Weird Text showing on Google search

[Mick]

A user of a website I maintain has just advised me that, if he Googles for the site, the results included some surprising Arabic-looking text. I'm including an example, culled from a Google search. This text does not appear to exist on the pages referenced by the search, nor in any code that I can see. I copied some of the Arabic, used it to do a Google search and then translated the results, which seems to find lots of hits related to Binary Options Robot and some to Keith Jones. Just wondering if anyone has any idea what this is, whether it's concerning and how to remove/prevent it? For info, this is a WordPress site and it scans clean using WordFence AV. Many thanks for any suggestions.

 

[Diggs]

You didn't give us much to go on. Where is your customer? Is he running VPN? Linkage please?

 

[Mick]

Not really much to say: This is a very straightforward site, no VPN, hosted by TSO Hosting, a UK company. The site is for a local sports club and has nothing 'non-standard' installed - just Wordpress and a few plug-ins from the WP respository. URL is www.cantabsrowing.org.uk . It's when you google 'cantabs rowing club' that the search results page shows the funny stuff. I get the same results using Bing or Yahoo, too.

 

[RockIT Man]

It's when you google 'cantabs rowing club' that the search results page shows the funny stuff.

I don't get funny results when googling that phrase.

 

[RockIT Man]

I don't get funny results when googling that phrase.

Let me take that back. I do get the weird results when searching via google.co.uk, but not google.com.

 

[RockIT Man]

I did a quick look and didn't see anything glaring. I would look at your plugins. I'm not a Wordpress guy though.

It's probably going to be a PIA to troubleshoot as you'll have to wait for Google to re-index the pages. Maybe request a re-index anyways for good measure?

Also, have you looked at Google Search Console? It's a longshot, but you may find a clue in there. Just thinking out loud here.

 

[Mick]

Thanks @RockIT Man. I've now asked the ISP if it is aware of this - you never know. Couldn't see anything in the search console but thanks for the idea - I hadn't thought of that. I must have at least a dozen sites with this ISP and almost all using WP, but none of the others are displaying this behaviour. Doesn't actually seem to be doing any harm - whatever it is - but that may just be because I don't know what to look for.

 

[mraikes]

It's not weird text, it's Arabic. According to Google translate, the Arabic text fragments say things like: "Robot Keith Jones", "Trading Options", "Binary from options", "Egyptian stock exchange",

Sounds like an Egyptian pyramid scheme has infiltrated your listing.

 

[Archon Prime]

only happens with google.co.uk. google.ca and .com are normal.

 

[Mick]

Yes, that's odd. I'd always assumed - never having had reason to investigate - that Google just had one set of 'universal' crawlers, and that it showed you results based on your location/language from that one list/index - i.e. filtered to suit. But this is making me wonder if it actually maintains separate indexes for different countries. Not that it takes me any nearer an answer...

 

[Mick]

It's not weird text, it's Arabic.

I meant 'weird' in the sense that it's not what I expect to see and I cannot explain why it's there!

 

[nlinecomputers]

I've now asked the ISP if it is aware of this

This isn't an ISP issue. I see it when I search via the UK version of Google but NOT the USA version. That implies it is a google issue to me. You might have some issue with SEO settings on your WordPress site that are triggering an Arabic language search. I'd contact Google about this.

 

[Mick]

This isn't an ISP issue. I see it when I search via the UK version of Google but NOT the USA version. That implies it is a google issue to me.

You're right. I asked them because I wondered if they'd had other reports from their customers and might have a view on what was causing it. Their support is extremely good and very prompt, so nothing to lose. Thing is, this is not a new site and it hasn't had any significant changes/additions etc for months. Been behaving itself perfectly for years now. I've asked for a re-index and if that doesn't clear it up I guess I will need to take it up with Google. Not something I'm looking forward to...

 

[RockIT Man]

That implies it is a google issue to me.

I get the same results using Bing or Yahoo, too.

Now what? It's a plug-in, I tell ya!

 

[Mick]

Now what? It's a plug-in, I tell ya!

One that only does this if you're in the UK? I'm going to try and go through the WP rigmarole of disabling/enabling plug-ins one-by-one, but I've got to say, I think a country-specific compromised plug-in is pretty unlikely. I also don't see the point of it..if I was a malware author, I'd want as wide an audience as possible. HSW, I wouldn't like to bet you're wrong

 

[nlinecomputers]

I've got to say, I think a country-specific compromised plug-in is pretty unlikely.

Compromised? No. Misconfigured, very likely. Especially if it is SEO related. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if your site is somehow telling Google that you are locally Arabic. Some kind of location setting is setup wrong I am betting.

 

[RockIT Man]

HSW

What does HSW mean?

 

[Mick]

What does HSW mean?

Sorry - "Having Said Which"

 

[Mick]

Compromised? No. Misconfigured, very likely. Especially if it is SEO related. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if your site is somehow telling Google that you are locally Arabic. Some kind of location setting is setup wrong I am betting.

I will look into that, and thanks. But I would have thought that would affect all of Google's searches - not just UK.

 

[RockIT Man]

Sorry - "Having Said Which"

Ha! I looked it up on Urban Dictionary because I didn't know what it meant. They have a different definition.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=HSW

Compromised? No. Misconfigured, very likely. Especially if it is SEO related. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if your site is somehow telling Google that you are locally Arabic. Some kind of location setting is setup wrong I am betting.

I agree. My thought is that this is NOT malware related.