What is international SEO, and why is it important?

International SEO is the process of optimizing your website to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) in different countries and languages. It’s important because it allows you to expand your reach beyond your domestic market and tap into new customer bases in other parts of the world.

How do I determine which countries to target for my international SEO campaign?

To determine which countries to target, you should consider factors such as the size of the market, the level of competition, the language(s) spoken, and the cultural differences. You can use tools like Google Analytics to identify the countries where your website is already receiving traffic, and conduct keyword research to identify popular search terms in those countries.

What are the differences between localizing my website and translating it?

Translating your website simply involves translating the text on your site into the language(s) of your target audience. Localization, on the other hand, involves adapting your website to suit the cultural, linguistic, and technical requirements of your target audience. This may involve changing images, colors, and even layout to suit local preferences.

Should I use country-code top-level domains (ccTLDs) or subdirectories/subdomains for my international sites?

The best approach depends on your goals and budget. Country-code top-level domains (ccTLDs) are ideal if you want to establish a strong local presence in a specific country, while subdirectories or subdomains are more suitable for a global brand targeting multiple countries.

How do I optimize my website for international languages?

To optimize your website for international languages, you should use a language switcher to allow users to switch between languages easily. You should also use hreflang tags to tell search engines which version of your page to show to users in different locations.

What are the best practices for hreflang implementation?

Some best practices for hreflang implementation include using the correct language codes, using self-referencing hreflang tags on each page, and avoiding errors such as 404s and redirects.

How do I conduct keyword research for international SEO?

To conduct keyword research for international SEO, you should use tools like Google Keyword Planner to identify popular search terms in your target countries and languages. You should also use local language resources such as social media, forums, and news sites to identify popular topics and keywords.

What are the cultural and linguistic considerations I need to keep in mind when targeting a specific country or region?

When targeting a specific country or region, you should consider cultural factors such as local customs, holidays, and cultural events. You should also be aware of linguistic differences such as spelling, grammar, and idioms that may impact your SEO strategy.

What are the common mistakes to avoid when starting an international SEO campaign?

Some common mistakes to avoid include failing to conduct adequate research into local market conditions, using automated translation tools instead of professional translation services, and failing to optimize your website for local search engines and directories. It’s also important to avoid duplicate content across your international sites, as this can negatively impact your SEO performance.

SEO International

Helping you to grow website traffic from international search engines

We can help you grow your online presence overseas by increasing traffic to your website with a targeted international SEO campaign.

We understand the challenges of ranking for country-specific search engines

We create localized organic content for users in your target country.

Ensuring that your international website is fully optimized for the global audience with an international SEO strategy is the foundation of any global digital marketing campaign.

As search engines are focusing more and more on delivering relevant, local listings to users, it is vital that your website design is optimized properly for SEO in a variety of different languages and local markets.

This will ensure that your website are relevant to each local target market.

Create localized content

We have vast experience in creating localized content across a wide range of countries and cultures.

Acquire international backlinks

We will ensure that backlinks are acquired from websites that also belong to your native language.

Rank for country-specific search engines

Ultimately, we will improve your organic standing for any relevant country-specific search engines.

International SEO services

We are an international SEO agency in London with a global footprint.

With European offices in the UK, Ireland, France and Germany, we can cover most of Europe and its plethora of international languages, helping you to delivery large, localized international marketing campaigns to your European business footprint.

Further afield, we have offices across North America, headquartered out of New York, as well as global offices in Singapore, Hong Kong, Delhi, Beijing, Bangalore, Manila and Mumbai.

With such a varied footprint, our international SEO services can help you target your local customers in each of these international markets, using local keywords and optimized content to account for cultural, social and regional nuances for each of the local market search engines.

International SEO strategy

Local strategies for each target market. Our international SEO specialists will work with you to analyse your current performance within each target market to develop a custom international SEO strategies for that market. With each country having it’s own SEO strategy developed, there may be common elements, but the vast majority of each market strategy will be unique, tailored by audience demographic, internet habits, local knowledge and detailed SEO research.

Our international SEO consultants report will outline the following essential tasks:

Multilingual web traffic Analysis
SEO performance in each target market
Competitor analysis in each target market
On-page analysis, by language
Off-page optimization tactics for each country
Keyword analysis in multiple languages
Hreflang tag review
A bespoke, country specific SEO campaign plan

As part of our international marketing services, we also offer website translation, where our team of international SEO experts can help translate the important parts of your website.

