What is international SEO?
International SEO is a combination of all activities aimed at improving a website’s presence in search results in more than one country or language. It goes beyond technical SEO changes that show preferences for language or country targeting, helping with content localisation and building links in multiple languages.
How does international SEO work?
Search engines are designed to compare search results with the user’s language and location. International SEO works by informing search engines that your site has content suitable for users based in a specific country or users searching for products or services in a particular language. International SEO involves the use of language targeting, hreflang tags, specific URL structures, and other localisation signals to direct content to users worldwide.
Why is international SEO important?
Implementing international SEO for your website and its content will enhance the visibility of your product or service on the global market. This service can build a stronger customer base, helping you achieve greater realisation.
What are the advantages of international SEO?
International SEO is one of the best ways to expand your business, giving you an advantage over competitors. If your competitors are not optimizing their content for specific countries or languages, adapting your content to attract traffic to your online business can work in your favor. International SEO helps spread your business to other countries, bringing more customers to your website, leading to higher profits.
What makes a strong international SEO strategy?
Not every international SEO strategy that works in one market may perform well in another, as different countries have cultural and language differences. Strong international SEO strategies allow for adaptation to different countries, taking cultural differences into account when creating content. Successful international SEO addresses cultural differences in each country for which it creates content. It’s essential to localize the content you offer rather than simply translating it. For example, ensuring your audience can make purchases in their national currency. Providing the best possible user experience in their language, such as answering their questions in their language, is crucial.
Best practices for international SEO:
Here is a checklist of best practices to help create a well-optimised international website:
- Define your market approach.
- Conduct market research.
- Plan your strategy.
- Choose the right domains.
- Use special URLs for each variant of localized content.
- Use hreflang attributes.
- Language targeting for your website.
