Moving from single domain to multiple CCTLDs
-
Hi, I have a website targeting 3 markets (and therefor 3 languages). I was currently using a single domain with each market being targeted in the following format:
www.website.com/pl
www.website.com/de
www.website.com/huIt's clear to me by looking at organic results, that in my industry (Real Estate) Google is putting a large emphasis on local businesses and local domains. Top 10 organic results for all my keywords in all markets have country specific CCTLDs.
I decided to migrate from a single domain strategy to a multi domain strategy. I own the domains. The new structure is
www.website.com/pl -> www.website.pl
www.website.com/de -> www.website.de
www.website.com/hu -> www.website.huAll the website have been added to google search console and 301 redirects are in place and working correctly. The pages are all interlinked and have rel=alternate to each other. The sitemaps are all done correctly.
My question is how do I tell Google about this. The change of address feature only works for changing one domain to one other domain. It's been a week and the old www.website.com domain is still showing up (even considering 301 redirects). Or do I just need to be patient and wait it out? Any tips?
-
@cellydy well have you tried using new gtlds .. like instead of website .com maybe try web.ngo
Also there are many variants of cctld in each country,
Example: if you are unable to get say websites.co.in in India then maybe go for webs.com.in
Getting the exact match ones in african countries will be particularly easy.. for example webs.ke will be easier to get than a web .com
You can also try to get some web3 domains
-
While you've taken the right steps by implementing 301 redirects, interlinking pages, and setting up rel=alternate tags, Google's indexing process can take some time. Patience is key in this situation. Additionally, you can assist the transition by ensuring that each version of your site (www.website.pl, www.website.de, www.website.hu) has its preferred country targeting set in Google Search Console under "International Targeting." Monitor the Search Console for any crawl or indexing errors and address them promptly. Regularly update and submit your sitemaps to Google for each version of the site. While there isn't a direct "change of address" for multi-domain migrations, Google should eventually recognize the changes and display the new country-specific domains in search results. If issues persist, you may want to seek advice from Google's Webmaster Help Community.
.
.
.
(Centennial College Canada Ranking) (Study abroad) -
-
It's common for Google to take some time to process domain changes, even with proper 301 redirects and correct setup. Be patient and continue monitoring Google Search Console for any crawl or indexing issues. Additionally, ensure your new domains are well-optimized for each market, including localized content and relevant hreflang tags. If the issue persists after a few weeks, consider reaching out to Google Support for assistance.
.
.
.
( PMI certification) ( Canada Study Visa Fees) (Canada Immigration Essential Workers) -
Patience is key in this process. While Google's Change of Address feature is designed for single-domain moves, you've taken the right steps with 301 redirects, interlinking, and proper sitemaps. It may take some time for Google to fully recognize and index the changes. Keep monitoring Google Search Console for any crawl or indexing issues, and if the old domain persists, consider submitting a reconsideration request. Otherwise, continue to provide high-quality, localized content to enhance the visibility of your new domains.
.
.
.
( Canada Immigration Essential Workers ) ( Canada Study Visa Fees ) (PMI Certification) -
@cellydy Hi! It sounds like you've taken the right steps in migrating to a multi-domain strategy for your real estate website targeting different markets. Given that you've already implemented 301 redirects, added the new domains to Google Search Console, and ensured proper interlinking and sitemaps, here are a few additional tips:
Patience is Key:
Google's indexing and ranking processes can take some time, especially when there's a significant change in your website structure. It's not uncommon for the transition to take a few weeks or even longer.
Check Google Search Console:Regularly monitor Google Search Console for any messages or notifications regarding the migration. Google may provide insights or highlight any issues it encounters during the process.
Submit Updated Sitemaps:Re-submit your updated sitemaps for each of the new domains through Google Search Console. This can help Google understand the new structure of your website and expedite the indexing process.
Fetch as Google:Use the "Fetch as Google" feature in Google Search Console to request indexing for specific pages. This can be particularly helpful if there are critical pages you want Google to re-crawl promptly.
Check Redirects:Double-check the 301 redirects to ensure they are implemented correctly and that there are no issues with redirect chains. Also, confirm that all pages from the old domain are redirected to the corresponding pages on the new domains.
Update External Links:If applicable, reach out to any external websites linking to your old domain and request them to update their links to the new domain. This can help in the overall transition.
Content Updates:Ensure that the content on the new domains is up-to-date and relevant. Fresh, quality content can contribute to better search engine visibility.
Local SEO Optimization:Since your industry (Real Estate) is locally focused, consider optimizing your content for local search. Include location-specific keywords, and ensure your Google My Business listings are accurate and up-to-date.
Monitor Analytics:Keep a close eye on your website analytics to track the performance of the new domains. Monitor changes in organic traffic, rankings, and user behavior.
Seek Professional Advice:If the issue persists or if you have specific concerns, consider seeking advice from SEO professionals or consultants who can provide tailored recommendations based on your website's unique circumstances.
Remember, migration processes can sometimes take a bit of time to fully reflect in search results. Keep monitoring, stay proactive, and if everything has been implemented correctly, you should see positive results in due course.
.
.
( Canada Study Visa Fees) ( Canada immigration for doctors ) (PMI Certification )
Got a burning SEO question?
Subscribe to Moz Pro to gain full access to Q&A, answer questions, and ask your own.
Browse Questions
Explore more categories
-
Moz Tools
Chat with the community about the Moz tools.
-
SEO Tactics
Discuss the SEO process with fellow marketers
-
Community
Discuss industry events, jobs, and news!
-
Digital Marketing
Chat about tactics outside of SEO
-
Research & Trends
Dive into research and trends in the search industry.
-
Support
Connect on product support and feature requests.
