International SEO is the practice of making your website more accessible to search engines in other countries
The world is getting smaller. More and more businesses and brands are realizing the importance of gaining a global audience and the benefits that can come from operating across frontiers. The rise of e-commerce has made cross-border shopping possible for many, and the benefits that online shopping brings to both buyer and seller are being recognized and used as a selling point in almost every industry.
If you’re looking to expand your business to another country, but don’t know where to start, this article will tell you everything you need to know about optimizing your international SEO.
What is SEO and why International SEO?
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a process that can be used to improve a website’s technical configuration, content relevance, and link popularity. This can make it easier for users to find the website when they perform a search, and can also improve the website’s ranking on search engine results pages.
The trend of global consumers shifting towards purchasing goods and services online is undeniable. According to the Future of Retail Summit, as of 2022 over 80% of total online sales will take place outside of the country of residence of the consumer. For example, top 10 e-commerce sites in Brazil are owned by global companies.
Running an international business can provide several benefits. First, you can tap into a larger market, like SEO Brazilian Market. According to the Global Transient Escapades survey, 66% of CEOs say they’ll expand internationally to access new markets. Similarly, 49% of Global CEO’s say their company will increase international revenue by 2025.
Beyond market size, running an international business offers the flexibility to conduct business anytime and anywhere. According to a DME International survey, 18% of CEOs plan to use this flexibility to do more of their business offline while 13% will use it to extend their reach globally.
Building an International brand is another advantage of establishing an office outside of your home market. In the 2020s, over 75% of consumers will have a good understanding of your brand and what it stands for, thanks to digital marketing.
The use of digital media to promote and connect with customers across the world has become commonplace. According to HubSpot Blogs research, 50% of customers have used search engines to learn about a brand or product.
This trend makes digital marketing a global game, influencing consumer choices across the world. With so much of the population online and many businesses looking to expand abroad, now is the perfect time to establish yourself and your business in the international marketplace.
The Key Aspects In An International SEO Strategy
When it comes to international SEO, many businesses will implement the same general strategies they use in their domestic search rankings. However, due to the differences in language, culture, and regulations, there are some important things you need to keep in mind.
Focus On Building A Branded International Identity
A large number of consumers, according to the Future of Retail Summit, expect to see a brand’s local identity reflected online, even if the website is international. Therefore, it’s essential to establish your brand’s personality in every market you enter, starting with your home market.
The way you market your brand and communicate your purpose and values to consumers will greatly influence how others perceive you, regardless of where you are. In markets where your product or service is less known, you may have to do some research and educate potential customers on what your brand stands for.
Local Language Is Important
Local language can be a great way to connect with the local community and earn their trust, but it’s also important to translate your website into other languages and include a multilingual SEO strategy.
Even if you aren’t planning to physically expand your business into other countries, you may want to consider including a multilingual strategy in your international SEO efforts. According to HubSpot Blogs research, 45% of consumers say they usually visit a company’s website in the language of the market, while 28% usually visit in English.
If you don’t speak the language, how can you expect to communicate with potential customers and establish yourself as an expert in your industry? A lot of research goes into each language and culture to make sure the messages you send are appropriate. In some cases, you may even have to redesign portions of your site to ensure the information you’re providing is consumable by the target audience.
Step one: set the stage for international success
If you’re looking to have a successful international business, the first step is to make sure that you’re ready for the journey. Setting up your international SEO will depend on lots of factors, including where you’re based, the size of your existing audience, and the type of content you plan on creating. Without a clear understanding of what you’re getting into, you’ll be forced to rush into the process without thinking things through properly. That’s likely to result in lots of mistakes and a huge waste of time.
Consider hiring an expert to help. There are lots of international SEO specialists out there who can take the stress out of the process and give you peace of mind that your site is prepared for the global market.
Step two: plan your content strategy
The next step is to create a content strategy. If you already have a strong foundation in place, this step will be a lot easier. You can use your existing audience to help you determine the kind of content you need to create. Get some ideas from websites that are already doing well and use that to inform your strategy. You can also look to other brands that are operating in your space for inspiration.
Once you have a clear idea of what you’re going for, you can start to plan your strategy for international SEO. Look into the major keywords and phrases that are driving traffic to your site and use that to inform your content creation.
If you decide to create content for international audiences, make sure that you do it in a way that is culturally appropriate. A lot of businesses get this wrong and end up insulting or upsetting their users. You can also test out different versions of your content in different countries to see how different audiences respond to it. This will give you a clear indication ofwhich content is resonating with your audience andwhich modifications you need to make.
Step three: get links
International Link Building is where most people mess up. They think that simply having a website is enough to gain international SEO. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Having a presence online is a great start, but getting the right kind of links from reputable sources is what makes or breaks your strategy. Links from top tier websites are the holy grail of SEO. Getting your hands on these links will put you squarely in the top of the search engine rankings.