Geo Targeting

Companies that want to maximise the value of their money online would have heard about geo-targeting already. Geo-targeting is usually mentioned in the context of pay-per-click (PPC) advertising but it is actually also applicable to SEO. In PPC, geo-targeting lets marketers select which geographic location their ads will appear on. Geo-targeting in SEO is more complex than that. This section will talk about the benefits and challenges of this initiative.

Benefits:

One of the main benefits of geo-targeting, as compared to language targeting, is its ability to rank better in search engines. Although Google's rules apply to just about any country, it gives local sites more prominence in the search engine results page. To take advantage of this though, it is recommended for you to choose a local hosting provider. In addition, try to get as much in-country links are possible.

Geo-targeting also ups up your trust factor. Being seen as local through geo-targeting can win you more clients. It gives customers a sense that you understand their needs and wants. The impression is that you are easily accessible for customer service as well.

Challenges:

Content duplication, even from your original website, can pose a challenge. It isn't that you will get penalised. The risk is that you won't get ranked at all. In fact, .co.uk domains that implemented that same strategy as the .com one might rank below the original because it used duplicate content. Rewriting the content is recommended in this regard. It is also important for you to be conscious of the nuances of English in different regions. When rewriting the original copy, try to get a local to do it. Otherwise, your site might give the impression that it is full of misspellings.

Geo-targeting can be an expensive endeavour. Aside from rewriting the content to suit specific audiences, there is also the task of optimisation. In short, you'll be paying for a number of individual country-specific domain names, content rewriting, and SEO services for these websites. Setting up new websites from the ground up takes a lot of work. Make sure you do sufficient research before embarking on this strategy.

Language targeting will give you a foothold but geo-targeting can ensure that you reap maximum benefit from your multilingual initiative. It is about true localisation and gaining the customer's trust over the long-term.