I really love how Google is future-proofing their tools. From the start they must have thought of how international the web’s audience will be that they have thought of building in the international flavor that a perceived global tool can be (after all, it’s called the Worldwide Web). Touring around Asia some time back, I was quite surprised with how Google “spoke” in the native language of a country’s inhabitants, depending on where one accesses Google services from.

Getting its cue from your PC’s timezone or IP address, Google offers several language options and content search options driven by your location. For instance, in a recent visit to the Philippines (where surfing is great at Siargao island), I get this:

Everytime you enter www.google.com, you’d receive the default English option. You can also quickly see that there is a prominent option that tells you that you can view it in your own language, or the language used in the area you are currently logged in from. You may even limit your search according to your location.

For example here I try a search for beaches in pages from the Philippines. Enter the word “beach” and make sure you select the Webpages in the Philippines option before you hit the search button, and viola! Your search is limited to sites hosted in the Philippines, or with a .PH top-level domain.

Some searches even come with image results by default.

Same goes for other places. So whether you’re down under (.AU) or headed to Bora Bora (which is in a .PF TLD), you can try this out. Or, if you run a website, then you can actually set the geographic location of your site on Webmaster Tools (so it would appear in country-specific searches).

Hopefully, with some luck booking and traveling, you’d be enjoying the sun in no time!