How to rank for a location/country without having a physical address in that location/country

[KS__]

How do I go about it if my physical address (office) is in Country A but I want to rank my website in Country B, C and D (without having an office or physical address in the countries B, C and D)?

I am aware of people setting up virtual offices in other countries/cities and adding them to Google Places/Maps with toll free phone numbers, but I don't wish to do any of that. I know Google will catch up with this one day or the other and punish me hard for trying to play games with it.

Is there a way rank a website in another country without actually having a physical location there? If yes, please guide me how to go about it.

[ClaytonJ]

It can be complicated - and without alot more information & countries etc.all answers could be wrong.  There are several paths depending on the answers.  So everything I suggest is dependent on unknown factors.

Because of the weighting to google maps it is difficult if you do not have an address in each country. I would strongly urge you to change you outlook on this position. Then you could consider subdomains. If you only want to use one domain (which is what I recommend) and no subdomains - you could make a page for each country you are targeting. Have you considered that?  Then you have to action each country page uniquely and obtain links and build DA to same. On the link building it should be page specific ie if targeting chicago get chicago based/centric links to that page.

I hope that gives you something to think about.

[KS__]

So if I want the website to rate well in Chicago, California and New York, the pages that I should create will be www.mywebsite.com/chicago, www.mywebsite.com/california and www.mywebsite.com/new-york. Is that right?

And when I'm done with that, I have to build location specific links like ' <keyword>in Chicago', ' <keyword>California' etc.?</keyword></keyword>

[ClaytonJ]

Yes, in a nutshell.  That is one way - but Google maps for each location would save you alot of work.

The key ingredient missing on the above is on the pages you make - ensure your meta title reads "Flowers | New York | Mywebsite".

Then your H1 is also location keyword rich.  Then find links preferable local. Maybe some local directories etc.   I would also be trying to make a cracking page - with great user friendly content. Whatever you do do not duplicate content swapping location names - that is an easy way to "never be found on google"...

So it is hard work... for each location.

[KS__]

Ok. www.mywebsite.com/chicago is better or www.chicago.mywebsite.com? The only negative with the latter is that all pages (FAQ, How it works etc.) within the sub-domain website will have to be re-done with fresh new content while in the first option there's only one page for the location while other pages like FAQ etc stay the same for the root website as well location specific pages.

What say?

[ClaytonJ]

www.mywebsite.com/chicago is better.

A website we instructed down this path is www.cottonon.com - It is more complicated - but that is a retailer that rolls out new shops in each country. Hence Australia is www.cottonon.com/au etc. Go to their website and from a practical perspective watch it operation, this may help in clearing it all up for you.  Note the power CO is in the store finder - where you get to use google maps...

[PatrickDelehanty]

Hi there

If you are trying to rank a certain location or country, you can look into hreflang attributes and language tags for your site.

You can also geo-target specific URL variations in Google Search Console. You can read more about International SEO here, as well as an International SEO Checklist.

Hope this helps! Good luck!

[MiriamEllis]

Hi KS -

Got your note on my older post and so am popping by here. I have some questions.

1. Are we talking about other countries ... or maybe other counties? I want to be sure I'm understanding if the business is national or international.

2. Are you meeting face-to-face with customers in the various cities and countries? Can you describe this in as much detail as possible?

[KS__]

Awesome links Patrick. Thanks.

[KS__]

Thanks for all the help John.

[KS__]

Thanks Miriam.

Here are my answers:

1. Are we talking about other countries ... or maybe other counties? I want to be sure I'm understanding if the business is national or international.

Other countries, not counties.

2. Are you meeting face-to-face with customers in the various cities and countries? Can you describe this in as much detail as possible?

No personal contact. I have international numbers listed on the website, so they just give me a call (I use VOIP and Magic Jack) or fill up the form. The conversation begins there.

Hope that answers you.

[MiriamEllis]

Hi KS!

Thanks for the clarification on this. So, if you are not making in-person contact with your customers, whether here or abroad, then this means that the business is not a 'local' business in the eyes of Google. Face-to-face transactions are the prerequisite of this particular type of marketing. So, as you would not be able to go the local business route of building a Google+ Local page for each location in hopes of ranking in Google's local packs of results, then your two options would be:

1. Building organic content on the website that showcases your virtual services in each of your target cities and countries.

2. Participating in PPC that enables you to pay for placement in your target cities and countries.

I'm afraid international SEO is not my area - the links Patrick has shared will be your best bet for learning about this marketing discipline. Wishing you best of luck!

[KS__]

Will it be fine if I add my friends' residential addresses in multiple cities across Country A in Google Places and buy toll free numbers for each of these addresses/cities? So all locations will have different NAP.

[MiriamEllis]

Hi KS!

Unfortunately, that's not really a practice I would recommend to my clients at this point. There's been some indication in recent times that while Google is completely fine with a single-location home-based business, it's very easy for them these days to see that a string of houses is being used to indicate locations in more than one place. It's my gut feeling that they don't approve of this practice and that they would take action against Google+ Local listings created in this scenario. But, in any case, your lack of in-person contact with customers means that the business does not qualify for Google+ Local listings or local pack rankings, regardless of whether you have legitimate business offices or are using the addresses of your friends. So, this may be kind of a moot point. Virtual businesses need to compete organically and utilize PPC, social media, video marketing, etc. to earn visibility - but Local SEO is not the right marketing discipline for them.

Hope this helps!

[KS__]

Hi Miriam.

I agree with  your gut feeling. What is wrong is wrong and one should not play games falsify facts and present them as true.... not at least with Google. They are smarter than everybody of us out here.

I'll stick with the following tactic:

• Find a person or a partner in these countries who is ready to genuinely partner with me... or at least is willing to take calls, talk to leads and direct them to me. A local listing will be created for this/these guy/guys when we have genuine NAPs.

• Focus on organically promoting my website for these locations without local listings.

Thanks for your help everybody.

KS__