Multi language pages don't appear in google.co.uk or google.fr(not indexed at all)

Forum Moderators: phranque

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Multi language pages don't appear in google.co.uk or google.fr(not indexed at all)

searching in "pages from [country]"

actan

5:57 am on Oct 27, 2009 (gmt 0)

Hi all,

My site hosted in US, and we registered as "mysite.com" only.
We have sub directories like "mysite.com/german", "mysite.com/france" ... And of course, these pages are all in target country's language. Our indexing in the world wide web is OK, but when I search my keywords or (site:mysite.com) in www.google.ca, or www.google.co.uk, with "pages from [country]" selected, I found not a single page is indexed in google ca and google uk!

But I found my competitor, ccc.com, are indexed with more or less pages in different google local server. How did they achieve that? Did they give 301 redirect to ccc.com to all their ccc.com.ca and ccc.co.uk domain?

ps, we didn't register mysite.com.ca or mysite.co.uk.

What should I do to make google local serve at least index my target language pages?

pps, how google decide where a site is located?

Thanks very much!

bill

8:34 am on Oct 27, 2009 (gmt 0)

Welcome to WebmasterWorld actan.

They may have used Google's Webmaster Tools to set the local parts of their site to their respective markets.

phranque

10:07 am on Oct 27, 2009 (gmt 0)

welcome to WebmasterWorld [webmasterworld.com], actan!

check out the "geo-targeted search" section of the Google Hot Topics - FAQs [webmasterworld.com] thread.

actan

8:58 am on Oct 28, 2009 (gmt 0)

Thanks all!
But I still think my problem is not solved.
My target users of my site is world wide, not just one specific country. I found there is only one country I can choose in geographic target in webmaster tool. Of course I can't do that.

I heard that we can specify different directory pointing to different target country. Is that true? Have google enabled this?

I can't find it in the webmaster tools.

phranque

11:19 am on Oct 28, 2009 (gmt 0)

I heard that we can specify different directory pointing to different target country. Is that true? Have google enabled this?
I can't find it in the webmaster tools.

when you "add a site" in GWT you include the directory in the url and set the geographic target in the site configuration settings for that directory and subs.
you can do the same thing with subdomains.

G is better at geo targeting than language targeting.
in general i would suggest the usual - good content in the target language, linked to by relevant pages in the same language, preferably at the preferred or expected cc/tld(s) for that language, and taking advantage of any meta tags or tag attributes to express your intentions with language.
the location of the server for your sites as well as your inbound links can effect your georelevance [webmasterworld.com].
it probably wouldn't hurt to have the language code somewhere in the url.

actan

1:24 am on Oct 29, 2009 (gmt 0)

--when you "add a site" in GWT you include the directory in the url and set the geographic target in the site configuration settings for that directory and subs.
you can do the same thing with subdomains.

Thank you phranque!

I got what you mean.

I will try.

Thanks!

actan

8:12 am on Oct 29, 2009 (gmt 0)

You listed some points that affect the geo relevance. I listed it here:

1) good content in the target language
2) linked to by relevant pages in the same language
3) preferably at the preferred or expected cc/tld(s) for that language
4) aking advantage of any meta tags or tag attributes to express your intentions with language
5) the location of the server for your sites
6) inbound links

Does these factors' importance to geo relevance going down from top to bottom?

actan

9:26 am on Oct 29, 2009 (gmt 0)

Shockingly, I found all my multi-language pages are already indexed in google.co.jp, .fr, .de, .es
I have only one IP and hosted in US.

I thought my pages in those languages were not indexed when I search site:www.mysite.com in google.co.uk and .ca.

I didn't check it in co.jp, .fr, .de, .es. But actually these pages are just ALL RIGHT!

Sorry.

Now the problem comes to how to let co.uk and .ca index my site and regard it as a local site.

The points mentioned by phranque should be the good guide lines to solve this.