Country Targeting
How to tell search engines which country your site or section is intended for. Configuration in Google Search Console and use of ccTLDs, hreflang, local content.
On this page
What is Country TargetingCountry Targeting MethodsGoogle Search Console SetupConfiguration ExampleSignals for GoogleFor Multiregional SitesIn brief
Country targeting is a set of methods (ccTLD, GSC setting, hreflang, local hosting, content) that help Google and other search engines show the site to users in the desired region.
What is Country Targeting
Targeting by user country. A setting in Google Search Console to specify the target region.
Country Targeting Methods
- ccTLD — strong signal (automatic)
- GSC geo-targeting — medium, manual setting
- hreflang — medium, via HTML/sitemap
- Local hosting — weak (server IP)
- Content — weak (language, currency, addresses)
Google Search Console Setup
- Legacy tools → International Targeting → Country
- Available only for gTLD (.com, .org, .net)
- Not available for ccTLD (automatically bound)
- Can be set for a subdomain
Configuration Example
TEXT
Site: example.com
Subdomains:
- ru.example.com → GSC → Target: Russia
- de.example.com → GSC → Target: Germany
- uk.example.com → GSC → Target: United KingdomSignals for Google
- ccTLD — .ru = Russia (strong signal)
- Server IP — hosting in target country
- Company address — in LocalBusiness Schema
- Currency — roubles for Russia, euros for EU
- Content language — Russian for Russia
- Local backlinks — from websites in target country
For Multiregional Sites
TEXT
example.com/en-us/ → United States (English)
example.com/en-gb/ → United Kingdom (English)
example.com/en-au/ → Australia (English)
hreflang:
- en-US for USA
- en-GB for UK
- en-AU for Australia
- x-default for the restIf you use a ccTLD (e.g., .ru), Google automatically assumes the site is intended for that country, and the manual targeting option in GSC becomes unavailable. For countries sharing the same language (e.g., English in US, UK, Australia), always use hreflang + country targeting.
FAQ
Common questions
Yes, use structure like example.com/us/ and example.com/uk/ combined with hreflang and, if needed, manual GSC targeting for each section hosted on separate gTLD subdomains (e.g., us.example.com).
ccTLD gives the strongest and most unambiguous signal because the top‑level domain is tied to a country. Manual GSC targeting is a medium‑strength signal that Google may or may not fully honour.
You can set targeting to Russia in GSC for the .com domain. Also add a physical address in Russia on your contact page and host the site on a Russian server.
Indirectly. For local SEO, company address, LocalBusiness Schema, and Google Business Profile are more important. But country targeting helps determine the priority country for organic search.
No, Google automatically binds ccTLDs to their countries. But if your .ru site is intended only for Moscow, additionally use local targeting via Google Business Profile and local signals.
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