Moz Q&A is closed.
After more than 13 years, and tens of thousands of questions, Moz Q&A closed on 12th December 2024. Whilst we’re not completely removing the content - many posts will still be possible to view - we have locked both new posts and new replies. More details here.
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
- topic:timeago_earlier,10 days
-
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) - topic:timeago_earlier,15 days
-
-
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
-
Reusing an already 301 redirected URL for a very important keyword
I have a question about reusing an already 301 redirected URL Till now I never reused an URLs that has been already redirected with a 301 redirect. However, I just started working on a website where in past they created a lot of 301 redirects without thinking about the future, and now certain URLs, that are currently redirected with a 301, would be very useful (exact match) and needed (for some of the most important keywords for this specific business), to maintain an optimal, homogeneous and "beautiful" URL structure. Has any of you ever reused a URL that was previously redirected with a 301 redirect? If yes what are your experiences with it? Can content on the reused URL (that was previously 301 redirected and than the redirect removed) normally rank if the page is reestablished and the redirect is removed (and you do great content, on page, internal linking, backlinking, .... ) or is such an URL risky / not recommended / "burned" forever and not recommended to be reused again... especially for very important keywords since it present the exact match ?! Thank you very much for all your help! Regards
Technical SEO | Jan 23, 2024, 5:39 PM | moz46y0 -
How can I restrict the domains country by country?
Hello, I have Two Domains one is xyz.co.uk and other is xyz.com Now, my main target for .com is United States, and I don't want to open that .com domain in any other country especially India. The same with the .co.uk, I dont want to open .co.uk in other countries. I did it with some developer help but it gave me redirected error in Google Webmaster. Can anyone please guide me how I can do this the proper way ? And Other issues is, how can I implement ,if any user in United States open xyz.co.uk than he should redirect to the .com version. Thank you.
International SEO | Nov 26, 2015, 10:21 AM | AmitTulsiyani0 -
E-Commerce - Country Domains versus 1 Domain?
Hi, Just wanted to get some feedback and opinions re the idea of segmenting our ecommerce site languages under various domains, like .jp for japanese, .it for italian etc... I do understand the geolocation benefits that this could bring us, but on the flipside, it would mean that we would need to grow our domain authority, link buiding per country domain, which is quite a bit of work. Has anyone ever considered or implemented this and any thoughts? Thanks!
International SEO | Aug 12, 2014, 12:06 PM | bjs20100 -
Working with country specific domain names vs. staying with .com
I've recently inherited a client that has a country specific domain for Canada (.ca) but there is also a US branch for the company at the .com address. They have a direct competitor that operates also in the U.S. and Canada that has decided to operate entirely under the .com address and re-direct all .ca traffic to their .com address. When I compare the link analysis data for both the .ca, .com, and competitors site, I'm finding there is a huge difference between the .ca site and the competitors site, but not a huge difference between the .com site and the competitors site. For example, the domain authorities are as follows: myclient.ca (Canadian branch) - 22 myclient.com (US branch) - 46 competitor.com - 53 When I do a brand search for my client in Canada, the Canadian branch website shows up first, but the American one is second. At this point, would it be better for my client to consolidate the two branches into the .com address and focus on increasing external followed links to the .com website? Or, is there merit in continuing to create a separate inbound link strategy for the .ca site? Thanks.
International SEO | Jun 11, 2013, 4:49 PM | modernmusings0 -
Multiple hreflang tags
I'm trying to advise on the multi country seo for a site in terms of markup. We've already decided on using sub folders rather than separate sites or subdomains due to an established link profile and good rankings in all countries. The question is in relation to the homepage. Obviously this is the page most likely to rank well in any country (the site is a .com). But can multiple hreflang tags be put on the page to say that the page targets many countries? Or would leaving the hreflang tag off allow it to just rank for all countries? Also do Yahoo and Bing follow hreflang tags? I can't find any info on this anywhere! Thanks very much in advance for any help!
International SEO | Dec 15, 2015, 8:01 AM | Bdig0 -
Is .in domain affecting international traffic inflow to my site?
My holiday website http://seekandhide.in/ was completed and went live in Feb 2012. Last month I got 83% traffic from India and 3-5% each from USA and UK. The rest is a mixed bag from other countries. This is largely the trend since the last 3-4 months. I want to attract more organic traffic from UK and rest of Europe. My SEO consultant says that with a .in domain that will be difficult. My website currently features unique holiday properties in India that typically attract European tourists so I don't think it is a product issue. But both website visits and sales enquiries remain primarily Indian even though total number of visitors have increased gradually over the last 6 months.. My queries are 1. Is it only the .in domain that's affecting inflow of international traffic? 2. Is there anything that I can do to offset it? 3. I own seekandhide.co.uk too. Is there something I can do with that site without building a whole different website there? If I shift completely to .co.uk, I will have the same issue of being geographically limited and end up losing Indian traffic. 4. Is there something else that is not ok on the site that I am missing? 5. Advice that I get from a lot of consultants is to buy seekandhideindia.com but I plan to add international properties in a couple of years so that name would limit my appeal. Thanks in advance! Sudha
International SEO | Oct 8, 2012, 7:16 AM | Sudha_Mathew0 -
How to fix the duplicate content problem on different domains (.nl /.be) of your brand's websites in multiple countries?
Dear all, what is the best way to fix the duplicate content problem on different domains (.nl /.be) of your brand's websites in multiple countries? What must I add to my code of websites my .nl domain to avoid duplicate content and to keep the .nl website out of google.be, but still well-indexed in google.nl? What must I add to my code of websites my .be domain to avoid duplicate content and to keep the .nl website out of google.be, but still well-indexed in google.nl? Thanks in advance!
International SEO | Oct 3, 2012, 10:49 AM | HMK-NL3 -
Best domain for spanish language site targeting ALL spanish territories?
hi, we're have a strong .com domain and are looking to launch a site for spanish speakers (ie latin america + spain). we already have various subdirectories for some foreign language sites (eg. ourdomain.co.uk, us.ourdomain.com, ca.ourdomain.com, ourdomainchina.com, ourdomainindia.com etc) we already have a B2B site ourdomain.com-es which will remain the same. I'm thinking best practice would be to launch translated copy for the following: ourdomain.com/es ourdomain.com/cl ourdomain.com/mx ourdomain.com/pt etc etc firstly is this the best option? secondly, i'm really interested to hear whether there is a less time/resource intensive route that would give us visibility in ALL spanish speaking territories? Also - if we go with just one of the above (eg ourdomain.com/cl) how likely are we to get traction in other spanish speaking territories? any help much appreciated!
International SEO | Aug 3, 2012, 9:10 AM | KevinDunne0