Thread: Geo-targetting .IN domains in Google Webmaster Tools

Hey all

Not sure if this has already been discussed here - I had a quick search and couldn't find anything.

I was basically wondering how people feel about the fact that Google don't allow you to Geo Target .IN domains in Google Webmaster Tools? There are no geographic restrictions in place for the registration and use of .IN domains so it doesn't make sense to me. They allow it for other ccTLDs like .ME and .TV and the situation is the same.

Is there anyone else as annoyed about this as I am?! I would love to express my feelings to Google but I wouldn't know how as they are so difficult to contact.

I've also blogged about the issue of Geo Targetting ccTLDs with Google on my blog (shameless plug, sorry!)

Cheers

Adam

We are writing here from what we understand from your post (maybe we are wrong or misunderstood your post)......our domain mitsu.in is featuring very well in USA and Canada seach results and we also place listing in Google Small Business on mitsu.in domain with USA address... search google map with "mitsu inc" and you will find our .in domain.

Hi Mitsu

Thanks for your reply. Have you used Google Webmaster Tools before? Geo Targetting allows you to tell Google which country your website is located in. Doing this generally increases your SERPs in the Google results for that country (for example, google.co.uk if your website is in the UK).

You can Geo Target any TLD and also certain ccTLDs, such as .TV and .ME - but not other ccTLDs such as .IN

The rules are set by the registry of each ccTLD so I don't understand why Google don't reflect this. I have some .IN domains but it is much more difficult to rank highly in UK search results because Google treats the domains as being located in India, which they are not

Adam

Adam,
Even though there is no restriction on registering .IN domains. It is still India specific cctld.
This is not the case with cctld like .me and .tv.
Tuvalu and Montenegro have licensed their ccTLDs for worldwide commercial use.
India has not licensed their TLDs for worldwide use and hence google will not allow geo targeting of this domain for outside India use.
From Google Webmaster Tool:
Country-specific domains, such as .ie or .fr, are already associated with a country or region. If you don't want your site associated with any location, select Unlisted. (Note: If you do this, your site will probably receive less traffic from Google.)

Originally Posted by a2zofb2b

Adam,
Even though there is no restriction on registering .IN domains. It is still India specific cctld.
This is not the case with cctld like .me and .tv.
Tuvalu and Montenegro have licensed their ccTLDs for worldwide commercial use.
India has not licensed their TLDs for worldwide use and hence google will not allow geo targeting of this domain for outside India use.
From Google Webmaster Tool:
Country-specific domains, such as .ie or .fr, are already associated with a country or region. If you don't want your site associated with any location, select Unlisted. (Note: If you do this, your site will probably receive less traffic from Google.)

Interesting. So, in addition to registry rules and restrictions, ccTLDs such as .ME and .TV also have a license in place that means they are legally no longer ccTLDs? If that is the case then I can understand some of the logic in Google allowing Geo Targetting of these ccTLDs only.

However, I still see no reason why Google should not reflect the rules put in place by the respective registries of every ccTLD, irrespective of commercial licenses. The registry for .IN domains allows .IN domains to be registered and used in any country - so I am allowed to register and use a .IN domain in the UK. Geo Targetting, according to Google themselves, is simply a means of telling Google which country your website is located in. So, why won't Google let me tell them that my .IN website is in the UK? The logic seems wrong to me.