Google SERP showing a URL with UTM_source attached - why? Can I stop it?

[DanielleNZ]

I just found a Google search results page showing a URL with a UTM source tag attached. Any idea how or why this has happened? How can I stop it as I'm guessing this is overwriting my organic visits with referrals from this site.

See attached photo for pic of SERP page.

The link is going here: http://employment.govt.nz/er/holidaysandleave/parentalleave/?utm_source=newzealandnow.govt.nz

5vxTDTi.png

[TimHolmes]

I believe there are a couple of possible solutions to this.

1. You could set up canonical tags on the pages that utilise query parameters so that they always point to the parent page.

Alternatively

2. You could set it up so that your robots.txt file disallows all query strings, thus preventing them from being indexed. (be careful with this version in case Google cant crawl the original source)

Disallow: /*?

it will take however a further crawl from Google before you could see any changes to the indexation of your pages.

Also in Webmaster tools you have a query parameters section within the Crawl menu. You can add in the variables in order to tell Google how to handle them. Learn more here. Hope this helps.

Tim

[Alick300]

Hi Danielle,

I have checked from my end but I'm not seeing URL with utm_source, after clicking on search result it is going to http://employment.govt.nz/er/holidaysandleave/parentalleave/

If you are still seeing the same it means your page is indexed with utm_source you can use rel=canonical on http://employment.govt.nz/er/holidaysandleave/parentalleave/ or you can also use 301 redirect.

You are not getting correct source because you are searching in Google and showing the page http://employment.govt.nz/er/holidaysandleave/parentalleave/?utm_source=newzealandnow.govt.nz but logically source should be Google not newzealandnow.govt.nz

Hope this helps.

Thanks