This is my first post for this site. Never an easy thing working out what the first thing to say should be! This post isn’t too controvertial (not saying future ones from me or any of the others wont be!), but I think it’s something important to cover, as time and time again I come across companies who don’t pay much attention to geo targeting.
What is SEO Geo Targeting?
Credit: NASA, Visible Earth
SEO geo targeting is a lot like Pay Per Click geo targeting, only not quite as simple as a few clicks of the mouse! Like Pay Per Click geo targeting, search engine optimisation geographic targeting is the process of aligning a site (or part of a site) to a target audience of a specific country.
With pay per click geo targeting it can be even more specific and target a particular sub region of a country or a city. A similar thing exists for SEO (local search), but that would need to be covered as a separate topic.
Why Should I Use Geo Targeting?
The search engines like to show the most relevant pages for a search query typed in, to help the searcher find what the are looking for. Someone in the UK searching for ‘used cars’ doesn’t want a website listing used cars in the US appearing at the top when they perform a search - as it just isn’t relevant to what they are looking for!
Now suppose you were the owner of this US used cars site and discovered that you were popping up in the UK rather than the US - you’d be rather annoyed…. You’re not going to make a lot of money trying to sell your cars in a market that doesn’t want to buy them!
By geo targeting you are making sure your site is seen by the right people (the target market) who are more likely to enquire about your products or make a purchase.
When Should I Use Geo Targeting?
Most sites should use geo targeting. In fact you are probably geo targeting to a certain extent without even realising it! However, if you have a site that appeals to an international audience you would not need to use geo targeting.
How Do I Geo Target My Website?
Search engines check several things to try and determine what region you are targeting. By no means think you need all of these in place to target a region, but the more you have the better chance you have of targeting a region effectively.
Country Targeted Domain Name
This refers to whether your site is a .com, .co.uk .fr etc. If your site is targeting the UK for example it is preferable to have a .co.uk. This also seems to be one of the strongest indicators that the search engines use.
Server Location
The location of your server is another strong indicator used by the search engines. If you are targeting the UK market it is best to have your server located in the UK. Some hosting companies host their sites in other countries. For example 1and1.co.uk host their sites in Germany. There is a Firefox plugin that lets you work out what country a site is called called Flagfox. For those not using Firefox, try using this Geotool
Jobcentreplus.gov.uk hosted in USA
Inbound Link Location
Have you ever considered what countries your links come from? No, well the search engines have! This is another strong indicator used by them. If most of your links are from US sites and you’re trying to get your site to rank well in the UK you might struggle.
The search engine marketing world is still very US centric (did someone say SEMMYs ?!), so you tend to find many more relevant sites to get a link from in the US than anywhere else. If this is the case for you, don’t despair adding your target location to your anchor text as a modifier will help. e.g. keyword + UK for the UK market.
Google Webmaster’s Tools
Those kind chaps over at Google actually added a feature to help SEOs in webmaster’s tools. This is designed for those with a neutral geographic domain, such as a .com, .org or .info. If your site is a .co.uk or a .fr, then by default Google has set an association for your domain.
This tool is not just limited to setting one association for a site, but can be used as part of an advanced strategy for a site targeting multiple countries. Spanish SEO has a good article on this.
WHOIS Information
Search engines can see what country a domain is registered in, and to a lesser extent could use this as an indicator. However, it is unlikely to be a strong indicator, as it is quite common for WHOIS info to be absent, incorrect, or have simply been registered in a different country to the one being targeted.
Physical Address
The search engines are good at reading addresses from sites, and use this info in local searches. A prominent address on the site helps them determine the region the site is targeting. A prominent physical address is a good trust signal to have on your site anyway.
Language
Not a strong indicator, but an indicator none the less. The trouble with this indicator, is that seeing a site in English only narrows down the location of the site to all the English speaking countries of the world! However, if your site is located in the only country to speak a particular language the search engines will use this as a much stronger indicator.
Further SEO Geo-Targeting Resources
Geo Targeting - Now More Than Ever!
Geo Targeting SEO Strategies for a Single Country
7 Geo Targeting SEO Tips
Guide to Geo Targeting for SEO and Usability
