There is a lot to consider when expanding your business, particularly when entering new, international markets. Today we are going to focus on your website. Knowing the ins and outs of international SEO is essential in getting your products and services in front of the right people. How can your website stand out and cater to diverse audiences worldwide? How can you ensure that your website ranks well in every country you target? Let’s explore international SEO best practices—covering the technical aspects, content nuances, the significant challenges and how to navigate these for a successful global SEO strategy.
Understanding international SEO basics
International SEO is about optimising your website so that search engines can identify which countries your business targets, which languages are used and most importantly what website or subfolder should rank in each market. So how can your business’ SEO thrive internationally?
Research and understand your global target markets
As we already know, the success of any marketing strategy relies on an organisation understanding their customers to reach and relate to them. This is just as crucial in SEO, especially when it comes to expanding into new markets.
International SEO keyword research
Conduct keyword research to identify how users in each market are searching for your offerings. This is a critical step in reaching your target audience and might not always be as obvious as translating from English. For example, in the IT industry there is not always a local translation for certain concepts and merely translating these won’t resonate with the local audience.
Competitor research
You will most likely already know what the competitive landscape in your local market looks like, but you need to understand how this differs in each market. You need to know how your current competitors are operating globally and identify any alternative competitors that you may come face-to-face with in these markets.
Getting the technical aspects correct
Technical SEO is always our first action point after devising any SEO strategy. Making sure your website has solid tech foundations will help you on your digital expansion journey. Technical SEO is tricky enough when targeting one market, when you’re targeting global markets there are certain elements of technical SEO you should keep top of mind.
Choose the right URL structure for international sites
Selecting the correct URL structure for international SEO is akin to laying a foundation for your global digital footprint. It determines how search engines interpret your regional targeting and plays a crucial role in how users perceive your online presence. Let’s dive into the three primary URL structures used in international SEO: Country Code Top-Level Domains (ccTLDs), Subdomains and Subdirectories.
Country Code Top-Level Domains (ccTLDs)
CCtlds are domain extensions specific to a country or territory, like .uk for the United Kingdom or .de for Germany. They signal a strong regional focus and are instantly recognisable to local users, but are treated as a separate website, requiring more SEO efforts to build and maintain SEO strength for each.
Subdomains
With subdomains, you have a main domain followed by a regional subdomain, like de.example.com for Germany. While separate in some respects, subdomains (when appropriately linked) can benefit from the overall authority of the main domain in certain algorithms.
Subfolders
Subfolders use the core domain followed by a directory path, such as example.com/de/. Subfolders leverage the overall authority of the main domain – beneficial for SEO – but there is a risk of canonical errors. Incorrect use of subfolders may lead to indexing issues, which leads us onto one of the most crucial international SEO considerations: hreflang.
Correct hreflang implementation
Hreflang tags are a snippet of code that tells search engines which language and region your pages are targeting. Correct implementation will help guide search engines in serving the proper version to respective users in their respective markets. This is crucial for user experience and relating to the local audience.
Hreflang can also help avoid duplicate content issues across different versions of your site. For example, if you have versions of a page in English for both the UK and Australia, hreflang tags tell Google which version to show to users in these countries. Bear in mind hreflang is a signal and not a directive, so search engines will still rank the page that they deem best.
Importance of page speed in your global SEO strategy
In this fast-paced world, nobody likes a slow website. Page speed is crucial in international SEO as well, especially when you’re catering to areas with potentially slower internet speeds. Using Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) is particularly valuable for international sites. CDNs distribute caching servers worldwide, ensuring faster content delivery by bringing data geographically closer to users.
Creating content that resonates with local audiences
While international SEO can open doors to new markets, crafting region-specific content ensures that your message not only reaches, but fundamentally connects with your audience.
Using your localised keyword research to guide your tailored content creation for each market is just the beginning. The content angle of international SEO embraces cultural relevance and language nuances. It’s all about making sure your content resonates with each local audience it’s meant to reach.
Cultural relevance: It’s more than just translation
Merely translating your content isn’t enough. The cultural context is key. It’s not just about words, it’s about values, references and even humour that might be unique to a specific culture.
Internally link to localised content
As your international content grows, maintain an organised structure with internal links to localised content in the appropriate language. This not only helps with SEO but enhances the user experience, guiding audiences seamlessly through your site in their preferred language.
Give local audiences the best user experience
You need to think about all the things that would provide the best possible experience for your customers. A few things that come to my mind are:
- Use the local currencies
- Use the correct size conversions
- Use local payment methods
- Have a local customer support
- Consider different dialects
Adapting your international SEO strategy to enhance search relevance
As part of the keyword research and competitor research phase, we often find out how the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) differs region to region. This information is vital to build up our independent localised strategies as part of our broader international SEO efforts. Here are the common areas that we work on as part of localisation.
Local business listings
If relevant, incorporate local business details for each region you operate in. This aids in building regional relevance and trust, especially in local search results where contextual information is critical.
Utilising schema markup
Implementing schema markup can enhance your search listings with rich snippets, providing more contextual details to users. Local business markup, reviews and event data contribute to region-specific relevancy.
Building local authority
When expanding your presence globally through international SEO, establishing local authority is a cornerstone of success. Building local authority isn’t just about better SEO rankings, it’s about building trust with your audience and fostering long-term engagement.
Develop your local backlink profile
Backlinks are the backbone of site authority. With international SEO it’s no different, but here the emphasis shifts to securing backlinks within your target country. For example, an Italian site will benefit from relevant links originating from authoritative Italian domains.
Cultivate relationships with local influencers
One effective approach to international SEO is collaborating with local influencers or industry experts. By establishing these relationships, you can bolster your site’s credibility while fostering community-based trust that search engines recognise.
How does managing a global company with international SEO connect to your business goals?
It allows you to position yourself strategically in every market you choose to serve. Whether you’re expanding into new regions or strengthening your presence in existing ones, following this international SEO guide correctly is crucial to being able to reach and relate to your target audience.
International SEO can be a daunting task, but with the right support and strategy, your digital presence will know no bounds. If you’re looking to expand your brand across global markets, get in touch with us today and we’d gladly provide expert advice on the best way to achieve your goals.