Surfing in the UK

Is the Tide Up for UK Sites Only?

[martinibuster]

If one has an ecommerce site, how important is it to have a separate websitem for the UK, with copy tailored to the British English, as well as a .co.uk domain?

Will this give you better results on AJ/Google/MSN?

From comments about MSN UK, I gather it would help to have a .co.uk.

Input please. :)

Thanks.

[edit_g]

I've never seen much of a difference in terms of search engines. Users in the UK often react very badly to overly american copy, so it is worth changing on that score.

[martinibuster]

...often react very badly to overly american copy

That's good to know. Is it, like, American slang they react to? Or just plain American English?

[piskie]

A .com hosted on a UK server is just as good in UK search engines as long as there is no close duplication.

As for American style language, we Brits tend to tolerate your mutilation of our Queens English as long as what you have got to say is worth reading and what your selling is worth buying.

[martinibuster]

Queens English...

Ha! I'm in San Francisco...

Thanks for the tips. I'm agitating for a UK localized site and this strengthens my feelings about this.

Thanks!
;) Y

[ukgimp]

Remember that we serach for uk spelling also so if you target "search engine optimization". If you are after the british market you are unlikely to get as much leverage than if you targeted "search engine optimisation".

Learn to use the S. There was thread earlier this year about the differences beteen UK/US in terms of worlds spelling. Think it was foo. Reckon that would be a good read.

BOL and what to do
[webmasterworld.com...]

We aint that conservative :)
[webmasterworld.com...]

tedster's confused
[webmasterworld.com...]

Sidewalk and pavement
[webmasterworld.com...]

[edit_g]

Every day I say thanks to the powers that control etymology for the fact that americans go on vacation and brits go on holiday. :)

[incywincy]

if you're going to submit to yahoo then domain extension is important, clever old yahoo.co.uk only show .uk extensions for a uk only search.

[HarryM]

Remember that we serach for uk spelling also so if you target "search engine optimization". If you are after the british market you are unlikely to get as much leverage than if you targeted "search engine optimisation".

In the above case, you would probably need both. In the UK 'optimisation' spelled with an 's' is quite normal usage but is considered by some as illiterate. The preferred spelling is optimization with a 'z'.

There is no entry for 'optimisation' in the on-line Oxford Compact English Dictionary, but there is for 'optimization'. This states the word is from the root 'optimize (also optimise)'

Afficionados of Inspecter Morse may remember the episode where Morse solves the murder because a letter attributed to someone of the upper classes betrays itself as a forgery because a certain word is spelled with an illiterate 's' instead of an educated 'z'.

Just my 2c worth. :)

[ukgimp]

There is no entry for 'optimisation' in the on-line Oxford Compact English Dictionary, but there is for 'optimization'.

Fair point, but I dont really care what the dictionary says, if people use and "s" to search I am going to use that. :)

"If there are local words as well that matters", said the aluminum salesman who had his office in the UK but can't figure out why his website gets no visitors.

:)

[HarryM]

As I said, you probably need both spellings. For a difficult word like that, I would sprinkle the various spellings throughout the text, including mis-spellings. Optimisation, optimization, optamisation... whatever.

[ukgimp]

I see what you are saying and I don’t disagree with you 100%. Different situations require different solutions and that is where knowledge of language and its usage will stand you in good stead. Using the example above about aluminium, what use would targeting the US version be if no one is going to search for that as Mr Salesman only sells aluminium to UK searchers.

This game is about getting it right for yourself or your client. In the case of MB above without knowing what market is in question it is not really possible to say. But if it is Aluminium or one of the many other words that has variations it will make a difference. MB needs to look at this, cos sure as hell we say things differently over here and that will make a difference as to how you go about this. Maybe it is an easy market to break into. But imagine trying to do both US and UK versions of SEO at the same time and wishing to come top. No chance, cos the marketplace if fierce.

We need to rattle DG's cage, i feel sure he might have something to say on this :)