How to create a Country Specific website?

Is it better to use subdomains or subdirectories to target individual countries if I cannot create an individual TLD website for each country?

• Also, what major companies use subdomains and not TLDs or subdirectories for their country-specific websites?

• Answer:

  Broadly speaking from an SEO standpoint, it's better to use subdirectories than subdomains. Google says they are the same, but there is significant evidence that link juice is passed between subdirectories better than between subdomains. However, your question asks specifically about targeting separate countries. Both are technically possible via Google Webmaster Tools. As to whether there is a strategic advantage to one over the other, I don't know about that - I haven't seen any data to determine whether Google's geo-targeting algorithms treat subdomains or subdirectories better.