Related Questions
-
Best redirect destination for 18k highly-linked pages
Technical SEO question regarding redirects; I appreciate any insights on best way to handle. Situation: We're decommissioning several major content sections on a website, comprising ~18k webpages. This is a well established site (10+ years) and many of the pages within these sections have high-quality inbound links from .orgs and .edus. Challenge: We're trying to determine the best place to redirect these 18k pages. For user experience, we believe best option is the homepage, which has a statement about the changes to the site and links to the most important remaining sections of the site. It's also the most important page on site, so the bolster of 301 redirected links doesn't seem bad. However, someone on our team is concerned that that many new redirected pages and links going to our homepage will trigger a negative SEO flag for the homepage, and recommends instead that they all go to our custom 404 page (which also includes links to important remaining sections). What's the right approach here to preserve remaining SEO value of these soon-to-be-redirected pages without triggering Google penalties?
Technical SEO | | davidvogel0 -
SiteName Attribute Showing in Different Language in SERP
We are currently experiencing issues with our subdomain SiteName. Our parent company root domain is a Japanese language site, but we have an English subdomain that is for the United States primarily, and nearly rest of world for organic traffic. Our issue is that we have followed the guidelines here: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/site-names There was a large post on here with many responses including Googlers with issues others were having, but it has since been removed. Here is the code in place on our homepage: <script
Technical SEO | | Evan_Wright
type="application/ld+json"> { "@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "WebSite",
"name": "Mescius Developer Tools",
"alternateName": ["Mescius, inc.", "developer.mescius.com"],
"url": "https://developer.mescius.com" }
</script> Unfortunately this is what is appearing in the SERP. It is using the Japanese equivalent of our parent company. Screenshot 2024-02-23 at 3.37.55 PM.png Even though the relationship between root and subdomain should not be causing this, it seems like something is impacting this incorrect SiteName, and it is impacting CTR for the subdomain. Has anyone else experienced this and found a fix?0 -
Question about International SEO
We've just recently launched our website in Canada and our web crawler is showing some pages with "&Country=CA", even if the current page already includes Country=CA. Why is this and how would we go about resolving?
International SEO | | nicole.nelson030 -
Tracking International Keywords
Hi I haven't had much luck tracking keywords on my international sites let alone discovering new keywords. What are some strategies/suggestions to accomplishing this? Currently I have campaigns set-up for the UK, Germany, France, and China in additional to our main US-Canada campaign.
International SEO | | Julie.P0 -
What's the Best Strategy for Multiregional Targeting for Single Language?
I have a service based client who is based in the US but wants to expand to audiences in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Currently, all the content is in American English with international targeting in Google Search Console set to the US. I know that is going to have to change, but I'm unsure of the best strategy. Right now there are a few basic strategies in my head. Remove International Targeting in GSC and let her rip Remove International Targeting in GSC, install copies of the site on subfolders /au/, /ca/, and /uk/, add hreflang tags, and add canonicals pointing back to original Remove International Targeting in GSC, install copies of the site on subfolders /au/, /ca/, and /uk/, add hreflang tags, and risk duplicate content Have independent writers overcharge for English translations into different dialects and add hreflang tags It's hard to come up with a perfect solution for content differentiation by region in order to implement hreflang tags with a region (en-au, en-ca, en-gb). Remove International Targeting in GSC and let her rip This one is pretty simple. However, I am completely unsure of its effectiveness. Remove International Targeting in GSC, install copies of the site on subfolders /au/, /ca/, and /uk/, add hreflang tags, and add canonicals pointing back to original The point of adding canonicals is to avoid the duplicate content, but then my new subfolders do not get indexed. I'm unsure of what type of exposure these URLs would receive or how they would be valuable. Remove International Targeting in GSC, install copies of the site on subfolders /au/, /ca/, and /uk/, add hreflang tags, and risk duplicate content High risk of a penalty with duplicate content, but my targeting will be the most efficient. Have independent writers overcharge for English translations into different dialects and add hreflang tags This is probably the safest bet, takes the longest, and costs the most money. However, how different will the content actually be if I change truck to lorry, trunk to boot, and optimization to optimisation? Maybe I'm missing something, but this conundrum seems extremely difficult. Weighing the cost, time, and possible result is challenging. Hit me with your best answer and thanks for taking a look at someone else's problem.
International SEO | | ccox12 -
2 Domains, 2 Languages, but 1 WP Install?
I've got a case who wants to have one english website at one domain targeting Hawaii/ USA (bodywellnesshawaii.com) and a spanish speaking one (bodywellnesschile.cl) targeting Chile/ South America. What's the best way to go about this? Just clone the current bodywellnesshawaii.com site, translate it and have it live on a separate WP install? OR Is there a way in which we can use just one WP install with multi language and have each language live on separate domains? Not sure whether that's even possible, but it would be easier to add content/ maintain... Either one better for SEO? Thanks in advance.
International SEO | | stephanwb0 -
Multiple geographic targeting in Europe
I have a site that is applicable to German speaking people in central europe. If I were to geotarget the site in google webmaster tools to Germany, would that prevent users in Switzerland or Austria seeing the site in their search results.
International SEO | | zeropointlabs0 -
Are NON French companies allowed to own domains in France?
Hi, I was wondering if any one knows if the French government has changed it's stance in recent years to the ownership of domains in their country. My understanding is that it can be pretty difficult to own a domain there if you do not reside there. In the past I have had people register domains using their passport as identification to prove their domicile in that country. We like many others have sites with .com/fr etc. and we do have one domain that is a .fr and seriously out performs the .com version. Many thanks for any input on this question. David *** UPDATE - Sorry no need for a response, I've just been informed that businesses who are located in a Member State of the European Union (EU) are allowed to own .fr domains which the French government needs to comply with. Best, David
International SEO | | David-E-Carey1