Same Website on Two Different Domains

[ihavegotyou]

I want to live my website for two different domains as my one domains is "domainname.in" and other is "domainname.us", one is for india specific and other is for USA and global. So, will this work? and if yes then what points i should cover before starting this project?

[tedster]

Welcome to the forums! Yes, that is one approach that Google spokespeople have suggested for targeting two different geographic areas. Just make sure you "localize" the details (language idioms, spelling, currency, etc.) and you should be OK.

[ihavegotyou]

thanks tedster for quick reply, do you have any reference for the same so i can workout and analyze it properly.

[tedster]

I haven't located an online resource so far - I'm pretty sure Matt Cutts addressed this on his blog, but it might also have been in person at a conference.

There really isn't very much to analyze. Both the .us and .in TLDs are country specific rather than international/generic. Each one can only geo-targeted its specific country, so there are no options to choose between or analyze here.

Indian spelling tends more to use UK English conventions, rather than US English, so meet your audience in that fashion with your content. If prices are involved, localize the currency - that kind of thing.

Hope that helps.

[jnelson563]

Make sure that in Webmaster Tools under Site Configuration->Settings you set your Geographic Target as well.

[rlange]

jnelson563 wrote:
Make sure that in Webmaster Tools under Site Configuration->Settings you set your Geographic Target as well.

Google automatically selects the appropriate country based on the ccTLD. They don't even allow you to change it.

--
Ryan

[jnelson563]

For the .com you can. I suppose you are correct for the .in domain.

[Planet13]

Google automatically selects the appropriate country based on the ccTLD.

Out of curiosity, aren't there are few ccTLDs out there that are now "open"? I thought one was .co for example and maybe another one or two of them?

I think one was assigned to an island nation that basically became submerged due to global warming...

[tedster]

one domains is "domainname.in" and other is "domainname.us", one is for india specific and other is for USA and global

A .us cannot be global - it is US targeted only.

aren't there are few ccTLDs out there that are now "open"?

Definitely .tv, .fm, and .co - and probably a few more too. I can't log into WMT to verify these facts unless I have such a domain to work with.

[HuskyPup]

aren't there are few ccTLDs out there that are now "open"?

Officially only aero, asia, biz, cat, com, coop, edu, gov, info, int, jobs, mil, mobi, museum, name, net, org, pro, tel, travel and x x x

Others are used as TLDs however they are not officially recognised as such.

[rlange]

Planet13 wrote:
Out of curiosity, aren't there are few ccTLDs out there that are now "open"? I thought one was .co for example and maybe another one or two of them?

Quite a few, actually: [en.wikipedia.org...]

Edit: Hmm. The link redirect seems to strip off the hash. Check out the "Commercial and vanity use" section on that article for the list.

--
Ryan

[edited by: rlange at 3:43 pm (utc) on May 17, 2011]

[tedster]

The key issue (for this forum at least) is whether Google allows country geo-targeting for those TLDs, not just whether they are being registered for purposes outside the original intention.