/english or .com

Discussion in 'Search Engine Optimization' started by thdim, Nov 23, 2007.

0
  1. #1
    Hello guys!

    I am redesign a corporate web page of a Dutch company, and I would like to know witch is the better option from the SEO perspective. Should I make a www.domain.nl/english (it's like this today), or should I use the www.domain.com and have a different website for the English content?

    Thanks!
     
    thdim, Nov 23, 2007 IP
  2. Nosfer

    Nosfer Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    1,799
    Likes Received:
    50
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    140
    #2
    /english works just fine ;)
     
    Nosfer, Nov 23, 2007 IP
  3. boron

    boron Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    1,072
    Likes Received:
    40
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    140
    #3
    Yes, /english

    Place a nl and UK flag (with appropriate links) on the home page.
     
    boron, Nov 23, 2007 IP
  4. Dan Schulz

    Dan Schulz Peon

    Messages:
    6,032
    Likes Received:
    437
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #4
    While there isn't much of an impact from an SEO perspective, having multiple language versions of the same site could be confusing - especially since you have multiple "versions" of the same site (albeit in different languages).

    I'd personally use a subdomain for your language versions and then use IP based geo-location to redirect the user to the appropriate language version of the site depending on their location, but still offer the "language version" links for usability and accessibility purposes (not only will this help, but each subdomain is considered a separate domain as well - and if you really want to be picky with your SEO, just do a 301 redirect on the subdomains to domain names registered specifically for the language versions).
     
    Dan Schulz, Nov 23, 2007 IP
  5. TroyM

    TroyM Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    520
    Likes Received:
    3
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    108
    #5
    If you already have an established site.. use it..(www.domain.nl/english) If you get a new domain name, you will start from scratch....You will not get the benefit of establishes site...
     
    TroyM, Nov 23, 2007 IP
  6. trichnosis

    trichnosis Prominent Member

    Messages:
    13,785
    Likes Received:
    333
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    300
    #6
    if you are going write about the same company in english, /english option looks better for me
     
    trichnosis, Nov 24, 2007 IP
  7. kdersey

    kdersey Peon

    Messages:
    56
    Likes Received:
    1
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #7
    Do use different sites for the content - but subdomains should be enough. Make sure to really mark up everything with the correct language html tags and PLEASE do not use the stupid flags for marking the language.

    UK flag means exactly that: The UK. People will look (and sometimes search) for the word english, so make it clearly visible somewhere on all of the dutch sites, as do with the dutch link on the english sites.

    As Google does seem to have a better liking for correct IPs, subdomains on different servers would be in place to just make sure of this.

    As you are thinking of havign the .com (which you should anyhow) this makes perfect sense: .com for english, .nl for the dutch one.

    You will have to make sure that both sites are served nicely with backlinks, but in any case at least get the .com for a redirects.
     
    kdersey, Nov 24, 2007 IP
  8. Hersheys

    Hersheys Peon

    Messages:
    2,591
    Likes Received:
    23
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    #8
    Do you target localized traffic from google.nl or you want to target rankings from google.com?
     
    Hersheys, Nov 24, 2007 IP
  9. shand0

    shand0 Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    1,336
    Likes Received:
    10
    Best Answers:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    148
    #9
    shand0, Nov 24, 2007 IP