two main possibilities here:
1 - google could do the same as AV and automatically redirect users to their own local version instead of defaulting to the .com
2 - more sites could do the same as bbc.co.uk and use filtered local google results - imagine if freeserve or virgin or other major ISPs were to switch to google uk results only .....
Below are some stats for a website for a shop in a UK town. I still think most people in the UK use the .com SEs instead of their .co.uk counter part.
5881: [google.com...]
2056: [google.yahoo.com...]
919: [google.co.uk...]
534: [search.msn.com...]
378: [ask.co.uk...]
378: [ask.com...]
314: [aolsearch.aol.com...]
285: [search.msn.co.uk...]
266: [uk.google.yahoo.com...]
215: [images.google.com...]
165: [ifind.freeserve.com...]
139: [mirago.co.uk...]
130: [altavista.com...]
101: [aolsearch.aol.co.uk...]
66: [search.netscape.com...]
64: [askjeeves.com...]
56: [uk.altavista.com...]
50: [search.lycos.com...]
50: [search.dogpile.com...]
4eyes are the above UK engines only?
Strictly speaking, no they are not.
But its a good point - how many now are?
Most of them are providing filtered results from the 'world database' - you get in the main database and you appear in the 'UK only' results.
Obviously, Yahoo UK is a slight exception, but MSN, Altavista, Google (and therefore AOL etc) are simply filtered results.
Off to start a new thread on:
targeting the UK'... [webmasterworld.com]