Six international SEO tips you need to know to grow your business

international SEO This is not a "cookie-cutter" approach. Here are some important tips that can help you overcome the tricky differences in language, culture, and search habits.

The start of international expansion is an incredible milestone for any company, and preparing your business for a global journey will be one of the most exciting moments of your career. But just because your business thrives at home doesn't guarantee success abroad. To achieve that, you need to focus on your international SEO strategy.

Achieving online visibility on an international level can prove challenging, especially when you consider differences in language, culture, and search habits. It's not a one-size-fits-all approach. However, you'll be more than ready to tackle the challenges of international SEO if you follow these six tips, and you should soon see your business climb in global search rankings.

1. Choose an effective domain strategy

A .com TLD is usually considered the cream of the crop when it comes to domains and the authority they receive from search engines. However, this can be far too generic to attract international customers. Instead, your domain should be clearly targeted to your chosen country and show users worldwide that your Website is specifically tailored to her.

A ccTLD, for example cocacola.fr, is often popular because the country code immediately tells users and search engines which country the target is. However, if you have multiple localized versions of the website across multiple ccTLDs, search engines will treat them as separate entities, meaning each domain will have to build backlinks and authority from scratch.

A subdirectory like nike.com/fr preserves all your existing SEO efforts, as you're simply adding a localized folder to your current domain. However, this carries the risk of internal cannibalization if various international subdirectories are created. Landingpages to be optimized for the same keywords, such as a US subfolder and an Australian subfolder, where the language is largely the same.

A subdomain (such as fr.airbnb.com) is often the default setting for CMS tools, but users will be less likely to associate your website with their country because the country code is in the first place instead of the last, meaning click-through rates could benefit.

All domain strategies have advantages and disadvantages, so it's important to determine how each option would work specifically for your business. Matthew Finn, one of Go Up's SEO specialists, highlights several points that could influence your decision regarding an international domain strategy. Of course, budget plays a role—ccTLDs can be particularly expensive—and your branding could also be a factor.

As they explain: “If your company is a Logo If your domain already has a .com tag, or brand guidelines that require you to refer to your business as YourBrand.com, then a ccTLD won't work. You also need to consider any limitations of your CMS and your current domain. For example, subdirectories and subdomains only work with an existing generic top-level domain like .com.

Examine the domain structures of your competitors in your new target countries to see what Google favors. You might opt ​​for a combination of all three strategies to target different markets.

2. Conduct localized keyword searches.

You might feel you have a good understanding of your current audience's search habits, but these keywords may not be popular everywhere. Conducting localized keyword research will help you assess the online queries that are likely to be most helpful in each country.

This isn't too difficult if you're targeting other English speakers, although you still need to consider slang and regional differences. For example, if you're a shoe company aiming to reach an Australian audience, you'd probably be better off using "string" rather than "flip-flop" as keywords. This is especially relevant for voice search.

Of course, things get more complicated when dealing with completely different languages. You might not understand the words yourself and also have to consider how cultural context can influence intent. Webcertain's findings revealed significant differences between the search habits of US and Chinese users. Roughly 60% of US searches for chairs were about style and shape, but only 20% of Chinese searches had the same intent. In fact, 5% more Chinese searches were action-oriented—what to do with the chair. Culture can have a tremendous impact on how people phrase their online queries, and you can't ignore this factor when choosing location-specific keywords.

3. Don't assume that a language equals a culture.

One size doesn't fit all when it comes to international expansion, especially considering the diversity of languages. There are many differences between Standard Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese, while numerous varieties of Spanish are spoken in North America, South America, and the Caribbean, not to mention the many regional dialects within Spain itself. You might think that translating your website into a "standard" language will allow you to connect with all relevant markets, but you risk alienating millions of potential customers if you don't tailor your content to each target location.

First, keep in mind that idioms or colloquial expressions may be appropriate in one place but not in another, even if the same language is spoken. If an Irish-based furniture company were to use the word "press," it is highly unlikely that English speakers outside of Ireland would recognize it as a kitchen cabinet. Similarly, some words, images, and practices are accepted in one place but considered offensive in another. Although Arabic is an official language in both Morocco and Saudi Arabia, references to alcohol would only be acceptable if they pertain to the former, as drinking is prohibited in Saudi Arabia. You must also use the correct units of measurement, currencies, and other specifications, which can vary from country to country regardless of language. French-speaking Canadians would be confused to see prices in euros instead of Canadian dollars.

Mistakes like this can deter users and damage a company's trust, authority, and click-through rate. Therefore, focusing solely on accurate translations without considering the unique historical and cultural factors that make each location special would be a major error. Consulting with people familiar with the nuances of the target location will ensure your content resonates with all potential customers living there.

4. Think beyond Google

Google is usually the holy grail when it comes to all SEO efforts, but there may be other search engines that need to be prioritized for international expansion. The majority of users in China and Russia, two of the world's largest markets, direct the majority of their online queries to entirely different platforms, so focusing solely on Google could harm your visibility and profits.

In Russia, the leading search engine is Yandex, which holds 56% of the market share. This success is attributed to the search engine's deeper understanding of Slavic languages. Meanwhile, Google has been blocked in China as part of the country's internet censorship policies. Most Chinese users conduct their online research via Baidu, which held between 60% and 77% of the search engine market share in China in 2019.

You can't afford to ignore alternative search engines when targeting markets like these, and it's also important to recognize that each has its own unique algorithms. There will be some similarities—for example, Google, Yandex, and Baidu all reward quality content—but you need to be aware of the differences. Indexing can be very slow for both Yandex and Baidu, meaning it will take longer to see the benefits of your efforts, so long-term results should be your priority. Paid search is crucial for Baidu, as paid results are given a much higher priority than organic results. Meanwhile, Yandex still places a high value on meta tags.keywords – a metric that Google removed from its ranking algorithm some time ago.

5. Implement hreflang tags

Hreflang tags specify which languages ​​and locations your pages are targeted to, helping Google understand which version of a page is best for its users. For example, if someone in Paris enters a search term relevant to your product page, the hreflang tag signals to Google that the French version of the page should appear in the search results.

To target users as precisely as possible, you should include hreflang tags for both language and region. For example, an "en" tag tells Google that your page is intended for all English-speaking users. You can also add tags to highlight the specific geographic locations you're targeting, such as "en-ca" for English-speaking users in Canada and "en-us" for English-speaking users in the USA. It's important to use the correct codes—Great Britain, for example, is "gb," not "uk"—and a hreflang tag generator like the one from [website name]. Moz Recommended SEO tools from Aleda Solis that could help minimize errors.

6. Start building localized links

As with any domestic SEO strategy, links are essential for building your website's authority within a target area. To make your brand stand out in local search, it's crucial to acquire links from local platforms within your industry. The more hyperlocal, the better. For example, if you're opening a new hotel in Berlin, links from travel platforms in the German capital are more valuable than those in Munich or Hamburg.

Seek out journalistic opportunities and serve as a source of expertise, publish guest posts on influential websites within a region, and use social media to build connections with local opinion leaders and businesses. It's also recommended to engage a translator or someone familiar with the language and customs of a target region to assist with communication. The more you promote your brand in a target market, the more you will be rewarded with high-authority backlinks.