SMX West 2010: SEO Domain & URL Strategies for International Websites
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The document discusses strategies for organizing multilingual and multinational website content, focusing on domain and URL considerations such as top-level domains, subdomains, and directories. It highlights important factors influencing search engine recognition of target markets and incoming links. Additionally, it addresses potential issues with language organization and user preferences in search results.
![Domain & URL Strategies for
Multilingual & Multinational Sites
SMX West
Sean Carlos
3 March 2010
Sean Carlos 1
www.antezeta.com/blog
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/seancarlos-domains-smxwest2010-100307145019-phpapp01/85/SMX-West-2010-SEO-Domain-URL-Strategies-for-International-Websites-1-320.jpg)
![We're here
Sean Carlos 2
www.antezeta.com/blog
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/seancarlos-domains-smxwest2010-100307145019-phpapp01/85/SMX-West-2010-SEO-Domain-URL-Strategies-for-International-Websites-2-320.jpg)
![Many of us are likely from here
Sean Carlos 3
www.antezeta.com/blog
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/seancarlos-domains-smxwest2010-100307145019-phpapp01/85/SMX-West-2010-SEO-Domain-URL-Strategies-for-International-Websites-3-320.jpg)
![Our clients are probably here
Sean Carlos 4
www.antezeta.com/blog
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/seancarlos-domains-smxwest2010-100307145019-phpapp01/85/SMX-West-2010-SEO-Domain-URL-Strategies-for-International-Websites-4-320.jpg)
![The English speaking world as seen by
Bing & Google
Sean Carlos 5
www.antezeta.com/blog
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/seancarlos-domains-smxwest2010-100307145019-phpapp01/85/SMX-West-2010-SEO-Domain-URL-Strategies-for-International-Websites-5-320.jpg)
![Organizing Multilingual &
Multinational Website Content
Two Dimensions:
Language & Geography
1. The Five Options
2. Considerations driving a
domain / URL strategy
Sean Carlos 6
www.antezeta.com/blog
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/seancarlos-domains-smxwest2010-100307145019-phpapp01/85/SMX-West-2010-SEO-Domain-URL-Strategies-for-International-Websites-6-320.jpg)
![1. Top Level Domains (TLDs)
www.mysite.com gTLD
www.mysite.mx ccTLD
www.mysite.it
Sean Carlos 7
www.antezeta.com/blog
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/seancarlos-domains-smxwest2010-100307145019-phpapp01/85/SMX-West-2010-SEO-Domain-URL-Strategies-for-International-Websites-7-320.jpg)
![2. Subdomains
en.mysite.com
es.mysite.com
it.mysite.com
Sean Carlos 8
www.antezeta.com/blog
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/seancarlos-domains-smxwest2010-100307145019-phpapp01/85/SMX-West-2010-SEO-Domain-URL-Strategies-for-International-Websites-8-320.jpg)
![3. Directories (Folders) on the Web Server
www.mysite.com/en
www.mysite.com/es
www.mysite.com/it
Sean Carlos 9
www.antezeta.com/blog
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/seancarlos-domains-smxwest2010-100307145019-phpapp01/85/SMX-West-2010-SEO-Domain-URL-Strategies-for-International-Websites-9-320.jpg)
![4. URL Parameters Not recommended
● Set a page's language and/or personalize
for a target market
– Google often uses hl=<code> to set a page's
language, e.g.
● http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/
answer.py?hl=en&answer=62399
– Bing country and language settings can be
changed by appending setmkt=<code> to
the bing URL, e.g.
● http://www.bing.com/?setmkt=de-CH
Sean Carlos 10
www.antezeta.com/blog
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/seancarlos-domains-smxwest2010-100307145019-phpapp01/85/SMX-West-2010-SEO-Domain-URL-Strategies-for-International-Websites-10-320.jpg)
![5. Chance
Not recommended
(A.K.A. no Organization)
● Site pages
– are in various languages with no particular
organization.
– may contain multiple languages within the
same page.
