undefined
Skip to content
Moz logo Menu open Menu close
  • Products
    • Moz Pro
    • Moz Pro Home
    • Moz Local
    • Moz Local Home
    • STAT
    • Moz API
    • Moz API Home
    • Compare SEO Products
    • Moz Data
  • Free SEO Tools
    • Domain Analysis
    • Keyword Explorer
    • Link Explorer
    • Competitive Research
    • MozBar
    • More Free SEO Tools
  • Learn SEO
    • Beginner's Guide to SEO
    • SEO Learning Center
    • Moz Academy
    • MozCon
    • Webinars, Whitepapers, & Guides
  • Blog
  • Why Moz
    • Digital Marketers
    • Agency Solutions
    • Enterprise Solutions
    • Small Business Solutions
    • The Moz Story
    • New Releases
  • Log in
  • Log out
  • Products
    • Moz Pro

      Your all-in-one suite of SEO essentials.

    • Moz Local

      Raise your local SEO visibility with complete local SEO management.

    • STAT

      SERP tracking and analytics for enterprise SEO experts.

    • Moz API

      Power your SEO with our index of over 44 trillion links.

    • Compare SEO Products

      See which Moz SEO solution best meets your business needs.

    • Moz Data

      Power your SEO strategy & AI models with custom data solutions.

    NEW Keyword Suggestions by Topic
    Moz Pro

    NEW Keyword Suggestions by Topic

    Learn more
  • Free SEO Tools
    • Domain Analysis

      Get top competitive SEO metrics like DA, top pages and more.

    • Keyword Explorer

      Find traffic-driving keywords with our 1.25 billion+ keyword index.

    • Link Explorer

      Explore over 40 trillion links for powerful backlink data.

    • Competitive Research

      Uncover valuable insights on your organic search competitors.

    • MozBar

      See top SEO metrics for free as you browse the web.

    • More Free SEO Tools

      Explore all the free SEO tools Moz has to offer.

    NEW Keyword Suggestions by Topic
    Moz Pro

    NEW Keyword Suggestions by Topic

    Learn more
  • Learn SEO
    • Beginner's Guide to SEO

      The #1 most popular introduction to SEO, trusted by millions.

    • SEO Learning Center

      Broaden your knowledge with SEO resources for all skill levels.

    • On-Demand Webinars

      Learn modern SEO best practices from industry experts.

    • How-To Guides

      Step-by-step guides to search success from the authority on SEO.

    • Moz Academy

      Upskill and get certified with on-demand courses & certifications.

    • MozCon

      Save on Early Bird tickets and join us in London or New York City

    Unlock flexible pricing & new endpoints
    Moz API

    Unlock flexible pricing & new endpoints

    Find your plan
  • Blog
  • Why Moz
    • Digital Marketers

      Simplify SEO tasks to save time and grow your traffic.

    • Small Business Solutions

      Uncover insights to make smarter marketing decisions in less time.

    • Agency Solutions

      Earn & keep valuable clients with unparalleled data & insights.

    • Enterprise Solutions

      Gain a competitive edge in the ever-changing world of search.

    • The Moz Story

      Moz was the first & remains the most trusted SEO company.

    • New Releases

      Get the scoop on the latest and greatest from Moz.

    Surface actionable competitive intel
    New Feature

    Surface actionable competitive intel

    Learn More
  • Log in
    • Moz Pro
    • Moz Local
    • Moz Local Dashboard
    • Moz API
    • Moz API Dashboard
    • Moz Academy
  • Avatar
    • Moz Home
    • Notifications
    • Account & Billing
    • Manage Users
    • Community Profile
    • My Q&A
    • My Videos
    • Log Out

The Moz Q&A Forum

  • Forum
  • Questions
  • Users
  • Ask the Community

Welcome to the Q&A Forum

Browse the forum for helpful insights and fresh discussions about all things SEO.

