Best multilinugal site structure confusion

Discussion in 'Search Engine Optimization' started by Karl Vosh, Jan 21, 2015.

  1. #1
    Hello,

    I searched Google for the best option for multilanguage websites from a SEO perspective and read the first ten search results. I have two questions remaining:

    I run a small hotel in Austria/Europe. I will redesign my website with Wordpress multisite. My domain is a ccTDL for Austria .at (for those who don’t know: Germany, Austria and Switzerland share German as the main language). My main target countries for German speaking countries are:

    1. Germany (80% of customers)
    2. Switzerland (15% of customers)
    3. Austria (5% of customers)

    German speaking customers account for about 60% of my total customers.

    Furthermore, I will run an English version for the rest of the world:

    1. North America (80% of customers, about 70% of these as US-American, 20% are Canadian, 5% Britisch, 5% Australian)
    2. Rest of the world (20%)

    International customers account for about 40% of my total customers.

    I decided to run folders/sub-directories rather than anything else. I have two questions now:

    1. Do I separate the languages into:
    example.at/de
    example.at/en
    In this case, how do I redirect from the homepage/landingpage example.at to example.at/de ? With 301 redirects?

    Or do I simply use this structure

    example.at (with the main site in German)
    example.at/en

    2. Should I use country specific targeting

    example.at/de-de/ (only for the German market and forget about the 20% of my Swiss and Austrian customers as content would be exactly the same)

    and

    example.at/en

    It there any other suggestions/input?

    Thank you for your help.

    Karl
     
    Karl Vosh, Jan 21, 2015 IP
  2. patco

    patco Well-Known Member

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    #2
    There are scripts that catch the Country where the visitor is From. I am almost 99% sure that with a simple Javascript code you could do a redirection to the proper page for everybody! If you didn't manage to cope with this, drop me a line, I will try to help you with some more advices :)
     
    patco, Jan 22, 2015 IP
  3. Karl Vosh

    Karl Vosh Peon

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    #3
    Thank you for your message and advice!
    When I use Javascript in this place won't it have a negative effect SEOwise?
    And which Site structure should I use?
     
    Karl Vosh, Jan 23, 2015 IP