Is your company taking full advantage of the Polish market, and are you looking around for a new direction for overseas expansion? Or do you already know what country you want to sell in?
If the answer to either of these questions is yes, then you are perfectly placed. Read about international SEO being an essential part of a company's strategy to enter a new market.
In front of you are the best practices of international positioning that we implement with our clients.
What is international SEO?
International SEO, also known as overseasSEO, is a complex process of optimizing a website with the goal of visibility in search results in different markets and languages. It's also a multi-faceted strategy that takes into account:
- Searching for relevant keywords for a given market.
- Translation of content and localization, that is, adapting it to the cultural and regionally specific preferences of users.
- Choosing the right URL structure.
- Gain valuable backlinks from high authority local sites.
- Building brand recognition locally with Digial PR.
- Technical SEO optimization, implementing best practices and keeping up with trends and algorithm changes.
Plan SEO efforts in a new market
At NON.agency, we use the PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) approach. It involves continuous improvement of the SEO process.
To better illustrate this, let me give an example.
Stage 1 Planning (Plan)
Problem: The website is not generating the expected organic traffic from search engines.
Goal: Increase organic traffic to the site by 30% in three months.
Action Plan:
- Conduct an SEO audit of the site.
- Identify keywords to rank for.
- Optimization of website content.
- Improving technical aspects of SEO, such as page speed, link accuracy, sitemap, etc.
- Selecting the URL structure and implementing the hreflang tag.
- Building backlinks from reliable sources.
Stage 2 Execution (Do)
Activities:
- Conduct an SEO audit using tools such as Google Search Console, SEMrush, Ahrefs.
- Update content on the site to include identified keywords.
- Optimization of meta descriptions, title tags and headings.
- Improve page loading and responsiveness.
- Build backlinks by publishing guest posts and working with local publishers.
Step 3 Check
Activities:
- Monitor changes in organic traffic using Google Analytics and Google Search Console.
- Analyze keyword positions using tools such as SEMrush or Ahrefs.
- Gather data on page speed and other technical elements using Google PageSpeed Insights.
- Analysis of user engagement metrics (e.g., time on page, rejection rate).
Evaluation:
- Comparison of results before and after implementation of measures.
- Evaluate whether organic traffic has increased by 30% and whether there are still areas for improvement.
Stage 4 Action (Act)
If we have achieved the goals:
- Continue to optimize the site according to the developed strategy.
- Enhance the strategy with new activities that will boost organic traffic.
If we have not achieved the goals:
- Identification of problems and weaknesses (e.g., competitive keywords, low quality backlinks, page loading problems).
- Implement additional measures (e.g., change keyword strategy, increase link building campaign, technical corrections in the site code).
- Repeat the PDCA cycle with new plans and actions.
Conduct keyword research
Keyword research is aimed at identifying, analyzing and selecting keywords in different languages and regions. It is performed using tools such as Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, SEMrush.
Through keyword research, you will learn the phrases that are most searched by users in the market. For this purpose, pay attention to:
- Search Intentions
- Search volume
- Keyword difficulty
Search intent (search intent)
Search intent determines with what intent a user types a keyword or phrase into a search engine.
There are 4 categories of intentions:
- Informational - the user is looking for an answer to a question.
- Navigational - the user is looking for a specific page (e.g. login page, price list) or location.
- Commercial - the user conducts research on brands, products or services before buying.
- Transactional - the user wants to buy a product or use a service.
What does it look like in practice?
Let's use a key phrase for the UK: garden furniture and analysis from the SEMrush tool.
If a user types this particular phrase into a search engine, his intention in this case is a transaction (T), as the screenshot below from the SEMrush tool shows. So it's worth providing him with content that not so much prepares him for a purchase, but efficiently guides him to the shopping cart.
An e-commerce site that offers rattan garden furniture must take into account that users type in the phrase rattan garden furniture with commercial intent. This means that it will be important for them to obtain information that will help them discern the offer, rather than sales-type content.
Keyword popularity and difficulty
Any good SEO tool provides information on search volume and keyword difficulty.
Search volume
The Volume indicator tells how often a keyword is searched for by users over a certain time period.
Keyword difficulty
Keyword Difficulty (KD) is an assessment of how difficult it will be to achieve a high position in search results for a given keyword. Difficulty depends on, among other things: the number of competing sites and their authority, backlinks, content on competing sites for a given keyword including titles, headings, meta descriptions, URL structure.
The lower the KD, the easier it is to achieve higher rankings for a given phrase.
Below is an example from SEMrush, where a KD of 48 means that you will need well-structured and unique content.
When conducting keyword research, it is worth paying attention to cultural nuances and regional dialects.
