Google Webmaster Tools - International SEO Geo-Targeting site with Worldwide rankings

[Francisco_Meza]

I have a client who already has rankings in the US & internationally.

The site is broken down like this:

• url.com (main site with USA & International Rankings)
• url.com/de
• url.com/de-english
• url.com/ng
• url.com/au
• url.com/ch
• url.com/ch-french
• url.com/etc

Each folder has it's own sitmap & relative content for it's respective country.

I am reading in google webmaster tools > site config > settings, the option under 'Learn More': "If you don't want your site associated with any location, select Unlisted."

1. If I want to keep my client's international rankings the way it currently is on url.com, do NOT geo target to United States?
2. So I select unlisted, right?
3. Would I use geo targeting on the url.com/de, url.com/de-english, url.com/ng, url.com/au and so on?

[jaraca]

Very interesting answers. Thanks to all of you!

[AlanMosley]

I agree, trying to target many locals may stuff you up.

[NicoleMunoz]

I agree.  Let Google decide unless you need to target a specific country.

[fabioricotta-84038]

My tip here is to use this geotarget feature only, and if only, you want to target ONE specific country. Otherwise, let Google decide.

[Francisco_Meza]

Here is where the traffic comes from.

• 60% of the quotes come from people in the United States

• 40% of the quotes come from people in their own country, not usa.

It sounds as 'if' I GEO target url.com to US (this has the rankings), my international keywords will disappear because I am telling google that url.com is only in the US. 40% of my traffic would go away by geo targeting URL.com to the US.  I see that you said URL.com/us, but then I would have duplicate content.  Url.com would equal url.com/us, unless I rewrote everything.  I think url.com will go as unlisted. "If" I create url.com/us with original content, then I will be competing for the same keywords.

[SEOMeetups]

I would set your GEO to USA as international is fairly untargeted and much of the people that typically use Google.com are US users, any of countries would typicallly use the local GEO domains.

You can set url.com and all the subdirectory locations seperately, i would consider setting url.com/US as a GEO of focused directory and then you can leave url.com as untargeted.