Understanding your local markets

Considerations for any international SEO campaign.

Market research
Conducting thorough market research is critical to understanding the local market conditions, identifying target audience demographics, and determining the level of competition. This research will help you make informed decisions about which countries to target and how to tailor your international SEO strategy accordingly.
Cultural and linguistic considerations
Different cultures and languages have unique preferences when it comes to website design, content, and user experience. Before embarking on an international SEO campaign, you should consider how your website will need to be adapted to meet the cultural and linguistic requirements of your target audience.
Technical SEO
Technical SEO factors such as domain structure, hreflang tags, and international targeting settings need to be carefully considered to ensure that your website is optimized for international search engines. Investing in a solid technical SEO strategy from the outset will save time and resources in the long run and ensure that your website is visible and accessible to your target audience.

International SEO languages

Our team of international SEO consultants work globally.

Our wide range of SEO language capabilities includes:

• French
• German
• Spanish
• Arabic
• Polish
• Portuguese
• Chinese
• Italian

Case Studies & Articles

Nextbase SEO

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Hreflang tags and what you need to know

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Allurion

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Beginners Guide: how to conduct a technical SEO audit

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CQF SEO

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SEO insights from top SEOs around the world 2020

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Wagamama SEO

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International SEO knowledge

By working with our specialist in-house international search marketing team, you will ensure that your global marketing campaigns are relevant, consistent and tailored to all your markets.

We will create you an international digital marketing strategy, that combines your local market knowledge of your product or service, with our knowledge of Googles International SEO best practice as well as local market considerations around internet usage and habits. The result is a well thought out tactical delivery plan to begin to grow the organic traffic to your international websites.

Once your international strategy has been created, our SEO experts will work with you to provide SEO guides and SEO checklists so that your marketing team can start to create vital components in the monthly delivery cycle.

Working together in partnership, we will grow your global footprint.

International SEO FAQs

What is international SEO, and why is it important?

International SEO is the process of optimizing your website to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) in different countries and languages. It’s important because it allows you to expand your reach beyond your domestic market and tap into new customer bases in other parts of the world.
How do I determine which countries to target for my international SEO campaign?

To determine which countries to target, you should consider factors such as the size of the market, the level of competition, the language(s) spoken, and the cultural differences. You can use tools like Google Analytics to identify the countries where your website is already receiving traffic, and conduct keyword research to identify popular search terms in those countries.
What are the differences between localizing my website and translating it?

Translating your website simply involves translating the text on your site into the language(s) of your target audience. Localization, on the other hand, involves adapting your website to suit the cultural, linguistic, and technical requirements of your target audience. This may involve changing images, colors, and even layout to suit local preferences.
Should I use country-code top-level domains (ccTLDs) or subdirectories/subdomains for my international sites?

The best approach depends on your goals and budget. Country-code top-level domains (ccTLDs) are ideal if you want to establish a strong local presence in a specific country, while subdirectories or subdomains are more suitable for a global brand targeting multiple countries.
How do I optimize my website for international languages?

To optimize your website for international languages, you should use a language switcher to allow users to switch between languages easily. You should also use hreflang tags to tell search engines which version of your page to show to users in different locations.
What are the best practices for hreflang implementation?

Some best practices for hreflang implementation include using the correct language codes, using self-referencing hreflang tags on each page, and avoiding errors such as 404s and redirects.
How do I conduct keyword research for international SEO?

To conduct keyword research for international SEO, you should use tools like Google Keyword Planner to identify popular search terms in your target countries and languages. You should also use local language resources such as social media, forums, and news sites to identify popular topics and keywords.
What are the cultural and linguistic considerations I need to keep in mind when targeting a specific country or region?

When targeting a specific country or region, you should consider cultural factors such as local customs, holidays, and cultural events. You should also be aware of linguistic differences such as spelling, grammar, and idioms that may impact your SEO strategy.
What are the common mistakes to avoid when starting an international SEO campaign?

Some common mistakes to avoid include failing to conduct adequate research into local market conditions, using automated translation tools instead of professional translation services, and failing to optimize your website for local search engines and directories. It’s also important to avoid duplicate content across your international sites, as this can negatively impact your SEO performance.