Sean Carlos 11
www.antezeta.com/blog
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/seancarlos-domains-smxwest2010-100307145019-phpapp01/85/SMX-West-2010-SEO-Domain-URL-Strategies-for-International-Websites-11-320.jpg)
![Organizing Multilingual &
Multinational Website Content
Two Dimensions:
Language & Geography
1. The Five Options
2. Considerations driving a
domain / URL strategy
Sean Carlos 12
www.antezeta.com/blog
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/seancarlos-domains-smxwest2010-100307145019-phpapp01/85/SMX-West-2010-SEO-Domain-URL-Strategies-for-International-Websites-12-320.jpg)
![Search Engines guess “Intended” Market
● Search engines may associate a website to
a geographic market by looking at
domain country codes (ccTLD) or
server IP for generic domains (gTLD)
Google allows geo
assignment of
gTLDs in Google
Webmaster Tools –
Google ONLY
Sean Carlos 13
www.antezeta.com/blog
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/seancarlos-domains-smxwest2010-100307145019-phpapp01/85/SMX-West-2010-SEO-Domain-URL-Strategies-for-International-Websites-13-320.jpg)
![Influence of Incoming Links
● Search engines will most likely consider the
“location” of sites providing incoming
links when ranking a page for a particular
market
Sean Carlos 14
www.antezeta.com/blog
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/seancarlos-domains-smxwest2010-100307145019-phpapp01/85/SMX-West-2010-SEO-Domain-URL-Strategies-for-International-Websites-14-320.jpg)
![Users Scan Search Result URLs
● Multiple studies have noted users scan
URLs when deciding which search
result to select
– Microsoft Research
– Marketing Sherpa Search Marketing Guide 2008
● Users probably prefer “their” country
specific domain in search results
Sean Carlos 15
www.antezeta.com/blog
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/seancarlos-domains-smxwest2010-100307145019-phpapp01/85/SMX-West-2010-SEO-Domain-URL-Strategies-for-International-Websites-15-320.jpg)
![Specific considerations
for the recommended options
Sean Carlos 16
www.antezeta.com/blog
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/seancarlos-domains-smxwest2010-100307145019-phpapp01/85/SMX-West-2010-SEO-Domain-URL-Strategies-for-International-Websites-16-320.jpg)
![Country Code Top Level Domains
(www.mysite.it)
Tailoring for content differences, e.g. $, €
Strong signal target market
Track separately in Webmaster Tools, WA
If language spoken in multiple countries
– link dilution (“duplicate content”)
If multiple languages used in country
– still have issues, e.g. Canada, Switzerland
Registration hurdles
– physical presence or other requirements
Sean Carlos 17
www.antezeta.com/blog
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/seancarlos-domains-smxwest2010-100307145019-phpapp01/85/SMX-West-2010-SEO-Domain-URL-Strategies-for-International-Websites-17-320.jpg)
![Subdomains for each Market
(it.mysite.com)
No registration issues
Host each subdomain in local market to
set server IP geolocation signal (but will
you?)
Track separately in Webmaster Tools, WA
Market needs may require multiple
subdomains for same language
Link dilution (but more relevant)
Weaker URL signal for users scanning
search results Sean Carlos
www.antezeta.com/blog
18
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/seancarlos-domains-smxwest2010-100307145019-phpapp01/85/SMX-West-2010-SEO-Domain-URL-Strategies-for-International-Websites-18-320.jpg)
![Directories for each Market
(www.mysite.com/it)
No registration issues
All links going to same domain
– but from discordant sources
Need multiple directories for some lang.?
Ambiguous geolocation targeting
– server IP signal not helpful
– Mixing multiple languages in same site
Weak URL for users scanning search results
Sean Carlos 19
www.antezeta.com/blog
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/seancarlos-domains-smxwest2010-100307145019-phpapp01/85/SMX-West-2010-SEO-Domain-URL-Strategies-for-International-Websites-19-320.jpg)
![Thank You!
Sean Carlos
Web Marketing Training & Consulting
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
www.antezeta.com/blog
Tel: +1 617 765 0250 (US)
+39 02 69 000 333 (Europe)
Skype: sean-carlos
Twitter: seancarlos
Sean Carlos 20
www.antezeta.com/blog
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/seancarlos-domains-smxwest2010-100307145019-phpapp01/85/SMX-West-2010-SEO-Domain-URL-Strategies-for-International-Websites-20-320.jpg)
![US only Site? You're not Immune....
