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Thread: Localised web addresses - worthwhile?

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    Localised web addresses - worthwhile?

    I'm looking into purchasing a couple of localised web addresses for my company eg LondonWebsite.com, ManchesterWebsite.co.uk

    My initial thoughts are to have a place holder page that forwards people to the single main website. However, I was wondering how Google (and indeed other search engines) handle such web address and pages as high search rankings are the reasons behind the purchase of the web addresses.

    Two questions then -

    1. Is it worth buying localised web addresses for the purpose noted above?
    2. If so is a full website required for each address in order to maximise search rankings or is it OK to use a placeholder forwarding page with perhaps a few meta tags?

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  2. #2
    Splash
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    Re: Localised web addresses - worthwhile?

    Unless you're offering a local service I can't see the benefit tbh.

    manchester-plumber.com - sure
    oxford-author.com - not so much

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    Re: Localised web addresses - worthwhile?

    Yes the services offered will be local hence the investigation. However, I need to know the answers to my questions as to whether it's a worthwhile exercise or not.
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    Not a good person scaryjim's Avatar
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    Re: Localised web addresses - worthwhile?

    I'm with splash in terms of the value of doing this, tbh, but to address your second question:

    Gateway pages like you're suggesting can be used to artificially bump google search rankings for a main page by providing targeted links with common keywords (i.e. a Google Bomb), and such practices can be frowned upon if they were considered to be done solely for the purpose of pushing your main page up the search rankings. That said, there's nothing wrong with the practice in and of itself if you have specific reasons for wanting to target those markets directly without messing up the SEO of your main website by trying to focus on localised searches.

    But unless you offer services specific to those localities, I think you'd be better off doing SEO on your main website to bump your page rankings when those localised searches are carried out...

    EDIT: OK, you've answered that now. So, two questions. Do you offer services that are sufficiently different in those localities to make it need a seperate website? Will the income generated from those localised services warrant the additional overhead of maintaining multiple domain names?

    tbh, without knowing your exact situation it's hard to give definite advice, and frankly once you get down to that level of detail I run my own business that charges people for that kind of thing But hopefully I've given you a good starting place to work from.

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    Re: Localised web addresses - worthwhile?

    Obviously theres a wee bit more to think about than I thought! I'm trying to target specific localities to ensure good search results for those localities. The main website is pretty generic so can cover all potential visitors. We can replicate that website for each web address if need be but for easy admin it would be best just have one to look after.
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    Seething Cauldron of Hatred TheAnimus's Avatar
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    Re: Localised web addresses - worthwhile?

    why not just use a sub-domain?

    ie London.YourBand.com
    throw new ArgumentException (String, String, Exception)

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    Re: Localised web addresses - worthwhile?

    That's a good point indeed and not something I'd thought about. It all boils down to search results and being able to add a "local" meta tag for the search bots.

    scaryjim - the services will be the same across the board. The reason I'm investigating multiple websites is specifically to locate the business within the areas we're trying to attract business. This is done through registering with Google Places.

    As I noted above, we aim to use a "local" meta tag as part of our SEO in order to target specific areas. To clarify, when someone searches for us using say "London Bits and Bobs" we come up in the top three. However, if someone searches for "Manchester Bits and Bobs" then we're not on the radar due to the meta tag and Google Places targeting of London. A new website (or sub domain) will hopefully solve this issue.

    But thanks all as I've enough info now to go ahead with a couple of experiments.

    One last thing - no one has commented on the use of LondonBitsandBobs.co.uk and ManchesterBitsandBobs.co.uk. I take it having locality names in the web address doesn't make any difference with search results?
    An Atlantean Triumvirate, Ghosts of the Past, The Centre Cannot Hold
    The Pillars of Britain, Foundations of the Reich, Cracks in the Pillars.

    My books are available here for Amazon Kindle. Feedback always welcome!

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    Senior Member MaddAussie's Avatar
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    Re: Localised web addresses - worthwhile?

    The new gTLD domain names aren't that far off expect a .london domain

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    Re: Localised web addresses - worthwhile?

    I think it's impossible to give you a categoric answer, but my initial thoughts are :-

    - what will it cost you?
    - will it be likely to drive sales to you

    If I'm in Portsmouth and want a plumber, I don't want one based in Oxford or Aberdeen. So an element of enabling local people to find your site as opposed to the bloke in Aberdeen, yes, it's important if you expect the site to drive custom to you. Quite how you achieve that is another matter.

    Given the cost of a domain or two, and the time involved in elegantly redirecting, I'd say it's worth a try, largely because the cost should be minimal. But I'd also say that getting the main site right so that it hits people searching for local services is far more important.

    Can I suggest that if, for example, you're offering plumbing services in Manchester, do a Google on "plumber" and "Manchester", and variant,s and see what comes up in the rankings. It might tell you what works, and/or what doesn't, and it might suggest other approaches are a better use of your budget, perhaps like local online directories.

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