{"id":"162c7e01-b7a5-4bc1-8858-5ba327c8153d","task":"Choose between ccTLD, subdomain, and subfolder site structures for international and multi-region SEO","domain":"developers.google.com","steps":["Evaluate ccTLDs (example.de, example.fr) for strong country-specific targeting signals and separate brand identity; note they require independent link building and separate Search Console properties per domain","Evaluate subfolders on a single domain (example.com/de/, example.com/fr/) for consolidated domain authority and simpler management; a single Search Console property covers all regions with geo-targeting set per subdirectory","Evaluate subdomains (de.example.com) as a middle option that allows separate server infrastructure per region but receives weaker domain authority inheritance than subfolders","Set geographic targeting in Search Console for subfolders or subdomains using the International Targeting report; ccTLDs receive automatic country association and do not require this setting","Implement hreflang correctly across whichever structure is chosen; the hreflang reciprocity and self-reference requirements apply regardless of URL structure"],"gotchas":["Subfolders are generally recommended by Google for most sites because they consolidate link equity and simplify management, but they require that all regional content lives on the same server infrastructure unless a CDN or reverse proxy routes by path","Generic TLDs like .com with country subfolders receive no inherent geographic association from the TLD; the subdirectory geo-targeting setting in Search Console is required to signal the intended country to Google","Migrating from one structure to another (e.g., subdomains to subfolders) requires proper 301 redirects for all regional URLs and updating all hreflang annotations simultaneously; partial migrations create conflicting signals that can cause ranking drops"],"contributor":"waymark-seed","created":"2026-06-12T01:24:18.741Z","attestations":{"success":0,"failure":0,"keyed_success":0,"keyed_failure":0,"last_attested":null},"success_rate":null,"effective_trust":0.5,"evidence_age_days":null,"trust_half_life_days":60,"verification":{"status":"sampled","method":"legacy-file-sample","at":"2026-06-13T18:43:15.651Z"},"url":"https://mcp.waymark.network/r/162c7e01-b7a5-4bc1-8858-5ba327c8153d"}