Ensuring local site ranks above global version - all engines

Howitzer

Hi there,

Perhaps someone can point me in the right direction or let me know if this can't be done:

I want mysite.co.uk to always appear above mysite.com when searched in a .co.uk engine.
Same for mysite.ie within any .ie engines - or even within yahoo.com used from Ireland for example.

Is this kind of refinement possible?
Has it anything to do with canonicalisation (whereby you reduce the chance of a 'site.com' and 'www.site.com' being picked up twice as a duplicate)

Any info on this would be most welcome.

Thanks

notnem

Hi Howitzer,

I want to make sure I'm getting you correctly here. You want your .co.uk domains to rank in Google.co.uk, your .ie domain to rank in Google.ie and your .com domain to rank in Google.com?

If I have got you correctly, here is some general advice:

- In Google Webmaster tools you can set a Geographic Target (Read More)
- Use a country specific top level domain (Seems you are doing this)
- Host your site in the country you are targeting
- Using the appropriate spelling and colloquialism
- Build links to your UK site from other UK sites (I think a site will rank better in Google.co.uk if it gains UK links - purely opinion here)

Has it anything to do with canonicalisation (whereby you reduce the chance of a 'site.com' and 'www.site.com' being picked up twice as a duplicate)

This has nothing to do with canonicalisation.

Please note if your sites are targeting multiple countries, I would just build links from sites in the countries you are targeting and leave out things like the Geographic Target setting in Webmaster Tools.

Hope this helps point you in the right direction.

Howitzer

Hi notnem,

thanks for the pointer.

You are correct that I want uk domain to show in .co.uk engines

But the nub of the problem is that I want the .co.uk site to show above our .com site in a uk engine everytime.

Do you think this kind of instruction can be done?

notnem

Howitzer wrote: »

But the nub of the problem is that I want the .co.uk site to show above our .com site in a uk engine everytime.

I am not a local listings expert (natural SEO is my area), so please just take my suggestions as ideas and research them before you make a decision on your approach.

I would set your country specific sites to Geographic Targets in Google Webmaster Tools and leave domain.com with a global setting. I would then build links from within the countries you are interested in to the sites you want to rank first, UK links to your domain.co.uk

I'm just wondering why you would be worried about which site ranks first, or why it would be worth putting much effort into it.

Howitzer

thanks again. It's to satisfy a client's need. May be better to inform them why not to bother - but it seems important to them.

Cheers

blue4ever

any duplicate content between the co.uk and .com?

Howitzer

No, no duplicate content involved - mysite.co.uk is seperate to mysite.com

Not sure if this can be done at all. Any idea what other forums / sites to ask around on?

blue4ever

Its suggested that .co.uk ‘domain should’ be given the heads up quicker on the Google. co.uk – when they search with the ‘pages from country only’ .

Webmaster tools allows you to set a geographic preference: “If your site targets users in a particular location, you can provide us with information that will help determine how your site appears in our country-specific search results, and also improve our search results for geographic queries
Forums:

http://searchenginewatch.com/
Google Groups
http://www.webmasterworld.com/

as a good start

there is a lot out there as it’s a topic discussed a good deal

RedCardinal

notnem wrote: »

I would set your country specific sites to Geographic Targets in Google Webmaster Tools and leave domain.com with a global setting.

You cant set geotargeting for ccTLD domains.

notnem wrote: »

I would then build links from within the countries you are interested in to the sites you want to rank first, UK links to your domain.co.uk

Good idea, and probably what will help most.

Biggest issue is whether you have unique content on all these domains? If not then you're going to have a major issue with this.

When you say for a client - are you selling SEO services?

Howitzer

Cheers for all input. I'll post back in a few weeks with the solution(s) we went for and whether they give a good result.

@RedCardinal: the company I work for sells SEO / marketing services. Pm if you need more info.