49 replies to this topic

[SmellieNellie]

Apologies in advance if this has already been asked, but I can't find it anywhere! I am at a loss as to why my site does not feature at all if I select to search "Pages from the UK" in Google. I know I feature when I search "Whole of Web". I have tried the "allinurl" and again, there are absolutely no pages indexed under UK Pages.

I even thought it might be because my host is a Canadian company, but I have checked with them, and they confirm that it is not the case and to contact Google which I have done, but am waiting for a reply.

As my business is based locally and relies on local business, I would assume that most people would click on the "Search UK Pages" when conducting a search for services like mine, so this is proving to be a real headache for me.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[Jill]

Welcome, SmellieNellie!

Is it a .co.uk domain?

Jill

[OldWelshGuy]

Hi Nellie,

I have today had this very discussion with a firm of solicitors who insist they are having a .com domain. They soon changed their minds when I took them to 3 or four search engines that by default search only uk domains.

Some will allow you in the 'UK only' search if your server is physically in the Uk, but some do not.

My guess is that is your problem.

OWG

[SmellieNellie]

Thanks for the replies.

The problem is Jill, that the actual website domain being hosted by Netfirms, is a .org (an administrative error on my part!), and then the co.uk domain name is pointing to the Netfirm servers. Could this be the problem?

Also, I am interested to hear what you say OWG cos that was my first thought, but Netfirms have assured me this is not the case!!!

Do you think that I need to move my hosting to a UK company?

Thanks

SmellieNellie

[UKDK]

Do you think that I need to move my hosting to a UK company?

Absolutely

Using the .co.uk would get you listed in U.K searches, or you could just rehost your .org on a uk server, either would do.

UKDK

[OldWelshGuy]

If the site is a .org and it is hosted outside the Uk then you are doubly un blessed. I would host the co.uk, and forward the .org, now the other way around. I host some of my domains in the uk, and some in the us, no problems.

If you have a co.uk domain, then you will be treated as UK, no matter where you are hosted.

host Europe are cheap enough and are based in the uk. Get an account with 123reg.co.uk, transfer the .co.uk domain into them. they also offer hosting for a few ponds a month, then pull the second domain into 123 and put the web forwarding (automatic 301 from their control panel) you have a choice of framed, non framed, direct etc.

All traffic from the .org will then be transferred to the .co.uk, In theory so will the Page Rank.

It should be painless enough.

[SmellieNellie]

Great - thanks to OWG and UKDK for your help. I have contacted Netfirms to ask them to change the .co.uk to be the primary domain name and I have had a look at 123-Reg as I need to have a new website hosted and they look to be very well priced!

Here's hoping to better google Uk search positioning!!!!!

SmellieNellie

P.S. Diolch OWG!

[OldWelshGuy]

warms the cockles of my Welsh heart to be thanked in my mother tongue

The beauty of 123reg is that YOU keep control of your domain, you can change names servers dns tags everything all from the control panel.

[mcanerin]

Hey! I wrote an article about that a long time ago, and since Jill published it I guess it's ok to post it:

http://www.mcanerin....calsearch01.htm


Digital point has a nice tool that will tell you where everyone *thinks* your site is:

http://www.digitalpo...ebsite-country/

There is also a great thread around here somewhere about this problem, (which gave me the idea for the article, so you can check the source, as well)

Ian

Edited by mcanerin, 03 February 2004 - 06:38 PM.

[mcanerin]

Found it:

http://www.highranki...topic=1636&st=0

Ian

[Paul Baker]

Hi

I have had no problems finding my site (it is .co.uk & hosted in the uk so there shouldn't be a problem!)

My hosting company is www.donhost.com and, interestingly, when I type that in I am redirected immediately to www.donhost.co.uk. So it looks like they prefer the .co.uk designation as their main url.

I am really happy with this company, by the way, and they aren't paying me anything to say that. They are very quick and good with support . You can ask them about matters like this and you'll probably get a sensible reply.

Paul

[Link deleted. Please use your signature in the control panel for your link.]

Edited by Jill, 05 February 2004 - 06:49 PM.

[saywhat]

I got a strange result (to me anyway) from the digitalpoint search, I have .co.uk url and is hosted by a .co.uk server, yet it states that my url is physically hosted in the USA. I think that theyare based in Germany but may be USA owned.

Does this make sense?

[OldWelshGuy]

If Digital Point say the server is in the USA, and your hosting company say it is in the UK, I know which one I would believe over the tother.

[d.greenfield]

Greetings:

So just to get the correct... many of the UK engines will only return results with .co.uk domains? Am I understanding this correctly?

Thank you

[OldWelshGuy]

Yes, although they all have different ways of dealing with it. Some allow you in if you are Physically hosted in the UK, some allow you in but knock you down a few places, and some do not let you in at all unless you have a co.uk domain (like the UK top ISP for example).