## **πŸ—ΊοΈ Overview** If your website serves multiple languages or regions, the URL you add to Search Atlas determines which version of your site is tracked, analysed, and optimised. Adding the wrong URL means your rankings, keywords, and site data will reflect the wrong language or audience. This article explains how to choose the correct URL for your goals. ## **🧠 The Core Principle: Match the URL to Your Target** Search Atlas tracks SEO performance for the exact URL you add. For multilingual sites, each language or regional version typically lives at a distinct URL β€” either a subdirectory, subdomain, or separate domain. You should add the URL that matches the language **and** geographic audience you want to rank for. - **Root domain (e.g. example.com)** β€” tracks the default language version, usually English. - **Subdirectory (e.g. example.com/es/)** β€” tracks a specific language version hosted under the main domain. - **Subdomain (e.g. es.example.com)** β€” tracks a language version hosted on a subdomain. - **Country-code top-level domain (e.g. example.com.pe)** β€” tracks a version targeting a specific country. Each of these URLs is treated as a separate property in Search Atlas, so add the one that directly represents the version you are optimising. ## **πŸ“Œ Practical Example: English Root and Spanish Subdirectory** Suppose your site has two versions: - **example.com** β€” English, targeting a global or US audience. - **example.com/es/** β€” Spanish, intended to rank in Peru. If your goal is to rank the Spanish version in Peru, you should add **example.com/es/** to Search Atlas β€” not the root domain. Adding the root domain would give you data for the English version only, and you would miss the keyword rankings, traffic, and on-page insights specific to your Spanish content. ## **βž• How to Add Your Language-Specific URL** 1. In the left sidebar, click **Site Metrics (Site Explorer)**. 2. On the Site Explorer page, locate the input field to add a new website. 3. Enter the full subdirectory URL, for example **https://example.com/es/**. Include the trailing slash if your site uses one. 4. Confirm and save. Search Atlas will begin pulling data specifically for that URL and its child pages. Once added, you can use tools such as **Rank Tracker** (left sidebar β†’ Keywords β†’ Rank Tracker) to track Spanish keyword rankings and set the target location to Peru, and **Keyword Magic** (left sidebar β†’ Keywords β†’ Keyword Magic) to research Spanish-language keywords relevant to a Peruvian audience. ## **🌍 Setting the Right Geographic Target** Adding the correct URL is the first step. To get accurate ranking data for Peru specifically, you also need to configure the location and language settings within each tool: - In **Rank Tracker**, when adding keywords, set the **country** to Peru and the **language** to Spanish. This ensures rank positions reflect real search results seen by users in Peru. - In **Keyword Magic**, filter keyword data by selecting Peru as the target country so search volume and difficulty figures are localised. Without setting the geographic target, ranking data may default to a global or US baseline, which will not accurately represent your performance in Peru. ## **πŸ“‹ Quick Reference: Which URL Should I Add?** - **Goal: rank the English root site globally** β†’ Add **example.com** - **Goal: rank the Spanish subdirectory in Peru** β†’ Add **example.com/es/** - **Goal: rank a Spanish subdomain** β†’ Add **es.example.com** - **Goal: track both versions separately** β†’ Add each URL as a separate property in Site Explorer You can add multiple URLs to Search Atlas to monitor all language versions in parallel. There is no requirement to choose only one. ## **⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid** - **Adding only the root domain when targeting a subdirectory version.** The root domain will not surface ranking data for pages that live under /es/. - **Forgetting to set location in Rank Tracker.** Even with the correct URL added, rank data defaults to a broad location unless you specify Peru. - **Using inconsistent URL formats.** Make sure the URL you add matches exactly how your site is structured β€” check whether it uses a trailing slash and whether it is HTTP or HTTPS. ## **πŸ’¬ Need Help?** If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type **human teammate** to be connected with a member of our team.