The Ultimate Guide To International SEO

International search engine optimisation (SEO) is when a website is optimised for visitors from across the world, speaking different languages. The main goal of SEO is to organically get more traffic to your site, and in this case, you want the traffic to come from different countries.

There are several international SEO best practices that website owners should follow if they want to organically increase their traffic volumes and potential conversions. Several industries have perfected their SEO strategies, and businesses can look to them to see how it is done.

What Is International SEO?

International SEO is the process of optimising a website through several methods to make the site more visible to a global audience on search engine result pages (SERPs). More visibility will mean more organic traffic, which can potentially generate leads and result in more conversions.

Global SEO relies on sourcing backlinks from trusted websites in your targeted country, creating content that appeals to target audiences, and structuring the site in such a way that it appeals to a global audience. The latter includes having a site that makes it clear to search engines which countries you wish to reach. Keyword research is also important, as it allows you to target the words and intent of your desired audience.

The benefits of international SEO include:

• Increased visibility in the SERPs of target countries.
• Increased website traffic from global audiences.
• Early entry into new markets.

A Look At Successful International Industries

Several industries have successfully used international SEO to expand their reach and enter global markets:

• Online casinos: The online gambling industry has used SEO to reach players in several jurisdictions. Many casino platforms use geo-targeted pages with country-specific promotions, payment methods, and regulatory information. For example, casinos offering options for SG players will offer payments in Singapore dollars and have pages in Malay or Mandarin to attract the local Singaporean audience.
• E-commerce: Massive e-commerce platforms like Shopee and Amazon use international SEO to optimise for multilingual audiences. In Singapore, retailers ensure product listings are provided in English and Mandarin to appeal to the country’s diverse population.
• Travel: Companies like Booking.com and Expedia optimise websites for international travellers by creating region-specific content and translated landing pages.
• Tech and SaaS: Software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies often need to attract global clients. Salesforce and HubSpot localise their content, blog posts, and landing pages to match the business culture and languages of the regions they’re targeting.
• Education: Online education platforms like Coursera and edX use international SEO to offer regionally relevant courses and certifications. This includes pricing offered in local currency.

These industries show that with the right international SEO strategy, businesses can reach global audiences while staying relevant in their targeted markets.

International SEO Best Practices

Companies interested in an international SEO strategy should determine who and where their target audience is, conduct international keyword research, choose a URL structure, optimise content, and build backlinks from reputable sites.

Determine Who Your Audience Is

Before you can start the international SEO process, you need to determine who the target audience is. For example, a US business may attempt to target Mexican buyers. The audience then needs to be narrowed down, for example, “homeowners in Mexico”. The narrower the focus, the better the results.

SEO metrics can help business owners determine which markets have the best potential. You might be missing out on a major market with a high demand for what you’re offering in a country you haven’t considered.

Conduct Keyword Research

Using keywords that your target audience is typing into search bars is a key part of SEO. You can’t simply translate your keywords into the desired language and expect them to work. You will have to do country-specific research to see which terms people in each region are looking for.

The reason that translating won’t work is that jargon and terminology differ across countries. In some industries, like tech or health, English terms are commonly used. Therefore, translating keywords into the local language will be pointless. Different countries also use different terms for the same thing, even in the same language. For example, in the US it is called a realtor, while the more common term in the UK is an estate agent. Or a 401(k) in the US is a pension scheme in the UK.

Businesses need to conduct thorough research to determine exactly what their target markets are typing into search bars, and adjust keywords accordingly.

It is also important to see how relevant keywords are and how often they’re being searched for in your target areas. This can be done through Google’s Keyword Planner or other keyword research tools like Semrush, Moz, or Ahrefs.

Choose Your Domain Structure

The domain structure of your site determines how easy it will be for search engines and visitors to find your pages. There are several different options to choose from:

• Country code top-level domain (ccTLD): This is a two-letter domain assigned to a specific country. You can select a ccTLD site for each of the countries you’re targeting.

  Example: mycompany.us, mycompany.uk

• Generic top-level domain (gTLD): This domain has three or more characters. gTLDs are managed by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority. A gTLD will not restrict search engine results to a specific country.