● If you
– choose a cute domain extension from a
small country
– host your site on servers outside the USA
Search engines may not be sure who
you're trying to target
bit.ly Libya?
Mitigate w/ incoming link selection
Sean Carlos 21
www.antezeta.com/blog
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/seancarlos-domains-smxwest2010-100307145019-phpapp01/85/SMX-West-2010-SEO-Domain-URL-Strategies-for-International-Websites-21-320.jpg)
![Domain & URL Strategies for
Multilingual & Multinational Sites
SMX West
Sean Carlos
3 March 2010
Sean Carlos 1
www.antezeta.com/blog
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/seancarlos-domains-smxwest2010-100307145019-phpapp01/85/SMX-West-2010-SEO-Domain-URL-Strategies-for-International-Websites-22-320.jpg)
![We're here
Sean Carlos 2
www.antezeta.com/blog
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
Setting the stage: we're currently Santa Clara
centric.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/seancarlos-domains-smxwest2010-100307145019-phpapp01/85/SMX-West-2010-SEO-Domain-URL-Strategies-for-International-Websites-23-320.jpg)
![Many of us are likely from here
Sean Carlos 3
www.antezeta.com/blog
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
A majority of attendees are probably from a
nearby radius](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/seancarlos-domains-smxwest2010-100307145019-phpapp01/85/SMX-West-2010-SEO-Domain-URL-Strategies-for-International-Websites-24-320.jpg)
![Our clients are probably here
Sean Carlos 4
www.antezeta.com/blog
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
Most businesses are probably targeting a
national audience](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/seancarlos-domains-smxwest2010-100307145019-phpapp01/85/SMX-West-2010-SEO-Domain-URL-Strategies-for-International-Websites-25-320.jpg)
![The English speaking world as seen by
Bing & Google
Sean Carlos 5
www.antezeta.com/blog
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
Yet even if we just consider English speaking
countries, the view seen by Google, Bing & Co.
is more complicated. We are potentially
competing with similar websites from Canada,
England, Australia, South Africa.
For those in the audience focusing solely on a
domestic audience in English, you'll see how
these issues can impact you too.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/seancarlos-domains-smxwest2010-100307145019-phpapp01/85/SMX-West-2010-SEO-Domain-URL-Strategies-for-International-Websites-26-320.jpg)
![Organizing Multilingual &
Multinational Website Content
Two Dimensions:
Language & Geography
1. The Five Options
2. Considerations driving a
domain / URL strategy
Sean Carlos 6
www.antezeta.com/blog
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/seancarlos-domains-smxwest2010-100307145019-phpapp01/85/SMX-West-2010-SEO-Domain-URL-Strategies-for-International-Websites-27-320.jpg)
![1. Top Level Domains (TLDs)
www.mysite.com gTLD
www.mysite.mx ccTLD
www.mysite.it
Sean Carlos 7
www.antezeta.com/blog
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
gTLD - generic top-level domain
ccTLD - country-code top-level domains
Master list of top level domains is managed by
IANA (The Internet Assigned Numbers
Authority). Contains 251 country codes +
Catalonia (CAT) and Europe (EU)
http://www.iana.org/domains/root/db/](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/seancarlos-domains-smxwest2010-100307145019-phpapp01/85/SMX-West-2010-SEO-Domain-URL-Strategies-for-International-Websites-28-320.jpg)
![2. Subdomains
en.mysite.com
es.mysite.com
it.mysite.com
Sean Carlos 8
www.antezeta.com/blog
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/seancarlos-domains-smxwest2010-100307145019-phpapp01/85/SMX-West-2010-SEO-Domain-URL-Strategies-for-International-Websites-29-320.jpg)
![3. Directories (Folders) on the Web Server
www.mysite.com/en
www.mysite.com/es
www.mysite.com/it
Sean Carlos 9
www.antezeta.com/blog
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/seancarlos-domains-smxwest2010-100307145019-phpapp01/85/SMX-West-2010-SEO-Domain-URL-Strategies-for-International-Websites-30-320.jpg)
![4. URL Parameters Not recommended
● Set a page's language and/or personalize
for a target market
– Google often uses hl=<code> to set a page's
language, e.g.
