Search engine optimization is challenging, as 91% of users never scroll beyond the first page of Google search results. As a result, each business competes for the few spots on the first page.
The task is even more difficult if you are expanding your business internationally. Each country, language, and culture are different. So optimization techniques that work in one part of the world may not work elsewhere.
Following international SEO best practices is the key to global online success. Check out these international SEO tips to learn what you should know about expanding globally.
What is International SEO?
International SEO is an extension of Search Engine Optimization. It involves telling the search engines how to rank your web pages with terms, keywords, etc.
Taking advantage of search engine optimization can be challenging for companies who wish to market to customers in more than one country. You can expand your global presence by combining languages, geo-targeting, tags, and other localization signals.
Your company will be able to reach new markets and multiply revenue with an effective international SEO strategy.
Do the Research
One of the most essential international SEO best practices includes researching your marketing thoroughly. Here are a few steps to get your research started:
- Research your competitors
- Identify the target audiences for your product or service
- Decide which audiences you will target first
- Determine how you can cater to that audience
- Discover how they find products and services
- Conduct keyword research
- Set clear goals
By consulting local experts of international SEO services in the markets you want to target, you can learn more about the region and how to create an international SEO strategy.
Align Your Website With Your Target Audience
Next, focus on things that vary by region. These include using local currencies and languages, creating content suited to local needs, using the correct URL structure, and providing customers with a local phone number.
Make sure you align your website with your target audience. For example, you wouldn’t want to offer your website in English if you are targeting Spanish-speaking customers. Many companies set up a new website for each country they wish to target, maintaining and optimizing it for each language.
Pro Tip: Never use automatic language translators for your website content. Translations that do not factor in the local culture may not resonate with your audience. You run the risk of misinterpretations if you translate your brand and services directly, as Pepsi’s classic slogan “Come alive with Pepsi” in the Chinese market is misinterpreted as “Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the dead.”
Create a Strategy and Execute
SEO requires a great deal of analysis, but execution is key. With this information, you should be able to develop a roadmap and begin implementing it.
You can create multilingual, location-based, and content-optimized versions of your website for different areas of the world. This process takes time, and it is helpful to decide what content you will provide in advance.
Expand Your Business With International SEO Best Practices
Are you ready to expand your business? Developing an overall plan for achieving your goals is essential. With this blueprint, you can create a realistic strategy based on international SEO best practices.
If you’re interested in more tips for expanding your business, check out the rest of our blog!
