Thinking about going international? Need some International SEO tips to make an impact in new markets?
If you’re expanding markets or just starting your online efforts, using SEO to reach multinational segments is a vital part of your site’s success.
Netsmartz reports that going international means increased website traffic thereby improving your company’s conversion rates!
Our business and marketing professionals have outlined 5 important international SEO tips. They include:
But first off, let’s go over what international SEO is.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing your website to rank higher on search engine pages. International SEO is the process of targeting this knowledge to countries, markets, and localized websites.
Now that we’ve covered definitions, let’s get started on our international SEO tips!
The most important part of any strategy is identifying your target audience!
A target audience is a specific group of people with shared characteristics who are most likely to be interested in your product or service.
For an international SEO plan, you’ll need to fully understand your target audience and their customs and culture. Put in the time and effort to research targeted countries and markets.
This will give you a better understanding of how they would react to certain designs and content.
A common misconception is that all markets in a country, region, or language have similar behavior. This could not be farther from the truth.
For example, there are tons of Brazilian cultural differences that may not be apparent on the surface level. Characteristics of citizens from Bahia and Rio Grande do Sul differ based on their dialect, time zone, values, and more!
Now, how exactly do you determine your target audience for international SEO?
To determine your target audience, answer the following questions:
So, you’ll need to make sure that your site is properly formatted towards this audience. This can be done by immersing yourself in the culture to provide your audience with a better experience.
You may also hire a professional translation native from the country you are expanding to so you can ensure that your content is culturally appropriate and relevant.
By doing this, you’re sending users and search engines a strong message that they should check out your site!
Keyword research is super important for both regular SEO and international SEO. Keywords are a crucial part of our international SEO tips because these specific words are what searchers use when they look up a problem or topic online.
First off, you’ll need to conduct localized keyword research. This is a crucial step because high-volume keywords may differ across markets, even those with the same language. This allows you to target country-specific website traffic for each target market.
There are many different tools you can use to find the right keywords such as Ahrefs, SEMrush, and keyword planner. Let’s explore these individually.
Ahrefs is a popular keyword research tool for content creators. It’s recognized as the backlink checker and has a huge database of live links. Some of its advantages include:
Ahrefs has four pricing plans. They provide a 7-day trial for $7 for the lite and standard plans. Explore more on the Ahref homepage.
SEMrush is one of the best keyword research tools and provides many advantages. Some of its advantages include:
SEMrush is used by digital marketers around the globe! It provides a seven day free trial for the pro and guru subscription when you first sign up. Check it out today!
Google keyword planner is one of the most reliable sources of keyword data on the market because their information comes straight from Google! Some advantages to Google keyword planner are:
The best part about keyword planner is that it’s a free platform for new and experienced advertisers to explore and use!
Ideally, you should work with a professional or native of the region to signal out correct keywords instead of relying on machines.
Don’t rely on a translation machine to translate the keywords into the language of your target market. We’ll soon dive into why you should use a professional native translator instead of machine translations. So keep reading!
Conducting localized keyword research is a critical tip in helping you reach new markets!
Some URL structures webmasters employ to get the best results with their international SEO plan include ccTLD, subdomain, and subdirectory. Let’s take a closer look at each one of these URL structures!
ccTLD stands for country code top-level domain. A ccTLD is a two-letter code generally used or reserved to identify a country, sovereign state, or dependent territory.
It’s great to use for geographic targeting. Attached below are examples of the top ccTLD registries by domain name base.
An example with a ccTLD from above for Germany could be “example.de”
A subdomain is an additional part of your main domain name. This domain is specifically for your international pages. An example could be “us.example.com” with “us” being the subdomain.
A subdirectory is an even more specific URL structure. Internationalized content is placed in a specific subdirectory of the main domain and is dedicated to a certain language or country. An example could be “example.com/us”.
Using certain types of URL structures give you an advantage while implementing an international SEO plan. You’ll be able to create different sites for your diverse target markets and ensure that each international client is on the right website.
Translating your content is one of the easiest ways to rank higher in search engines for international markets! You’ll raise your SEO ranking which will result in you being able to reach more valuable leads.
To do this, make sure to duplicate and translate your content. By translating your information into different languages, you’ll provide great content to all members of your audience.
When you publish your content in a different language, Google understands your purpose and allows you to create your content in many languages. When you duplicate your content, make sure to localize it.
This means that you should translate AND adjust your content to each region you want to target.
For instance, some phrases and terminology used to target Mexican Spanish-speakers would not necessarily work for Castilian-speakers in Spain, although both countries technically speak Spanish. So, you’ll want to make cultural alterations when duplicating and translating your content.
Example: Just between Spain and Mexico the word “Torta” has very different meanings. If you’re writing an article on how to make a “Torta” for Mexican consumers, you’ll be referring to a meat and vegetable sandwich. On the other hand, if you’re targeting Spanish consumers you’d be referring to a pastry. Big difference!
Pro-tip: To avoid mistakes like these which may confuse your readers, check with native speakers to make the correct cultural adjustments.
Now, when translating your content here’s a shortcut you should definitely avoid: machine translations.
Machine translations, those carried out by a computer, often prove to be faulty. Although using them can be more cost-effective, you should avoid machine translations for reasons like:
As stated before, you are better off hiring a professional translation native to translate and adjust your content to each region you want to target.
Still unsure about which international SEO tips your company needs in order to reach more consumers online?
Reaching out to an international SEO consultant gives you the upper hand in reaching new markets and potential profits.
Here are some reasons why you should invest in an international SEO consultant!
Lucky for you, Colibri Content is here to help!
If you are thinking of expanding your business into new markets, message our global marketing strategists at hola@colibricontent.com today. Our talented and international team of freebirds will expand and take your SEO plans to the next level!
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