● http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/
answer.py?hl=en&answer=62399
– Bing country and language settings can be
changed by appending setmkt=<code> to
the bing URL, e.g.
● http://www.bing.com/?setmkt=de-CH
Sean Carlos 10
www.antezeta.com/blog
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
URL parameters add complexity which may
discourage users from clicking on a search
result even if a page is indexed by search
engines.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/seancarlos-domains-smxwest2010-100307145019-phpapp01/85/SMX-West-2010-SEO-Domain-URL-Strategies-for-International-Websites-31-320.jpg)
![5. Chance
Not recommended
(A.K.A. no Organization)
● Site pages
– are in various languages with no particular
organization.
– may contain multiple languages within the
same page.
Sean Carlos 11
www.antezeta.com/blog
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
Disorganization should be left in the dorm room!](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/seancarlos-domains-smxwest2010-100307145019-phpapp01/85/SMX-West-2010-SEO-Domain-URL-Strategies-for-International-Websites-32-320.jpg)
![Organizing Multilingual &
Multinational Website Content
Two Dimensions:
Language & Geography
1. The Five Options
2. Considerations driving a
domain / URL strategy
Sean Carlos 12
www.antezeta.com/blog
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/seancarlos-domains-smxwest2010-100307145019-phpapp01/85/SMX-West-2010-SEO-Domain-URL-Strategies-for-International-Websites-33-320.jpg)
![Search Engines guess “Intended” Market
● Search engines may associate a website to
a geographic market by looking at
domain country codes (ccTLD) or
server IP for generic domains (gTLD)
Google allows geo
assignment of
gTLDs in Google
Webmaster Tools –
Google ONLY
Sean Carlos 13
www.antezeta.com/blog
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
See also:
Google Geo Targeting in Google Webmaster
Tools
http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answ
Bing
http://www.bing.com/community/blogs/webmaster/ar
http://help.live.com/help.aspx?project=wl_webmasters
http://www.bing.com/toolbox/support/how-can-i-incre](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/seancarlos-domains-smxwest2010-100307145019-phpapp01/85/SMX-West-2010-SEO-Domain-URL-Strategies-for-International-Websites-34-320.jpg)
![Influence of Incoming Links
● Search engines will most likely consider the
“location” of sites providing incoming
links when ranking a page for a particular
market
Sean Carlos 14
www.antezeta.com/blog
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/seancarlos-domains-smxwest2010-100307145019-phpapp01/85/SMX-West-2010-SEO-Domain-URL-Strategies-for-International-Websites-35-320.jpg)
![Users Scan Search Result URLs
● Multiple studies have noted users scan
URLs when deciding which search
result to select
– Microsoft Research
– Marketing Sherpa Search Marketing Guide 2008
● Users probably prefer “their” country
specific domain in search results
Sean Carlos 15
www.antezeta.com/blog
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/seancarlos-domains-smxwest2010-100307145019-phpapp01/85/SMX-West-2010-SEO-Domain-URL-Strategies-for-International-Websites-36-320.jpg)
![Specific considerations
for the recommended options
Sean Carlos 16
www.antezeta.com/blog
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/seancarlos-domains-smxwest2010-100307145019-phpapp01/85/SMX-West-2010-SEO-Domain-URL-Strategies-for-International-Websites-37-320.jpg)
![Country Code Top Level Domains
(www.mysite.it)
Tailoring for content differences, e.g. $, €
Strong signal target market
Track separately in Webmaster Tools, WA
If language spoken in multiple countries
– link dilution (“duplicate content”)
If multiple languages used in country
– still have issues, e.g. Canada, Switzerland
Registration hurdles
– physical presence or other requirements
Sean Carlos 17
www.antezeta.com/blog
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/seancarlos-domains-smxwest2010-100307145019-phpapp01/85/SMX-West-2010-SEO-Domain-URL-Strategies-for-International-Websites-38-320.jpg)
![Subdomains for each Market
(it.mysite.com)
No registration issues
Host each subdomain in local market to
set server IP geolocation signal (but will
you?)
