Google.co.uk - different than other regional Googles?

steve_reeder · #1 (**permalink**) 06-23-2006, 05:23 PM

We have been doing a great job of getting our ".com" site listed on the global Google as well as most of the regional Google engines including ".de" and ".fr". However the "co.uk" version seems to be difficult for organic listings. Has anyone else out there experienced a similar situation or have some specific experience that they could share that may point me in the right direction? Do I need an IP from England to get on their radar screen? Is this just an annomoly? Shouldn't they get their information from the global engine?

greeneagle · #2 (**permalink**) 06-23-2006, 05:41 PM

Are your .de and .fr versions in native languages as opposed to dupe or near dupe content on the .com and .uk versions or different english replications? or are we even talking about different language versions and secondary English sites?

Are you just talking about a .com that you want globally listed and have as much impact as in the US? Where are you hosted, geographically?

We need a lot more info.

If it is, as it sounds and you are describing one site hosted in the US in English... then you have probably fallen into the overall scheme of things similar to most and as it's intended until you transcend some "Trusted Site" status.

Who are you hosted by? That matters too.

I didn't see any links for a clue.

At the very least post a link or fill in the website url info on your WPW user profile so your "www" button becomes active in your posts.

Welcome to WPW.

Ken

dburdon · #3 (**permalink**) 06-23-2006, 07:12 PM

Steve,
the normal version of Google.co.uk isn't that different from Google.com. However, once you press the "UK only" radio button you will see all non-UK related sites excluded. To be seen in these results you need to have a .uk domain of some sort or be hosted in the UK. For example, a .com or .net hosted in the US (many cheap hosting providers) or Germany (principally 1&1)will not appear.

TrafficProducer · #4 (**permalink**) 06-23-2006, 07:15 PM

Simple Submit 130 Google Related and Other Search Engines for FREE!!

Some seach engines only accept post with the correct Country extetion e.g. .hk .jp etc...

You could try foreign language translation.
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steve_reeder · #5 (**permalink**) 06-24-2006, 12:28 AM

Thanks to all for your intial thoughts!!!

Here is the rest of the information....

Site was located in the US (outside vendor - Interland) and just moved it to Germany (in house) last month. Remains to be seen if having it in Germany will help.

The co.uk domain simply points to our .com site. So, it is not like there is a separate site there.

The web site is www.wheelabratorgroup.com

greeneagle · #6 (**permalink**) 06-24-2006, 01:12 AM

First impression:

Very nice industrial site!

You may want to add your DTDs (Document Type Declarations) at the very top of every page. They should probably look something like this:

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"
"http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">

Are your redirects 301s or 302s?

Make them permanent if they aren't.

Ken

Orion · #7 (**permalink**) 06-25-2006, 02:13 PM

This is a great topic!

I've have a couple sites from a client:
http://www.sse-franchise.com
http://www.smithfuse.jp

Both list in the japan only for english franchise, both sites are hosted in the US by us.

I had always thought dburdon was correct that the sse-franchise site would NOT show. But it does (note the sse-franchise site's audience is actually in USA).

At one point I seem to remember coming across an article that mentioned 'who owns a site', in otherwords registrant from whois can impact regional listings.

Having the country specific extention is DEFINITELY BENEFICIAL. Be careful how you use it though cause it can limit your exposure in some engines.

We usually recommend to clients to use the country specific domain for that country's translation of the site, when possible.

I have a few clients that have had difficulty getting out of the regional loop and some with difficulty getting in. While we've helped them, I'm sure there's more we could be doing for them in this regard. I'd love to here more feedback from SEO's on what they've had success with in getting sites to list and rank regionally and globally.

glengara · #8 (**permalink**) 06-26-2006, 07:35 AM

*So, it is not like there is a separate site there.*

Not too sure about that, G has some pages indexed from the .co.uk site which is giving a 200 rather than a 301 header response...

steve_reeder · #9 (**permalink**) 06-26-2006, 12:37 PM

I am going to ask our web developer about the points you mentioned and will get back. I appreciate everything that you have brought to the table! So much to learn!

steve_reeder · #10 (**permalink**) 06-29-2006, 10:58 AM

What we have done to date is the typical sort of stuff. Puchase local domains (.de, co.uk, .fr, etc) and have redirects to our .com site. Our site is completely translated (text and metadata) for French and German so I submit those home pages, a complete site map with every link known to mankind and for all languages, and of course I submit the local domains. (The "COMPLETE SITE MAP" is on the bottom of our page, below the scroll and in light text as it is more for search engines and less for the visitor. We have a more normal Site Map in a much more prominant location on our home page but only includes regional links). We have also run all of our dynamic pages through an HTML filter called XQASP which changes all pages to HTML extensions. This has worked for the most part with the exception of co.uk search engines. This is what is so puzzeling!

glengara · #11 (**permalink**) 06-29-2006, 12:57 PM

*Results 101 - 104 of about 145 from www.wheelabratorgroup.co.uk*

It seems that as far as G is concerned www.wheelabratorgroup.co.uk exists as a separate site (in need of some attention) so G.uk will list that rather than the .com, IMO.

glengara · #12 (**permalink**) 06-29-2006, 02:28 PM

In fact as most pages are supplemental it may well be under a duplicate content filter...

steve_reeder · #13 (**permalink**) 06-29-2006, 03:21 PM

A duplicate content filter? I had not thought of that. So, in essence, because we are listed on the global engine for .COM, they will not list the same content on the CO.UK search engine?

incrediblehelp · #14 (**permalink**) 06-29-2006, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve_reeder

A duplicate content filter? I had not thought of that. So, in essence, because we are listed on the global engine for .COM, they will not list the same content on the CO.UK search engine?

No they probably wont. If they did list anything they would list the .com in the co.uk Google.

The best way to perform on all regional engines is to build out a separate website with different language variations and translations with the proper TLD domain.

You don't want to build one website (the .com) and then 301 or 302 redirect the extra regional domains to the .com.

glengara · #15 (**permalink**) 06-29-2006, 06:18 PM

*No they probably wont. If they did list anything they would list the .com in the co.uk Google.*

Unless they had a .co.uk site to work with, which they do.

IMO you either completely change the content on the .co.uk site, or you 301 the .co.uk site to the .com one, it's a same language duplication problem, in theory your .com/.co.uk sites would be largely identical....

steve_reeder · #16 (**permalink**) 06-30-2006, 11:13 AM

Your comments/thoughts make sense. You have put on on the right path I think!

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