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To remove a dead page from Altavista, just re-enter it in the "Add a URL"
page. When it gets the dreaded 404, it'll remove the page from its index.
(Other search engines' methods may vary, but that's the one I remember.)
Second answer:
When I'm doing a little site rearranging, I provide redirect pages for any
files I erase. At the same time, I add a robots.txt file that will prevent
search engines from indexing those files. Then I go to Altavista (again,
just an example) and resubmit the URL.
Since redirect pages take up so little room, I only delete them after a
year, or when I'm desperate for space, whichever comes first.
Whichever answer you choose, I'd recommend doing a search for sites that
link to yours, and dropping them a line to know about any new or dead links.
It's courteous, and sometimes it opens up fruitful dialogue between people
or companies with common interests.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jessica N. Lange [mailto:jlange -at- OEE -dot- com]
> Subject: removing search engine links to dead web pages, how?
>
>
> When I check various search engines to make
> sure our web site is still found, sometimes I
> see links to pages I have removed (they're
> obsolete).
>
> How do I update these search engines so they
> don't display dead pages like this? Or is there
> another way this should/could be handled? (like
> maybe have a "dead" page that redirects viewer
> to a live page)?
