Google doesn't only exist at http://google.com/ - Google also has local versions,such as http://google.ca/, http://google.com.au/ and http://google.co.uk/. Each ofthese has a selection below the query entry field that allows the user to select either'search the web' or 'search pages from '. If the visitor selects 'search pages from 'they will only see results which Google judges as being local to the country inquestion.

Many webmasters are unaware of what is required to be listed as being "from" theirown country. This article discusses what you need to know to have your site appearin a Google Local search results page. When Google tries to determine whether your site is appropriate for each of thesecountry-specific search results, it will firstly examine the TLD of your domain name.For example if you have a site called mysite.co.in, then you will appear when asearcher queries at google.co.in for Indian results.

If you don't pass this test, Google will give you a second chance and look at thephysical location of where your site is hosted. For example, a site hosted in Canadawill appear to be a Canadian site to Google and will appear in the results set for aquery on google.ca for Canadian pages. (Its actually a little more complicated thanthat; it depends on the location of the company that owns the IP address used forhosting your site. But 90% of the time the location matches the ownership, so theabove description is an adequate approximation.)

So, when I am asked the question 'why doesn't my site appear in the google resultsfor my country?' I answer by first asking if the domain name has a local TLD andthen if they are hosted in their country. If the answer to both is 'no' then I explain they need to either buy a local domainname or move their hosting and then (after a delay while Google 'notices') they willappear in the desired result set.

Note that the major exception to this is the US - while Google has the .us domainname, it diverts to the general google.com site, so there is no way for US residentsto use Google to find local sites.

Getting your website to appear in the local search results as well as the generalGoogle results isn't hard, but you do have to know what you are doing.

Lea de Groot is CEO of Elysian Systems (http://elysiansystems.com/), aleading Australian Search Engine Optimisation & Web Development companybased in Brisbane. A shorter form of this article originally appeared in 'WebTalk: PuttingBusinesses on the Internet', a newsletter for companies who wish touse their website more effectively (http://elysiansystems.com/newsletter/).