Track separately in Webmaster Tools, WA
Market needs may require multiple
subdomains for same language
Link dilution (but more relevant)
Weaker URL signal for users scanning
search results Sean Carlos
www.antezeta.com/blog
18
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/seancarlos-domains-smxwest2010-100307145019-phpapp01/85/SMX-West-2010-SEO-Domain-URL-Strategies-for-International-Websites-39-320.jpg)
![Directories for each Market
(www.mysite.com/it)
No registration issues
All links going to same domain
– but from discordant sources
Need multiple directories for some lang.?
Ambiguous geolocation targeting
– server IP signal not helpful
– Mixing multiple languages in same site
Weak URL for users scanning search results
Sean Carlos 19
www.antezeta.com/blog
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/seancarlos-domains-smxwest2010-100307145019-phpapp01/85/SMX-West-2010-SEO-Domain-URL-Strategies-for-International-Websites-40-320.jpg)
![Thank You!
Sean Carlos
Web Marketing Training & Consulting
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
www.antezeta.com/blog
Tel: +1 617 765 0250 (US)
+39 02 69 000 333 (Europe)
Skype: sean-carlos
Twitter: seancarlos
Sean Carlos 20
www.antezeta.com/blog
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/seancarlos-domains-smxwest2010-100307145019-phpapp01/85/SMX-West-2010-SEO-Domain-URL-Strategies-for-International-Websites-41-320.jpg)
![US only Site? You're not Immune....
● If you
– choose a cute domain extension from a
small country
– host your site on servers outside the USA
Search engines may not be sure who
you're trying to target
bit.ly Libya?
Mitigate w/ incoming link selection
Sean Carlos 21
www.antezeta.com/blog
sean [symbol here] antezeta.com](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/seancarlos-domains-smxwest2010-100307145019-phpapp01/85/SMX-West-2010-SEO-Domain-URL-Strategies-for-International-Websites-42-320.jpg)
SMX West 2010: SEO Domain & URL Strategies for International Websites
- 1. Domain & URL Strategies for Multilingual & Multinational Sites SMX West Sean Carlos 3 March 2010 Sean Carlos 1 www.antezeta.com/blog sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
- 2. We're here Sean Carlos 2 www.antezeta.com/blog sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
- 3. Many of us are likely from here Sean Carlos 3 www.antezeta.com/blog sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
- 4. Our clients are probably here Sean Carlos 4 www.antezeta.com/blog sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
- 5. The English speaking world as seen by Bing & Google Sean Carlos 5 www.antezeta.com/blog sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
- 6. Organizing Multilingual & Multinational Website Content Two Dimensions: Language & Geography 1. The Five Options 2. Considerations driving a domain / URL strategy Sean Carlos 6 www.antezeta.com/blog sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
- 7. 1. Top Level Domains (TLDs) www.mysite.com gTLD www.mysite.mx ccTLD www.mysite.it Sean Carlos 7 www.antezeta.com/blog sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
- 8. 2. Subdomains en.mysite.com es.mysite.com it.mysite.com Sean Carlos 8 www.antezeta.com/blog sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
- 9. 3. Directories (Folders) on the Web Server www.mysite.com/en www.mysite.com/es www.mysite.com/it Sean Carlos 9 www.antezeta.com/blog sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
- 10. 4. URL Parameters Not recommended ● Set a page's language and/or personalize for a target market – Google often uses hl=<code> to set a page's language, e.g. ● http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/ answer.py?hl=en&answer=62399 – Bing country and language settings can be changed by appending setmkt=<code> to the bing URL, e.g. ● http://www.bing.com/?setmkt=de-CH Sean Carlos 10 www.antezeta.com/blog sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
- 11. 5. Chance Not recommended (A.K.A. no Organization) ● Site pages – are in various languages with no particular organization. – may contain multiple languages within the same page. Sean Carlos 11 www.antezeta.com/blog sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
- 12. Organizing Multilingual & Multinational Website Content Two Dimensions: Language & Geography 1. The Five Options 2. Considerations driving a domain / URL strategy Sean Carlos 12 www.antezeta.com/blog sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
