This short article (from the top-ranked SEO expert in the UK) covers some of the main points that are important to ranking well on Google.co.uk (particularly for those who have a .com TLD on their existing website).

1. Use or switch to a .co.uk domain name

This may seem a little obvious. However, many webmasters are attracted to the international connotations that go along with a yourdomain.com. The problem is that Google struggle to correctly identify the country of origin of a .com TLD. Whilst all of the steps 2-8 below should help, there is simply no guarantee that the homepage of a .com domain will ever rank well on google.co.uk. Starting without a .co.uk domain is like starting a chess game without your queen!

In September 2006, Matt Cutts of Google was invited to respond to concerns of UK-based webmasters with .com domains (see here). In a nutshell he suggested that:

If you want to show up in the .co.uk search and you can migrate from a .com to a .co.uk easily with a 301, it might benefit you. I would try moving one directory as a test, and if that goes well, then you could migrate the whole thing.

If you'd like to attempt this but are concerned about the technicalities of how to implement, why not sign up for my six months email support package? I can help you through the necessary steps.

2. Put your site on a UK-hosted server

3. Sign up for Google Local UK

There is a way to tell Google where your site is physically located. This is done by submission to Google Local UK (at: http://www.google.com/local/add?hl=en&gl=uk). First, you set up a Google account, then you add each of your websites. Google will send you through a pincode by regular surface mail, to the recorded address associated with the site submitted. Once you have revisited the Google Local listing for your site and added the pincode, your address is verified and the site added to Google Maps & other Google Local services.

4. Use localised meta-data on your pages

5. Use HTML address tags in your page

6. Obtain links from predominantly UK sites

7. Have patience; it'll take at least 6 months!

For a new .co.uk site (step 1 above), it will take at least six months from the domain creation date for the site to start ranking on google.co.uk. I cover this in greater depth in my article on the Google Sandbox. For an existing site, it will take at least three months for your new inbound links (section 6 above) to have an effect on your rankings. Other steps recommended can take up to a month to take effect (depending on the PageRank of your site; which determines how often your site is crawled by Google).

Patience is a real virtue here! Sometimes people make changes, only to reverse them in frustration before they take effect. Another problem is when good things happen but webmasters have no idea which of their actions caused the benign effect! Trust me, have patience and in time you will see the rewards!

8. Consider professional support

All of the advice above is generic and will work in the majority of circumstances. However, the speed and effectiveness of the changes these actions will produce depends on the specific circumstances of the site, including how competitive the search terms targeted are! If you are struggling to see results by yourself, the chances are that you require professional assistance! Why not request a free proposal from my enquiry form in the right panel? As the top-ranked SEO expert in the UK, I can help where others cannot!