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
-
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 -
Changing Business Address on Google Profile & Citations
Hello, I'm looking to change a business address to a new one on a Google business profile (still in the same area but on a different street). So, I'll need to update all citations and website with the new address - Is it recommended to update the citations & website first, and then change the address on the Google business profile, or vice-versa? Looking to do this as safely as possible without negatively impacting the rankings much. I'm seeing a lot of conflicting information on this. Thanks in advance.
Local SEO | | UpLinkSEO0 -
Multilang site: Auto redirect 301 or 302?
We need to establish if 301 or 302 response code is to be used for our auto redirects based on Accept-Language header. https://domain.com
International SEO | | fJ66doneOIdDpj
30x > https://domain.com/en
30x > https://domain.com/ru
30x > https://domain.com/de The site architecture is set up with proper inline HREFLANG.
We have read different opinions about this, Ahrefs says 302 is the correct one:
https://ahrefs.com/blog/301-vs-302-redirects/
302 redirect:
"You want to redirect users to the right version of the site for them (based on location/language)." You could argue that the root redirect is never permanent as it varies based on user language settings (302)
On the other hand, the lang specific redirects are permanent per language: IF Accept-Language header = en
https://domain.com > 301 > https://domain.com/en
IF Accept-Language header = ru
https://domain.com > 301 > https://domain.com/ru So each of these is 'permanent'. So which is the correct?0 -
Sitelinks in multiple language
Hello ! In a french browser & french Google interface with no browsing history, I have the french version of my website indexed, but the site links coming along with it are in English ! Is there any way to combat this? Note - we use a 302 language re-direction. See screenshot here: http://bit.ly/25kViB0
International SEO | | TechWyse0 -
Spanish word as English domain name
hi anyine any issues with using Spanish, and other non English words, as domain names when trying to rank in Google uk. We launched a number of websites a while back but finding it hard to get much traction in Google uk. We are getting a reasonable number of impressions but cannot seem to get very high in the rankings. All the names are foreign words for their service. Our homeware website, for example, uses the basque word for furniture as its name. other than potential branding issues of having domains people might struggle to spell, is there any serp issues we would face with these names. thanks
International SEO | | Arropa0 -
Can multiple hreflang tags point to one URL? International SEO question
Moz, Hi Moz, Can multiple hreflang tags point to a single URL? For example, if I have a Canadian site (www.example.com/ca) that targets French and English speakers can I have the following: or would I use: Any insight would be very helpful and greatly appreciated! Thank you in advance!
International SEO | | DA20131 -
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 -
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 | | KevinDunne0