Google and Geo-Targeting

[alexswalker]

I have been looking into ip address targeting today.

Many of our customers come from UK univeristies and I think it would be great to direct a user to a specific page based on their university. These university pages would be unique rather than cookie-cutter pages.

I don't think it would be too hard to get hold of the IP address ranges for the universities (e.g. Cambridge is 131.111.*.*)

I have trialled the system out by adding the IP range into a MySQL database and using a PHP script which checks the database and the user's IP address and does something like:

// If the visitors are from Cambridge, redirect them to Cambridge Page
if ($uniSHORT == "CAM")
{
Header("Location: [CAMBRIDGEPAGE");...]
} else {
// Otherwise, redirect them to home page
Header("Location: [HOMEPAGE");...]
}

I have noticed this method craetes a 302 redirect. Will Google be okay with this? Will it think I am cloaking?

TIA

Alex

[jonknee]

Howabout if they are from a school, send them X. If not, show them the page below. That way you only have to forward the students.

[irishaff]

Not been a problem for me to redirect uk customers to my english site from them clicking on .com domain. Cant see a problem with you directing based on a subset of uk ips.

David

[mil2k]

This issue has been as clear as mud. Haven't heard official google line on geo-targetting except for the fact that google itself does geo-targetting.

Technically this is cloaking but then if it helps your users go for it. Just make sure that you know what you are doing.