Advice needed for setting up international versions of one website

[Ciaran]

Hi,
I have an Irish website www.scouttalk.ie and I am looking to expand
into the UK. I've bought scouttalk.co.uk but I need advice for setting
up the UK version of the website. Ideally, I'd like a search engine
friendly way for UK visitors to view the exact same site but see
scouttalk.co.uk in tha address bar. Is this possible please?
Cheers,
Ciarán

 

[J.O. Aho]

Hi,
I have an Irish website www.scouttalk.ie and I am looking to expand
into the UK. I've bought scouttalk.co.uk but I need advice for setting
up the UK version of the website. Ideally, I'd like a search engine
friendly way for UK visitors to view the exact same site but see
scouttalk.co.uk in tha address bar. Is this possible please?

Assuming the Eirish and English versions are the same, all you need to create
is a virtual host that has the same document root. If the site uses cookies,
you need to check the cookie part of the code so it don't use hardcoded
domains, but asks the server which domain has been accessed and out form that
use the right domain automatically.
If you don't run the site on your own server, but hire a space on a webhotel,
then call them and say you want the virtual host been setup using your old
domains document root.

 

[Ciaran]

Hi Aho thanks for the reply. I asked my web host to set up the virtual
host but they told me to 'park' scouttalk.co.uk at scouttalk.ie using
the control panel. Do you know if this will have the same effect? How
do search engines treat a parked domain like this?
Cheers,
Ciarán

 

[J.O. Aho]

Hi Aho thanks for the reply. I asked my web host to set up the virtual
host but they told me to 'park' scouttalk.co.uk at scouttalk.ie using
the control panel. Do you know if this will have the same effect? How
do search engines treat a parked domain like this?

Not sure how their system works, but you can always test and try, park it and
then use the uk address, look what your browser says.

 

[Ciaran]

Hi Aho, I tried that and it seems to work fine. You were right about
the cookies tho! I'll have to get at them with some PHP! Anyways,
thanks for the help!
Ciarán

 

[liamo]

Assuming the Eirish and English versions are the same, all you need to create
is a virtual host that has the same document root. If the site uses cookies,
you need to check the cookie part of the code so it don't use hardcoded
domains, but asks the server which domain has been accessed and out form that
use the right domain automatically.
If you don't run the site on your own server, but hire a space on a webhotel,
then call them and say you want the virtual host been setup using your old
domains document root.

i too have a similar site that needs promoting in another country and
therefore have purchased the domain however i know google preferences
by country aswell as PR and other things and was thinking i would have
to change host to the desired new country, is their a better way to
keep my host to one country but still be considered a local site?

google does not just use the domains to determine country only
results, they use the host address too, right?