Google Country and Territory Codes

Turning Off Auto Redirection

Have you ever been annoyed when Google always redirects you to your country domain (eg. google.com.au), even if you enter google.com into your browser address bar? This is because you’ve either set your Google Preferences to your country in the past (and your preferences are therefore embedded in a cookie on your computer), or Google is using your IP address to work out where you are in the world (geotargeting).

You can stop this automatic country redirection by entering http://www.google.com/ncr into your browser bar or clicking on the link toward the bottom of the country specific Google page (eg. google.com.au) that allows you to go to google.com. This link uses the same URL mentioned above – http://www.google.com/ncr – where ncr stands for “no country redirct”. Entering this URL into your browser address bar or clicking on the link resets a certain cookie on your machine that forces Google to go to your country domain.

Please note that only the organic results are shown as if you were sitting in the USA; the paid ads (top sponsors and right column ads – called Google AdWords) will still be relevant from the country you are physically sitting in (this is based on your IP address).

Specific Country Searching

How do you “force” Google into conducting organic and paid searches as if you were sitting in another country?

Use the &gl=xx parameter on the URL (where xx is the Country Code)

Here’s an example. Let’s say you’re sitting at your computer in Australia but wish to see the organic search results as if you were sitting in the USA. Simply add &gl=US to the end of the Google URL, like this:

URL before
http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&q=serp+tracking&btnG=Google+Search&meta=&aq=f&oq=

URL after
http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&q=serp+tracking&btnG=Google+Search&meta=&aq=f&oq=&gl=US

Refer to Google’s handy list of 2 character Google Country and Territory codes when you need to “put yourself in” other countries for country specific searches, including the paid ads (Google adWords).

Why do this? You may be based in one country but provide Internet Marketing (SEO and/or SEM) services in another country. Using the &gl=xx URL param will ensure you are looking at Google results like your client would be.

Language Control

If you need the results displayed in a language other than English, either change your Google Preferences (which sets a cookie on your machine so all future searches will use that language), or modify the &hl=en paramater (ie. &hl=es for Spanish). Again, refer to Google’s Google Country and Territory codes.

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