can find your sitemap at `https://rankmath.com/kb/solving-redirection-issues-using-rank-math-seo/#redirecting-to-www-or-nonwww.

3. Fetch as Google: In Google Search Console, use the "URL Inspection" tool to fetch the updated URLs. This can help speed up the re-indexing process.

4. Check for Plugin Conflicts: Sometimes, other plugins can interfere with URL structures. Make sure there are no conflicts by checking your plugins or using the Health Check plugin to troubleshoot.

5. Monitor 404 Errors: Keep an eye on the 404 Monitor in Rank Math to see if there are any other URLs that need attention.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, please reply to this ticket, and a human agent from the Rank Math Support team will assist you further.

We understand how urgent this is for you and appreciate your patience as we work to resolve it.

Best of luck with your site!

Sources:
Solving Redirection Issues Using Rank Math SEO Plugin » Rank Math
Why Did My Website Disappear From Google Search? » Rank Math

Hello,

Thank you for contacting us. We apologize for any inconvenience this issue may have caused.

We understand the frustration caused by the issue you’re experiencing with the /product path in your URLs. Here are some steps you can take to remedy the situation:

1. Set up 301 redirects from the old URLs (without /product) to the new URLs (with /product). This will ensure that any traffic coming from the old URLs will be redirected to the correct product pages. You can set up these redirects using the Rank Math.

2. Submit your Rank Math generated sitemap to Google Search Console again. You can follow this guide to do so: https://rankmath.com/kb/submit-sitemap-to-google/

3. Use the “URL Inspection” tool in Google Search Console to fetch and render your important product pages. This can help speed up the re-indexing process. Enter the URL with the /product path and click on "Request Indexing".

4. Make sure that all internal links on your website are updated to include the /product path. This includes links in your menus, sidebars, and within the content.

Hope that helps, and please do not hesitate to let us know if you need our assistance with anything else.