Beware of IP Detect Redirects
We’re kicking off our technical SEO series with a look into IP detection redirects. Many people often overlook the importance of technical SEO, but not only can good implementation of technical SEO drastically improve organic performance, it also fixes issues that can cause catastrophic organic traffic loss to websites.
Think you don’t need a technical SEO? Keep reading…
What is an IP detection redirect?
An IP detection redirect is a way to identify which geo-location people are searching from. If they are served with the wrong country version of a website, a redirect is automatically triggered which directs people to the correct version of the site.
So, for example, let’s say I’m in the U.S, I search for a keyword and Google serves me with a .co.uk version of the site, the redirect will ensure I get served with the .com version without me ever knowing.
Sounds good in principle, right?
Well, there are a couple of problems with this approach:
- Google normally crawls from the U.S. So, the auto-redirect can cause crawling issues with non-U.S versions of the site, which can lead to de-indexation and lost rankings.
- For most people, being served with the correct country version of the site is the ideal solution. But, what if I’m in the U.S and I actually really want to get on the UK version of the site? Maybe I want to order a gift for a friend in the UK, or have something delivered for when I get home? For those people, it can be a frustrating experience and will result in a lost sale for the business.
Look what happened to our client’s website when they used the IP detect-redirect method:
The IP-detect redirect caused their homepage to be de-indexed as Google couldn’t crawl it.
As soon as we discovered the issue, the IP-detect redirect was removed, the homepage was re-indexed and rankings were recovered.
So, if you can’t use an IP-detect redirect, what can you do?
We tend to recommend the IP-detect pop-up instead. This way, if someone lands on the wrong country version of the site, a pop-up appears notifying them, and allows them to choose whether to stay on that version or to be redirected. This eliminates any technical issues preventing Google from crawling certain parts of the site, and is also user-friendly.
Final thoughts.
For those steadfast in wanting an IP-detect redirect, our advice is to treat Google crawlers like users.
Although Google mainly crawls from the U.S there are some Googlebot IP addresses that are based outside of the U.S. So, if you block U.S users from accessing the .co.uk site, make sure you also block the U.S-based Googlebots, but allow UK ones.
Want help with your technical SEO? Drop us an email.
Author: Lizzie Lewington
Founder & Director