# Geo-targeting

Category: [International SEO](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/category/international-seo/) › [Country & language targeting](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/category/international-seo/country-language-targeting/) · Also known as: geotargeting

**Geo-targeting** means directing content or ads at users in a specific location. In advertising it usually refers to showing ads by the user's location. In SEO it describes how a site signals which country or region it is meant for. Wikipedia defines it as delivering different content to visitors based on their geolocation. This entry covers the SEO meaning, which has no connection to GEO as in generative engine optimization.

## Which signals does Google use?

Google describes these ways to indicate the target locale of a site:

- **Country-code top-level domain** such as `.de`. Google treats some ccTLDs, such as `.tv` and `.me`, as generic. The country targeting setting in Search Console (International Targeting report) is deprecated, according to the Search Console Help.
- **hreflang** annotations for language and region versions.
- **Server location.** Google calls it a possible signal that is not definitive, because sites use CDNs or are hosted in another country.

Google recommends locale-specific URL structures, namely ccTLDs, subdomains or subdirectories. URL parameters are not recommended.

## What does Google ignore?

Google ignores locational meta tags. It also advises against adapting content based on IP address alone. Googlebot's default IP addresses appear to be based in the USA, and the crawler sends requests without an Accept-Language header. Google also crawls from IP addresses outside the USA, but recommends separate locale URLs with hreflang annotations as the reliable approach.

## Example

A retailer sells in Germany and Austria. It runs `example.com/de-de/` and `example.com/de-at/`, links both with hreflang values `de-DE` and `de-AT`, and shows prices in euros on both with different shipping terms.

## Common mistakes

- **Adding locational meta tags.** Google ignores tags such as `geo.position`, so they do not change the country assignment.
- **Switching content by IP address.** Google advises against it because IP location analysis is difficult and generally not reliable. Googlebot also sends requests without an `Accept-Language` header. Separate URLs per locale with hreflang are Google's recommended approach.
- **Separating countries with URL parameters.** Google lists `example.com?loc=de` as not recommended because URL-based segmentation is difficult.
- **Looking for the country setting in Search Console.** It no longer exists. For a gTLD, locale-specific URLs and hreflang take over that job.

## FAQ

**What is geo-targeting?**
Directing content or ads at people based on their location.

**Does server location decide a site's target country?**
Google lists it as a signal that is not definitive.

## URL structures for country versions compared

| Structure | Example | Target country recognisable? | Pros according to Google | Cons according to Google |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country-code domain (ccTLD) | example.de | yes, a strong signal to users and search engines | clear geotargeting, server location irrelevant, easy separation of sites | expensive and sometimes limited availability, more infrastructure, strict ccTLD requirements in some cases, one country only |
| Subdomain on a gTLD | de.example.com | not always clear from the URL alone (is "de" the language or the country?) | easy to set up, allows different server locations, easy separation of sites | users might not recognise the targeting from the URL alone |
| Subdirectory on a gTLD | example.com/de/ | not always clear from the URL alone | easy to set up, low maintenance (same host) | users might not recognise the targeting from the URL alone, single server location, harder to separate sites |
| URL parameters | example.com?loc=de | not always clear from the URL alone | – (not recommended by Google) | URL-based segmentation difficult, users might not recognise the targeting from the URL alone |

Sources: [Google Search Central: Managing multi-regional and multilingual sites (last updated 2025-12-10)](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/specialty/international/managing-multi-regional-sites); [Search Console Help: International Targeting report (deprecated)](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/62399). Last checked: October 8, 2026

## Related terms

- [hreflang](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/hreflang/index.md)
- [ccTLD](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/cctld/index.md)
- [International SEO](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/international-seo/index.md)
- [Multilingual website](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/multilingual-website/index.md)
- [Country code (ISO 3166-1)](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/country-code/index.md)

## Sources

- [Managing multi-regional and multilingual sites – Google Search Central](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/specialty/international/managing-multi-regional-sites)
- [How Google crawls locale-adaptive pages – Google Search Central (updated 10.12.2025)](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/specialty/international/locale-adaptive-pages)
- [Tell Google about localized versions of your page – Google Search Central](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/specialty/international/localized-versions)
- [Geotargeting – Wikipedia (secondary, general definition)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geotargeting)
- [International Targeting report (deprecated) – Search Console Help](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/62399)

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Last updated: October 8, 2026
URL: https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/geo-targeting/