  Example: mycompany.com, mycompany.org

• ccTLD or gTLD with a subdomain: This is a subdomain for your main site that combines a ccTLD and gTLD.

  Example: uk.mycompany.com

• ccTLD or gTLD with a subdirectory: A subdirectory changes the location of the country code.

  Example: mycompany.com/uk/

Optimise Your Content For Your International Audiences

The content on your landing pages and in your product descriptions needs to be optimised for the target country and its local languages.

To get technical, you can’t forget about the hreflang tag. This tag tells search engines which language and regional version of a page to show users in different countries.

Make sure to double-check all translations and content assets to make sure they will meet your audience’s expectations.

Build Backlinks

Banklinks are links that redirect from an external site to your website. Even if you’re a competitive player in your local market, you need a strong backlink profile to become authoritative in foreign markets that you want to reach. Having a backlink from an authoritative site in the UK won’t carry the same weight in the Singaporean market, for example.

Many businesses overlook this step. But, if you’re, for example, targeting a Japanese market, and your site acquires links from a reputable Japanese site or other sites in the Japanese index (websites hosted in and targeted towards Japan), then search engines will realise your content is useful for Japanese users.

Here’s how you can build international backlinks:

• Create high-quality guest posts for reputable blogs or news sites in your target countries.
• Submit your business to local directories (like Hotfrog Singapore or Yelp Canada).
• Work with local influencers and bloggers in your target market. They can write reviews or mention your products with a backlink to your website.
• Translate your best content into the local languages of your target regions, then submit it to local publications.
• Participate in local online communities (like Reddit, Quora or StackExchange). If posting links, make sure they’re relevant and have value.

Final Thoughts

By using international SEO best practices, you’ll be able to optimise your website for international markets and increase traffic and visibility on the SERPs. It comes down to identifying target markets, using region-specific keywords, choosing the right URL structure, and building local authority through backlinks. With the right SEO approach, your business will be able to connect with users across borders and grow in previously untapped markets.

The Ultimate Guide To International SEO

https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-holding-world-globe-facing-mountain-346885/

International search engine optimisation (SEO) is when a website is optimised for visitors from across the world, speaking different languages. The main goal of SEO is to organically get more traffic to your site, and in this case, you want the traffic to come from different countries.

There are several international SEO best practices that website owners should follow if they want to organically increase their traffic volumes and potential conversions. Several industries have perfected their SEO strategies, and businesses can look to them to see how it is done.

What Is International SEO?

International SEO is the process of optimising a website through several methods to make the site more visible to a global audience on search engine result pages (SERPs). More visibility will mean more organic traffic, which can potentially generate leads and result in more conversions.

Global SEO relies on sourcing backlinks from trusted websites in your targeted country, creating content that appeals to target audiences, and structuring the site in such a way that it appeals to a global audience. The latter includes having a site that makes it clear to search engines which countries you wish to reach. Keyword research is also important, as it allows you to target the words and intent of your desired audience.

The benefits of international SEO include:

• Increased visibility in the SERPs of target countries.
• Increased website traffic from global audiences.
• Early entry into new markets.

A Look At Successful International Industries

Several industries have successfully used international SEO to expand their reach and enter global markets:

• Online casinos: The online gambling industry has used SEO to reach players in several jurisdictions. Many casino platforms use geo-targeted pages with country-specific promotions, payment methods, and regulatory information. For example, casinos offering options for SG players will offer payments in Singapore dollars and have pages in Malay or Mandarin to attract the local Singaporean audience.
• E-commerce: Massive e-commerce platforms like Shopee and Amazon use international SEO to optimise for multilingual audiences. In Singapore, retailers ensure product listings are provided in English and Mandarin to appeal to the country’s diverse population.
• Travel: Companies like Booking.com and Expedia optimise websites for international travellers by creating region-specific content and translated landing pages.
• Tech and SaaS: Software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies often need to attract global clients. Salesforce and HubSpot localise their content, blog posts, and landing pages to match the business culture and languages of the regions they’re targeting.
• Education: Online education platforms like Coursera and edX use international SEO to offer regionally relevant courses and certifications. This includes pricing offered in local currency.

