Setting up a geographic target with your website is easy if you have a Google Webmaster Tools account already in place, and there are many benefits to doing so.
In the past, Google used two main factors to determine the geographic location of a site. These factors were, and to some degree, still are:
- TLD (top level domain) of the website
- Server Location
This is not an ideal way to determine a website’s location, since many websites use neutral domain extensions, i.e., .com or .net, and may or may not use a local server for hosting.
The Geo Targeting feature in Webmaster Tools is designed to allow users to add the geo location of entire domains, as well as individual subfolders with a website, individually.
This allows website owners to more accurately reach local searchers who are interested in their products and services, and allows sites with geo-specific content to be more effective. Global websites can benefit form this feature as well, since different sub domains for each country and/or region can be targeted to the appropriate geographical location. Geographic targeting is just one way that you can make sure that your website stays ahead of the local competition.
If Geo Targeting is something you think you need to take advantage of, contact us! We can make sure that your website is not only Geo Targeted, but our full search engine optimization plans will ensure that your site gets found!
About the author: Jeune Ortiz is VP of Marketing and Creative Director at future-ink. With more than 20 years of experience in graphic design and marketing, Jeune brings extensive knowledge and creativity to each website and internet marketing solution to grow your business.
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