  1. Home
  2. SEO Tactics
  3. International SEO
  4. Moving from single domain to multiple CCTLDs

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

International SEO
cctlds international seo hreflang 301 redirects change of address tool
7
7
1.5k
Loading More Posts
  • Oldest to Newest
  • Newest to Oldest
  • Most Votes
Reply
  • Reply as question
Log in to reply
This topic has been deleted. Only users with question management privileges can see it.
  • cellydy
    cellydy Subscriber last edited by Nov 10, 2023, 1:02 PM

    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/hu

    It'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.hu

    All 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?

    skchad13j dailyresepsite michaelngo 3 Replies Last reply Dec 14, 2023, 2:37 PM Reply Quote 0
    • michaelngo
      michaelngo @cellydy last edited by Dec 14, 2023, 2:37 PM

      @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 🙂

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • topic:timeago_earlier,10 days
      • skvisaguruku
        skvisaguruku last edited by Dec 4, 2023, 5:34 AM

        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)

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • topic:timeago_earlier,15 days
        • dailyresepsite
          dailyresepsite @cellydy last edited by Nov 19, 2023, 3:19 PM

          @cellydy

          https://www.dailyresep.site

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • educationedge012
            educationedge012 last edited by Nov 15, 2023, 11:29 AM

            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)

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • talentwide
              talentwide last edited by Nov 15, 2023, 9:01 AM

              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)

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • skchad13j
                skchad13j @cellydy last edited by Nov 15, 2023, 5:57 AM

                @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 )

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • 1 / 1
                1 out of 7
                • First post
                  1/7
                  Last post

                Got a burning SEO question?

                Subscribe to Moz Pro to gain full access to Q&A, answer questions, and ask your own.


                Start my free trial


                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.

                • See all categories

                Related Questions

                • davidvogel

                  Best redirect destination for 18k highly-linked pages

                  redirect redirect chain technical seo 301 redirects

                  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 | Nov 18, 2024, 10:15 AM | davidvogel
                  0
                • fJ66doneOIdDpj

                  Multilang site: Auto redirect 301 or 302?

                  redirect 301 redirect 302 international seo

                  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
                  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?

                  International SEO | Oct 11, 2022, 2:10 AM | fJ66doneOIdDpj
                  0
                • Alex_Pisa

                  "Duplicate without user-selected canonical” - impact to SERPs

                  canonical international seo

                  Hello, we are facing some issues on our project and we would like to get some advice. Scenario
                  We run several websites (www.brandName.com, www.brandName.be, www.brandName.ch, etc..) all in French language . All sites have nearly the same content & structure, only minor text (some headings and phone numbers due to different countries are different). There are many good quality pages, but again they are the same over all domains. Goal
                  We want local domains (be, ch, fr, etc.) to appear in SERPs and also comply with Google policy of local language variants and/or canonical links. Current solution
                  Currently we don’t use canonicals, instead we use rel="alternate" hreflang="x-default": <link rel="alternate" hreflang="fr-BE" href="https://www.brandName.be/" /> <link rel="alternate" hreflang="fr-CA" href="https://www.brandName.ca/" /> <link rel="alternate" hreflang="fr-CH" href="https://www.brandName.ch/" /> <link rel="alternate" hreflang="fr-FR" href="https://www.brandName.fr/" /> <link rel="alternate" hreflang="fr-LU" href="https://www.brandName.lu/" /> <link rel="alternate" hreflang="x-default" href="https://www.brandName.com/" /> Issue
                  After Googlebot crawled the websites we see lot of “Duplicate without user-selected canonical” in Coverage/Excluded report (Google Search Console) for most domains. When we inspect some of those URLs we can see Google has decided that canonical URL points to (example): User-declared canonical: None
                  Google-selected canonical: …same page, but on a different domain Strange is that even those URLs are on Google and can be found in SERPs. Obviously Google doesn’t know what to make of it. We noticed many websites in the same scenario use a self-referencing approach which is not really “kosher” - we are afraid if we use the same approach we can get penalized by Google. Question: What do you suggest to fix the “Duplicate without user-selected canonical” in our scenario? Any suggestions/ideas appreciated, thanks. Regards.