These industries show that with the right international SEO strategy, businesses can reach global audiences while staying relevant in their targeted markets.

International SEO Best Practices

Companies interested in an international SEO strategy should determine who and where their target audience is, conduct international keyword research, choose a URL structure, optimise content, and build backlinks from reputable sites.

Determine Who Your Audience Is

Before you can start the international SEO process, you need to determine who the target audience is. For example, a US business may attempt to target Mexican buyers. The audience then needs to be narrowed down, for example, “homeowners in Mexico”. The narrower the focus, the better the results.

SEO metrics can help business owners determine which markets have the best potential. You might be missing out on a major market with a high demand for what you’re offering in a country you haven’t considered.

Conduct Keyword Research

Using keywords that your target audience is typing into search bars is a key part of SEO. You can’t simply translate your keywords into the desired language and expect them to work. You will have to do country-specific research to see which terms people in each region are looking for.

The reason that translating won’t work is that jargon and terminology differ across countries. In some industries, like tech or health, English terms are commonly used. Therefore, translating keywords into the local language will be pointless. Different countries also use different terms for the same thing, even in the same language. For example, in the US it is called a realtor, while the more common term in the UK is an estate agent. Or a 401(k) in the US is a pension scheme in the UK.

Businesses need to conduct thorough research to determine exactly what their target markets are typing into search bars, and adjust keywords accordingly.

It is also important to see how relevant keywords are and how often they’re being searched for in your target areas. This can be done through Google’s Keyword Planner or other keyword research tools like Semrush, Moz, or Ahrefs.

Choose Your Domain Structure

The domain structure of your site determines how easy it will be for search engines and visitors to find your pages. There are several different options to choose from:

• Country code top-level domain (ccTLD): This is a two-letter domain assigned to a specific country. You can select a ccTLD site for each of the countries you’re targeting.
  Example: mycompany.us, mycompany.uk
• Generic top-level domain (gTLD): This domain has three or more characters. gTLDs are managed by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority. A gTLD will not restrict search engine results to a specific country.
  Example: mycompany.com, mycompany.org
• ccTLD or gTLD with a subdomain: This is a subdomain for your main site that combines a ccTLD and gTLD.
  Example: uk.mycompany.com
• ccTLD or gTLD with a subdirectory: A subdirectory changes the location of the country code.
  Example: mycompany.com/uk/

Optimise Your Content For Your International Audiences

The content on your landing pages and in your product descriptions needs to be optimised for the target country and its local languages.

To get technical, you can’t forget about the hreflang tag. This tag tells search engines which language and regional version of a page to show users in different countries.

Make sure to double-check all translations and content assets to make sure they will meet your audience’s expectations.

Build Backlinks

Banklinks are links that redirect from an external site to your website. Even if you’re a competitive player in your local market, you need a strong backlink profile to become authoritative in foreign markets that you want to reach. Having a backlink from an authoritative site in the UK won’t carry the same weight in the Singaporean market, for example.

Many businesses overlook this step. But, if you’re, for example, targeting a Japanese market, and your site acquires links from a reputable Japanese site or other sites in the Japanese index (websites hosted in and targeted towards Japan), then search engines will realise your content is useful for Japanese users.

Here’s how you can build international backlinks:

• Create high-quality guest posts for reputable blogs or news sites in your target countries.
• Submit your business to local directories (like Hotfrog Singapore or Yelp Canada).
• Work with local influencers and bloggers in your target market. They can write reviews or mention your products with a backlink to your website.
• Translate your best content into the local languages of your target regions, then submit it to local publications.
• Participate in local online communities (like Reddit, Quora or StackExchange). If posting links, make sure they’re relevant and have value.

Final Thoughts

By using international SEO best practices, you’ll be able to optimise your website for international markets and increase traffic and visibility on the SERPs. It comes down to identifying target markets, using region-specific keywords, choosing the right URL structure, and building local authority through backlinks. With the right SEO approach, your business will be able to connect with users across borders and grow in previously untapped markets.