English Google SEO Office Hours: How Should International Sites Use Geotargeting and Hreflang? (April 16, 2021)

TL;DR

International sites should distinguish geotargeting from hreflang and create country-specific versions only with a clear purpose. John Mueller says geotargeting is configured in Search Console, applies automatically to country-specific top-level domains, and can improve rankings when users seek something local. The discussion also covers global dot-com sites, country folders, canonicalization, and unusual brand-country rankings. Read on for the specific guidance.

Transcript

JOHN MUELLER: All right. Welcome, everyone, to today's Google Search Central Office Hours Hangout. My name is John Mueller. I am a search advocate at Google here in Switzerland. And part of what we do are these office hour hangouts where people can join in and ask their questions around the websites and web search. And it looks like a whole bunch o... Read More

Key Insights

• Geotargeting improves ranking in individual countries when users search with local intent.
• Hreflang annotations ensure the correct language version of a page appears in search results.
• Global websites can work well in multiple countries without needing country-specific pages.
• Country-specific pages are beneficial if offering unique content relevant to local users.
• Expanding globally requires careful planning to avoid diluting the site's effectiveness.
• Use Search Console settings to adjust geotargeting and understand user search intent.
• Consulting an SEO expert can help navigate the complexities of international SEO.
• Ensure internal linking and structured data are optimized for better search visibility.

Questions & Answers

Q: How should international sites use geotargeting and hreflang?

John Mueller says Google differentiates between geotargeting and hreflang annotations. Geotargeting helps a site rank in an individual country when a user is looking for something local, while hreflang is treated as a separate international-site mechanism.

Q: What is geotargeting in Google Search Console?

Geotargeting is a Search Console setting used to associate a site with a particular country. Mueller describes it as a way to improve rankings within that country when users search for something local.

Q: Do country-specific top-level domains need a separate country-targeting setting?

Mueller says geotargeting applies when a site uses a country-specific top-level domain. In that case, the domain itself provides the country-specific context.

Q: Can a global dot-com site expand with country-specific folders?

The discussion presents a dot-com site with folders such as a UK section as one approach to international expansion. Mueller says the broader topic is complicated and that websites expanding globally commonly encounter these decisions.

Q: Should a business create many international versions and hope one works?

Mueller identifies that as one possible approach but says it is probably not very good in practice. International versions should be planned around meaningful global, language, or country needs rather than created indiscriminately.

Q: What should a site do when Google ranks an unexpected page for a brand-and-country search?

First determine whether people actually use that query and what they expect to find. If many people search for the company that way, the site owner can adjust the relevant pages and their content, after which Google will try to reflect those changes in search.

Q: Why can noindex conflict with a canonical tag in theory?

A canonical declaration says two pages are equivalent, while noindex asks Google not to index one of them. Mueller says those signals theoretically clash because the pages are being described as both the same and different.

Q: Can noindex be used when Google selects the wrong canonical page?

Mueller says using noindex in that situation is not likely to cause practical problems after other signals have been addressed. Those signals include putting internal links in the right place and listing the right URLs in the sitemap, and he says the site will not rank worse merely for handling it that way.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Geotargeting and hreflang annotations are crucial for optimizing international SEO. Geotargeting boosts rankings in specific countries, while hreflang ensures the correct language page appears in search results. Evaluate if your content should be country-specific or globally accessible, and consult an SEO expert for guidance.

• For global expansion, consider whether to have a single global site or multiple country-specific versions. Geotargeting offers a ranking boost for local searches, while hreflang helps display the right language version. An SEO consultant can provide insights to avoid pitfalls in international SEO.

• Optimizing Google SEO for international sites involves geotargeting for local ranking boosts and hreflang for language accuracy in search results. Decide between global or country-specific sites based on content relevance. Seek expert SEO advice to ensure effective global expansion and minimize common issues.