                  International SEO | Aug 15, 2023, 6:17 AM | Alex_Pisa
                  0
                • ramarketing

                  Sub-domains or sub-directories for country-specific versions of the site?

                  What approach do you think would be better from an SEO perspective when creating country-targeted versions for an eCommerce site (all in the same language with slight regional changes) - sub-domains or sub-directories? Is any of the approaches more cost effective, web development-wise? I know this topic's been under much debate and I would really like to hear your opinion. Many thanks!

                  International SEO | Aug 12, 2013, 5:11 AM | ramarketing
                  0
                • dennis.globalsign

                  Which hreflang tag to use for .eu domain

                  Hi there, We're trying to solve a problem with one of our domains, we have a .eu CCTLD and we're trying to implement hreflang tags. On our US and UK sites, we use "en-us" and "en-gb", but it's not clear how to approach this european problem, as there is not a "en-eu" tag. The site is in English, but serves several European countries speaking different languages. What's the best hreflang code to use in this situation? Any help much appreciated, Thanks!

                  International SEO | Feb 6, 2013, 11:52 PM | dennis.globalsign
                  0
                • lcourse

                  Country name displayed after domain name in google SERP

                  our online shop targets clients in the US and worldwide (same URL - no subdirectories - currency changes based on IP). when searching in google.ie or google.no for our site google displays in the SERPS "US" or "United States" after the URL for our site, but for most other US competitors it does not show the country in the SERPS. I deleted our google places listing 2 weeks ago, since I suspected it may be related, but no change so far. In google webmaster tools we have targeted the shop domain to United States, which may be another factor. Unfortunately we can not undo this setting since without it our google US ranking for the most relevant competitive keyword drops from position 8 to position 100+. Server location is in Germany which despite lots of US links and US contact info and USD currency appparently makes google think that the site is not targeting the US. Does anybody know what triggers the country name in the SERPS (google places or webmaster tools or other) and  can give advice if there is any way to get rid of it.

                  International SEO | Jun 23, 2012, 7:01 PM | lcourse
                  0
                • SEODinosaur

                  Domain length

                  Does Domain length matter for SEO?

                  International SEO | Mar 26, 2012, 12:42 PM | SEODinosaur
                  0
                • MarkChambers

                  Domain strategy for UK and USA

                  Hi Everyone, We have example.org.uk with 20K inbound links. We want to target the US as well as the UK. I would be interested to hear what approaches are best for SEO. For example is it better to keep our current domain and have subdirectories for USA for example. Or would it be better to register example.org and then use subdirectories. Or is it better to use different domains for each country? Any help with this much appreciated. Cheers

                  International SEO | Jul 18, 2011, 7:48 PM | MarkChambers
                  0

                Get started with Moz Pro!

                Unlock the power of advanced SEO tools and data-driven insights.

                Start my free trial
                Products
                • Moz Pro
                • Moz Local
                • Moz API
                • Moz Data
                • STAT
                • Product Updates
                Moz Solutions
                • SMB Solutions
                • Agency Solutions
                • Enterprise Solutions
                Free SEO Tools
                • Domain Authority Checker
                • Link Explorer
                • Keyword Explorer
                • Competitive Research
                • Brand Authority Checker
                • Local Citation Checker
                • MozBar Extension
                • MozCast
                Resources
                • Blog
                • SEO Learning Center
                • Help Hub
                • Beginner's Guide to SEO
                • How-to Guides
                • Moz Academy
                • API Docs
                About Moz
                • About
                • Team
                • Careers
                • Contact
                Why Moz
                • Case Studies
                • Testimonials
                Get Involved
                • Become an Affiliate
                • MozCon
                • Webinars
                • Practical Marketer Series
                • MozPod
                Connect with us

                Contact the Help team

                Join our newsletter
                Moz logo
                © 2021 - 2025 SEOMoz, Inc., a Ziff Davis company. All rights reserved. Moz is a registered trademark of SEOMoz, Inc.
                • Accessibility
                • Terms of Use
                • Privacy

                Looks like your connection to Moz was lost, please wait while we try to reconnect.