- 13. Search Engines guess “Intended” Market ● Search engines may associate a website to a geographic market by looking at domain country codes (ccTLD) or server IP for generic domains (gTLD) Google allows geo assignment of gTLDs in Google Webmaster Tools – Google ONLY Sean Carlos 13 www.antezeta.com/blog sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
- 14. Influence of Incoming Links ● Search engines will most likely consider the “location” of sites providing incoming links when ranking a page for a particular market Sean Carlos 14 www.antezeta.com/blog sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
- 15. Users Scan Search Result URLs ● Multiple studies have noted users scan URLs when deciding which search result to select – Microsoft Research – Marketing Sherpa Search Marketing Guide 2008 ● Users probably prefer “their” country specific domain in search results Sean Carlos 15 www.antezeta.com/blog sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
- 16. Specific considerations for the recommended options Sean Carlos 16 www.antezeta.com/blog sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
- 17. Country Code Top Level Domains (www.mysite.it) Tailoring for content differences, e.g. $, € Strong signal target market Track separately in Webmaster Tools, WA If language spoken in multiple countries – link dilution (“duplicate content”) If multiple languages used in country – still have issues, e.g. Canada, Switzerland Registration hurdles – physical presence or other requirements Sean Carlos 17 www.antezeta.com/blog sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
- 18. Subdomains for each Market (it.mysite.com) No registration issues Host each subdomain in local market to set server IP geolocation signal (but will you?) Track separately in Webmaster Tools, WA Market needs may require multiple subdomains for same language Link dilution (but more relevant) Weaker URL signal for users scanning search results Sean Carlos www.antezeta.com/blog 18 sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
- 19. Directories for each Market (www.mysite.com/it) No registration issues All links going to same domain – but from discordant sources Need multiple directories for some lang.? Ambiguous geolocation targeting – server IP signal not helpful – Mixing multiple languages in same site Weak URL for users scanning search results Sean Carlos 19 www.antezeta.com/blog sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
- 20. Thank You! Sean Carlos Web Marketing Training & Consulting sean [symbol here] antezeta.com www.antezeta.com/blog Tel: +1 617 765 0250 (US) +39 02 69 000 333 (Europe) Skype: sean-carlos Twitter: seancarlos Sean Carlos 20 www.antezeta.com/blog sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
- 21. US only Site? You're not Immune.... ● If you – choose a cute domain extension from a small country – host your site on servers outside the USA Search engines may not be sure who you're trying to target bit.ly Libya? Mitigate w/ incoming link selection Sean Carlos 21 www.antezeta.com/blog sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
- 22. Domain & URL Strategies for Multilingual & Multinational Sites SMX West Sean Carlos 3 March 2010 Sean Carlos 1 www.antezeta.com/blog sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
- 23. We're here Sean Carlos 2 www.antezeta.com/blog sean [symbol here] antezeta.com Setting the stage: we're currently Santa Clara centric.
- 24. Many of us are likely from here Sean Carlos 3 www.antezeta.com/blog sean [symbol here] antezeta.com A majority of attendees are probably from a nearby radius
- 25. Our clients are probably here Sean Carlos 4 www.antezeta.com/blog sean [symbol here] antezeta.com Most businesses are probably targeting a national audience
- 26. The English speaking world as seen by Bing & Google Sean Carlos 5 www.antezeta.com/blog sean [symbol here] antezeta.com Yet even if we just consider English speaking countries, the view seen by Google, Bing & Co. is more complicated. We are potentially competing with similar websites from Canada, England, Australia, South Africa. For those in the audience focusing solely on a domestic audience in English, you'll see how these issues can impact you too.
