google geo-confused

**cashchampion** · 29-04-09

Hi guys,

I think google thinks that my site is US based as almost overnight my traffic switched from being predominantly UK to mainly US.
my site is a org.uk

Any ideas on how to ensure google knows which country I am targetting?

Thanks,
Marc

**KirstyM** · 29-04-09

Have you set your geotargeting in Google webmaster tools?

**cashchampion** · 29-04-09

HI Kirsty,

Thanks for the reply.
Well, I have not set it, but just had a quick check and it says United Kingdom.

Very strange, as now almost all of my traffic comes from the US.

cheers,
Marc

**KirstyM** · 29-04-09

It might just be a Google indexing funny then... could sort itself out in a day or two. I'm at a loss for other suggestions!

**cashchampion** · 29-04-09

Would also have thought so...but been that way for over a month now

**KirstyM** · 29-04-09

Ouch?! Not sure what to suggest then. I know I frequently see my UK site ranking in the Australian space for the odd search term and vice versa, but never had a wholesale switch like that.

Good luck getting it sorted out, and let us know how you go.

**Dynamoo** · 29-04-09

Where is your site actually hosted?

**cashchampion** · 04-05-09

Site hosted in US.
I also thought about this, but I have other sites that are all hosted in the US and still get predominantly UK traffic.
Could this really have that much of an affect?

**Dynamoo** · 04-05-09

Google uses the IP address and TLD in the first instance to determine the location of the site, webmasters can then use Google webmaster tools to over-ride the settings.

It sounds to me as if Google has got it wrong! I host all my UK domains in the UK, so there's no problem with the IP.. but in this case it looks like a bug.

Not sure what you should do.. file a reinclusion requestion perhaps?

**cashchampion** · 04-05-09

Originally Posted by Dynamoo

Google uses the IP address and TLD in the first instance to determine the location of the site, webmasters can then use Google webmaster tools to over-ride the settings.

It sounds to me as if Google has got it wrong! I host all my UK domains in the UK, so there's no problem with the IP.. but in this case it looks like a bug.

Not sure what you should do.. file a reinclusion requestion perhaps?

Hi Dynamoo,

I had heard this, but never had any issues with any other sites...hmm..
I have actually just started a new thread about this here: http://www.affiliates4u.com/forums/o...y-give-up.html

As I am completely blundered.