To avoid duplicate content you need to use the rel=”alternate” href=”x” tag. You dont have to buy a domain, here are several ways you can organise your website.
ccTLDs - [example.ie]
Pros
- Clear geotargeting
- Server location irrelevant
- Easy separation of sites
Cons
- Expensive (and may have limited availability)
- Requires more infrastructure
- Strict ccTLD requirements (sometimes)
****Subdomains with gTLDS [de.example.com]
Pros
- Easy to set up
- Can use Webmaster Tools geotargeting
- Allows different server locations
- Easy separation of sites
Cons
- Users might not recognize geotargeting from the URL alone (is “de” the language or country?)
Subdirectories with gTLDs [example.com/de/]
Pros
- Easy to set up
- Can use Webmaster Tools geotargeting
- Low maintenance (same host)
Cons
- Users might not recognize geotargeting from the URL alone
- Single server location
- Separation of sites harder
URL parameters [site.com?loc=de]
Pros
Cons
- URL-based segmentation difficult
- Users might not recognize geotargeting from the URL alone
- Geotargeting in Webmaster Tools is not possible
You can have even the same content for example, if you have a version for the UK and another for the US the content will be very similar.
Hope this helps
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