How to Choose the Best Domain Setup for Global SEO
Each method of setting up an international domain name comes with its own search engine optimization (SEO) considerations. You can use one or multiple methods to create region-specific URLs.
If you’re unsure which option to choose, we recommend reviewing this article to help you determine the best approach for your website.
SEO for Using the Main Domain
The main domain is the domain displayed in the address bar when customers visit your online store. If you prefer not to create region-specific URLs but still want to offer a localized shopping experience with different languages and currencies, you can use only the main domain.
For example, if your store's main domain is "yourstore.com," the same URL can be used for all languages and currencies you configure. Based on the languages enabled in your SHOPLINE admin panel, the system will add hreflang tags to your templates to help search engines understand the target countries or regions for your site.
Because this method uses a single domain, search engines will generate keywords and rankings only for the main domain. As a result, customers won’t be automatically redirected to a localized version of the store based on their region, and localized versions will not appear in search results.
To enable customers to choose their local language and currency, you’ll need to add a country/region selector to your store. You can use the free Geolocation Redirects app for this purpose.
SEO for Using Subdomains
A subdomain is a prefix added to your main domain to distinguish content for different regions. For example, if your main domain is "yourstore.com," you can use "ca.yourstore.com" for Canada and "fr.yourstore.com" for France.
Subdomains are part of your main domain and can be created for free on domains managed by SHOPLINE or third-party providers. However, subdomains typically take longer to build domain authority and may not perform as well in SEO rankings compared to subfolders under the main domain.
SEO for Using Top-Level Domains (TLDs)
A top-level domain (TLD) is the suffix at the end of a domain name. If you choose to use TLDs for region-specific URLs, you'll need to purchase a separate domain with the relevant country-code TLD (ccTLD) for each market. For example, if your main domain is "yourstore.com," you could purchase "yourstore.ca" for Canada and "yourstore.fr" for France.
Using TLDs is best suited for businesses with specific strategies for entering new markets. Since each TLD is a separate domain, each regional site must build its own domain authority and SEO rankings independently. This method requires the most time and effort to establish SEO effectiveness.
SEO for Using Subfolders
A subfolder is a subdirectory or path within your main domain. It appears in the address bar when customers browse your store. For example, you can create subfolders like "yourstore.com/en-ca" for Canada and "yourstore.com/fr-fr" for France.
When setting up SHOPLINE Markets for the first time, subfolders are the preferred option for the following reasons:
Subfolders are the recommended setup when configuring SHOPLINE Markets for the first time, for the following reasons:
- Minimal setup is required.
- Visitors are automatically directed to URLs that match their language and location preferences.
- Since subfolders share your main domain, region-specific URLs benefit from your existing SEO rankings and domain authority.