Seo Query - Creating a New Zealand website any advice?

[Christopher]

Ok to try and keep the question brief.

I have a client whom has .com.au, they are wanting to expand their market to New Zealand.

What should i recommend? .co.nz or anything else?

Hosting? Australian servers or Nz servers? Recommend any?

Current site is wp and 115pages. Site footprint is about 300mbs.

Site structure, from current indications they want to duplicate the site, any rules or meta tags that need to be applied to prevent duplicate content issues?

Anything else? I'd love feedback, I'm in early round discussions and trying to prepare a proposal.

 

[Shane]

I've gone through more or less the same thing with a few of my sites.

I simply register the co.nz domain and copy the site across. The sites are hosted on different servers, but they're still Australian servers.

The only changes I make to the sites is to replace any references to 'Australia' with 'New Zealand'.

That was a few years ago, and today my NZ sites generally rank better on google.co.nz than my original Australian sites on google.com.au.

I also have both versions in my Webmaster Tools account with the country targeting set accordingly. I figure this lets Google know what's going on.

 

[petermeadit]

A lot depends on the kind of business. If bricks and mortar wanting to establish in NZ then localize as much as possible. Local hosting and co.nz with local focused content.

Or if just aussie business wanting a presence in NZ then maybe even consider the .com also.

SEO and business strategy drive each other.

 

[Christopher]

Thanks Shane I value your opinion.

 

[Christopher]

Thanks Peter,

Yes Aussie brand wanting to establish local presence. They have the .com but for some reason previously setup their main site on the .com.au, with thousands of back-links to it by previous seo consultants.

 

[zhenjie]

Look at Wordpress Multiste/language translation plugins. It helps keep everything in one install and allows you to change content slightly between the .au and .nz versions

 

[Christopher]

zhenjie,

Do you have a preferred plugin you can link to for me to look into.

My biggest concern is the client finds it hard enough to update one website, and having two would shoot them in the feet. Or destroy their existing Australian rankings with duplicate content.

 

[Christopher]

I've just come across an article from Google that appears to answer a lot of my questions, but I'm still open for discussion, as this is new territory for me, and after experience, and advice.

Here's the article. https://sites.google.com/site/webmasterhelpforum/en/faq-internationalisation#q20

 

[James]

I would use a .co.nz domain to be honest we have a handful of NZ based clients who do well on .co.nz domains for their markets, Local content is better then using the same content yet if that is not possible set up HREFLANG tagging between the two sites - https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/189077?hl=en

Most other things you have covered.

 

[Christopher]

Thanks James, that's great advice, I'm now formulating my ideas into three options.
Tell me if either of these would work.

Option 1 (Ideal option)
Produce a new site optimised for the local market with new content with the domain .co.nz and also apply the webmaster tools geo target, and possibly href lang.

Option 2 (not preferred but would work.)
Duplicate the site, into .co.nz, and use webmaster tools geo target, and also href lang.

Option 3 (not sure if this would work)
Produce a landing page on .co.nz, with a few pages of new content like contact us, why choose them, where can they get it, etc, and when they want to look at the products or blog redirect them to the main Australian site.

If I'm off please let me know.
Thanks all for inputting!

Also is it any worth getting hosting in New Zealand or just stick to the server they have in Sydney with their other site.