Duplicate Content issue

In Google webmaster tools, I have duplicate title and description issues because Google sees .../forum/default.asp and .../forum/ as the same page. Ill links to the forum categories do not link to default.asp, but some outside websites do, I added the following to my web.config file (IIS7) and for some reason the top redirect works (static), but the second fporum cat doersn't:
-------WORKS-------(UNRELATED STATIC REDIRECT)
<location path="link-popularity-box.htm">
<system.webServer>
<httpRedirect enabled="true" destination="web-tools/link-popularity-box.htm" httpResponseStatus="Permanent" />
</system.webServer>
</location>
----------DOESN'T WORK---------(FORUM TOPIC REDIRECT)
<location path="forum/default.asp?CAT_ID=8">
<system.webServer>
<httpRedirect enabled="true" destination="forum/?CAT_ID=8" httpResponseStatus="Permanent" />
</system.webServer>
</location>

Is it the querystring??? There's no error, but nothing happens???

Thanks in advance.

 

I would recommend you do 301 Redirect to solve this problem. Since your site is using IIS and was written by ASP which I has only little experiences about them so I think these links might help

How to Redirect a Web Page - Webconfs

Permanent Redirect with HTTP 301

ASP Tips - 301 Moved Permanently

 

Hey,

As per my understanding your Google webmaster central account shows ../forum.default.asp and /forum/ as same page and thus show duplicate title for the page...

Can you try to add Canonical Tag in head section of your home page?, may be SE's can understand both pages are same and may remove Duplicate title meta from GWC (Google webmaster central) account...

I hope it is use full...

Thanks!

 

I will take a closer look, but because they ARE THE SAME PAGE, I have to be careful not to create an infinate loop, that's why Im attempting a httpRedirect. Thanks for you help!

Canonical has to be added to one dupe content page pointing to the other...in this case forum/ and forum/default.asp ARE THE SAME PAGE. So this won't work. Thanks anyway.

 

301 Redirect is the main solution in this case.
Use htaccess to do the redirects. Not sure if it'll work in IIS.

 

Duplicate content is bad thing for your sites.

 

Many websites have issues like this that almost prevent their site from gaining rankings. Implement canonical attribute and permanent redirects correctly and make sure you include only the appropriate pages of your site on xml sitemap you submit.