- 27. Organizing Multilingual & Multinational Website Content Two Dimensions: Language & Geography 1. The Five Options 2. Considerations driving a domain / URL strategy Sean Carlos 6 www.antezeta.com/blog sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
- 28. 1. Top Level Domains (TLDs) www.mysite.com gTLD www.mysite.mx ccTLD www.mysite.it Sean Carlos 7 www.antezeta.com/blog sean [symbol here] antezeta.com gTLD - generic top-level domain ccTLD - country-code top-level domains Master list of top level domains is managed by IANA (The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority). Contains 251 country codes + Catalonia (CAT) and Europe (EU) http://www.iana.org/domains/root/db/
- 29. 2. Subdomains en.mysite.com es.mysite.com it.mysite.com Sean Carlos 8 www.antezeta.com/blog sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
- 30. 3. Directories (Folders) on the Web Server www.mysite.com/en www.mysite.com/es www.mysite.com/it Sean Carlos 9 www.antezeta.com/blog sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
- 31. 4. URL Parameters Not recommended ● Set a page's language and/or personalize for a target market – Google often uses hl=<code> to set a page's language, e.g. ● http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/ answer.py?hl=en&answer=62399 – Bing country and language settings can be changed by appending setmkt=<code> to the bing URL, e.g. ● http://www.bing.com/?setmkt=de-CH Sean Carlos 10 www.antezeta.com/blog sean [symbol here] antezeta.com URL parameters add complexity which may discourage users from clicking on a search result even if a page is indexed by search engines.
- 32. 5. Chance Not recommended (A.K.A. no Organization) ● Site pages – are in various languages with no particular organization. – may contain multiple languages within the same page. Sean Carlos 11 www.antezeta.com/blog sean [symbol here] antezeta.com Disorganization should be left in the dorm room!
- 33. Organizing Multilingual & Multinational Website Content Two Dimensions: Language & Geography 1. The Five Options 2. Considerations driving a domain / URL strategy Sean Carlos 12 www.antezeta.com/blog sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
- 34. Search Engines guess “Intended” Market ● Search engines may associate a website to a geographic market by looking at domain country codes (ccTLD) or server IP for generic domains (gTLD) Google allows geo assignment of gTLDs in Google Webmaster Tools – Google ONLY Sean Carlos 13 www.antezeta.com/blog sean [symbol here] antezeta.com See also: Google Geo Targeting in Google Webmaster Tools http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answ Bing http://www.bing.com/community/blogs/webmaster/ar http://help.live.com/help.aspx?project=wl_webmasters http://www.bing.com/toolbox/support/how-can-i-incre
- 35. Influence of Incoming Links ● Search engines will most likely consider the “location” of sites providing incoming links when ranking a page for a particular market Sean Carlos 14 www.antezeta.com/blog sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
- 36. Users Scan Search Result URLs ● Multiple studies have noted users scan URLs when deciding which search result to select – Microsoft Research – Marketing Sherpa Search Marketing Guide 2008 ● Users probably prefer “their” country specific domain in search results Sean Carlos 15 www.antezeta.com/blog sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
- 37. Specific considerations for the recommended options Sean Carlos 16 www.antezeta.com/blog sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
- 38. Country Code Top Level Domains (www.mysite.it) Tailoring for content differences, e.g. $, € Strong signal target market Track separately in Webmaster Tools, WA If language spoken in multiple countries – link dilution (“duplicate content”) If multiple languages used in country – still have issues, e.g. Canada, Switzerland Registration hurdles – physical presence or other requirements Sean Carlos 17 www.antezeta.com/blog sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
- 39. Subdomains for each Market (it.mysite.com) No registration issues Host each subdomain in local market to set server IP geolocation signal (but will you?) Track separately in Webmaster Tools, WA Market needs may require multiple subdomains for same language Link dilution (but more relevant) Weaker URL signal for users scanning search results Sean Carlos www.antezeta.com/blog 18 sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
- 40. Directories for each Market (www.mysite.com/it) No registration issues All links going to same domain – but from discordant sources Need multiple directories for some lang.? Ambiguous geolocation targeting – server IP signal not helpful – Mixing multiple languages in same site Weak URL for users scanning search results Sean Carlos 19 www.antezeta.com/blog sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
- 41. Thank You! Sean Carlos Web Marketing Training & Consulting sean [symbol here] antezeta.com www.antezeta.com/blog Tel: +1 617 765 0250 (US) +39 02 69 000 333 (Europe) Skype: sean-carlos Twitter: seancarlos Sean Carlos 20 www.antezeta.com/blog sean [symbol here] antezeta.com
- 42. US only Site? You're not Immune.... ● If you – choose a cute domain extension from a small country – host your site on servers outside the USA Search engines may not be sure who you're trying to target bit.ly Libya? Mitigate w/ incoming link selection Sean Carlos 21 www.antezeta.com/blog sean [symbol here] antezeta.com