GEO Targeting-What, Why & How??
Let me introduce you to a term named GEO targetting. This is somewhat very ignored search engine optimization techniques that improves your rank in SERPs(Search Engine Result Pages). So what is this all about ?? Why Do we need to know about it ?? And finally How do we do it ?? There are yet more questions on your mind. But for now I’ll explain only the most important three. So let us start.
What is it ??
Geo Targeting is a online marketing technique to improve search relevance for your website or blog in SERPs for a particular geographic location.
Whoa !! That’s surely sounded like a hard nut. Let me ease it up a bit. As said in many earlier occasions traffic is all we ask for. But suppose the product or service that your website/blog offers, demands a country specific market then that particular country must be a very relevant keyword for your website/blog. This way the geographical location comes into context. Now I hope you could well understand why this is named so.
Example….
Let us see a very common example of this. Suppose you are trying to go to www.google.com sitting somewhere in Delhi, then you may have noticed that you will be redirected to www.google.co.in which is their country specific url.
Why should I do it ??
As mentioned earlier, whenever the country specification gets involved, this GEO Targeting comes into action. But why should we do it ?? Reasons follow :
- This provides the viewers a more specific content that they may be more interested in.
- This helps you gain more authority over the country specific traffic by getting better ranked in the SERPs.
- A mere indirect relation though but, the search engines remain happy as you help them provide relevance.
Overall speaking it helps you optimize your website/blog a step more for search engines.
How to do it ??
Following are the basic steps of GEO Targeting
- Search for a Hosting service whose server is located in the country or region that you want to GEO target.
- Top Level Domain or TLD name also plays a key role. Try choosing a relevant one. Suppose you are trying to target audience from UK then you should go for a domain name www.your-domain-name.uk.
- Learn to monitor the visitors via Google Webmaster Tools. Go for resources available over the internet.
- Use a copy of php script to redirect your visits to the country specific domain.
- Include the country name or more relevant keywords(containing the country name) in your content to let the search engines index you for that keyword or keyword phrases searched from that particular country.
I hope this will help you get started with GEO Targeting. But there is no need to practice it if your product or service is not targeted to a country. Well that’s all for today. Share your valuable thoughts via comments. Happy Blogging !!!
Geo targeting is surely really helpful for local business selling on line. There are no point for some local shop to have good position in global serp because the target is local.
Agree with you. But i wonder, why there is local purposed website, but their are using english languange
Maybe their don’t aware about the GEO Targeting matter, of their just wanna look more professional?
English is a global language. I would read a web page in English rather than in my local language. Actually I would hate to read it in my local language. Its difficult to understand many terms.
Got my point.
It’s so unique to find people who hate their own languange
. But it’s your choice, so it’s OK.
Actually my own/mother tongue has no written script. Hindi is my 3rd and English is my 4th. I have better understanding of English than Hindi.
Also many tern on Internet cannot be translated to Hindi words. So you tell me which one should I prefer.
By the way which country are you from?
I’m from Indonesia, english skill on my country is so bad
Anyway, Do you not fear you get labeled as un-nationalism people?
I don’t fear at all..as long as I know what I’m doing…I just use English to communicate with others that don’t know Malay English..
Since everyone understand English language, you should prefer English..My 1st language is Malay, 2nd, English and 3rd Japanese..How cool is that..
This is weird? Are you sure, you really don’
t want to read websites written using your local language?
Exactly but wider exposure isn’t bad at all. Who knows, the person abroad might refer to one of his or her friends who happened to be living in your local area.
It happened to me..when I’m working (blogging) I will look or read abroad blog..but when I want to check out my friends update I’ll refer to local blog..
I’m already heard about GEO Targetting before. I can say that we can forget about it if our site is purposed for international use.
But for spesific target especially business site, it’s an important things as you said.
But for point #1, i just notice about the role of choosing Hosting site is affecting also. Well, but how in case mostly hosting in my country is expensive, can i still use international hosting site?
This topic was already discuss by my friend. But your explanation is clearer than him.
Thank you for sharing it really helps for those who just started blogging.
GEO Targeting sound good for traffic from particular country like i need more traffic from india since i blog abt FREEBIES OF INDIA so will Do try…hmmm hope to try…
Freebies of india is very targetted for sure. Hopefully after following tips from lax, your visitor will increased (of course it’s from India).
Just blogging about things in India won’t GEO target to India. You have to Do aggressive promotion. Use Google Webmaster to tell Google to GEO target your blog results to India only.
how much would be the cost of doing this kind of things?
Anyway, how about using local languange? It will more targetted and SEO friendly, right? With using own languange, visitor already know about the site purpose.
Not everyone has the same understanding of local language. I am from India. I Do not like to see web pages in Hindi. It creates difficulty.
I know it’s because Hindi is no longer used 100% on India, right? It’s because english skill is so increased on your country (The government is put concentrate on this).
But my case is about a country which have their own languange and english is not used there.
As stated on my another Comment, is it for make themselves looks more professional?
I agree..I’m always watched Hindi Movies..most of Hindi Movies nowadays use English Language..Don’t they use Hindi frequently?
Nice post!
I have implemented Geo Targeting for displaying different network advertising before.
geotargeting is gaining momentum these days…people have realized its Importance
Its not a new thing. Only people Do not understand its value and also it is difficult to GEO targeting if you are a global website.
I’ve heard these stuff from my client who happens to be a Marketing Manager. I don’t know exactly how she does it but I Do know that when she needs to target a particular market on the net, she makes a campaign and plan out the project. This includes advertising, budget, contents etc.
GEO Targeting is not so easy and also not so difficult. It depends on what kind of website you have.
Especially entertainment websites like television media websites…This kind of websites is easy to get GEO
Yes these types of websites can be GEO targeted. If a business in a specific place only it can be GEO targeted.
It is good fo local business marketing such as in my country, MrALAYSIA.. As you know, our primary language is Malay so many companies in Malaysia use Malay language to communicate with their customer and they should apply this strategy to get GEO targeting..
Thats quite good. Local business Do need to be targeted to specific local people only.
Does this include local culture to be observed in your websites aside from the local language of the targetted geo?
Geo Targeting is very much useful to drive the local traffic which is always good means to get popular..
Yeh, your right Sham. And the traffic will be focussed, so your visitor to paying customer ratio will be higher. WIN!
Hey good tip lax, another one would be use Google Webmaster tool to target the audience. There is an option under settings which will help …
Lax include this in the tip. This a must for GEO targeting.
Thanks for backing up Agent.
Harsh did you tried the ” vizisense.com “
This sounds like a interesting way, but not sure if i’ll digg deeper on this.
good tips lax thanks for sharing
Lax, i think there is a ” Geographic target ” option in the google web master Tools.