In some cases, translating keywords to a new foreign market may not be necessary. Many keywords related to the IT industry or health sector are used in English, even in non-English speaking countries.
Ensure user experience with localization
Most consumers choose products described in their native language. Therefore, automatic translation may not be enough to convince them to buy. Added to this is the preference for local manufacturers and sellers. A foreign company that does not translate content into the local language is unlikely to inspire confidence in people whose first choice is domestic brands.
Below is an example of a translation using Google Translate, which is understandable but does not fully convey the message.
Original content from the Shopify blog:
Automatic translation:
However, translation alone, even with a professional, is still not enough. Content must take into account the cultural context.
What works for consumers in the United States may be ineffective or even unacceptable in another country.
Clotaire Rapaille in the book "Cultural Code" wrote about the L'Oréal brand, which had to prepare two different campaigns: one for the British market and a completely different one for the US market.
American cultural codes would not work in France. The brand decided not to use messages that might be perceived negatively in that country. On the other hand, a message that worked well in France, in the US, for example, could be associated with manipulation or make consumers uncomfortable.
This is where content localization comes to the rescue, with translators taking into account:
- regional variations of the language,
- culture and local traditions,
- shopping habits,
- Religion and holiday periods,
- regulations and legal requirements.
Localization goes beyond mere translation. It involves customizing every element of the website that is responsible for the user experience. It is important to establish a country-appropriate date and address format at the site design stage, and to include units of measurement and currency.
It is best to outsource content creation to a native speaker who knows the market very well and is able to take care of a great user experience.
Knowing the culture, values and customs of the target market is something that cannot be left out of the strategy.
Can failure to tailor content to local requirements make investing in SEO ineffective?
Imagine you're looking for home appliances manufactured with the latest technology, energy-efficient, with a design to match your home. You click on one of the first Google results and indeed, the appliances you see match your imagination. However, the communication does not inspire confidence. You don't see certificates proving quality and energy class. What now? Do you decide to make a purchase?
I point this out because there are markets where this information is very important, such as across our western border, in Germany.
That's why at NON Agency we use the support of a local expert who knows the market and what kind of communication the audience wants.
Use Hreflang tags for language targeting
The hreflang tag helps a search engine understand the relationship between different language versions of a site. This means that with hreflang the search engine will index different versions of the site more accurately.
The tag indicates which version of the page should display to users based on their language and location. It's essential if you want to avoid duplicate content problems and provide users with a better experience.
Tag hreflang można umieścić w sekcji <head> kodu HTML, w nagłówkach HTTP oraz w mapie strony (sitemap.xml).
Zobaczmy to na przykładzie sekcji <head> kodu strony.
The website has two versions:
- Polish version https://strona.com/pl/
- UK version https://strona.com/gb/
- The first line of code: version for Polish-speaking users.
- Second line: a version of the site designed for English-speaking users in the UK.
- The third line: the version of the page that can be displayed to users who do not match any specific language version.
Choose a URL structure for international websites
TheURL is crucial for search engine optimization, but also for user experience.There are several ways to create a URL structure for international sites. This can be done using:
- subdomains,
- subdirectories,
- Country code top-level domains (ccTLDs).
How do you choose a URL structure? It depends on factors such as your business goals, technical resources and target market requirements. Here are some tips that can help you decide.
ccTLD
A ccTLD (country code Top-Level Domain) is a country's top-level domain. Each ccTLD code consists of two letters and is assigned to a specific location according to the standards of the standard ISO 3166. It's a solution for companies that want to clearly indicate to users and search engines that their site is targeted to a specific market. Examples of ccTLDs:
- Germany: example.de
- United Kingdom: example.co.uk
- Australia: example.au
- China: example.cn
A ccTLD using Amazon as an example:
- United Kingdom: www.amazon.co.uk
- Germany: www.amazon.de
- Japan: www.amazon.co.jp
Other top-level domain categories include:
- gTLD (generic Top Level Domain) - generic domains such as .com, .org, .net.
- sTLD (sponsored Top Level Domain) - sponsored domains that are managed by organizations, e.g.: .aero, .gov, .bank.
Subdomains
A subdomain is a part of the main domain, its extension. This means that the website is hosted in the main domain, and language versions are placed in subdomains. What kind of sites will benefit most from implementing subdomains? Subdomains are a great solution for websites that require separate management of different sections due to content topics, offer a variety of products/services or operate in different markets. Examples of sites that benefit from subdomains:
- Microsoft's subdomain serving as a support portal: support.microsoft.com
- Google subdomain with store: store.google.com
- Spotify subdomain for ad management: ads.spotify.com
- Shopify help center: help.shopify.com
Subdirectories
Subdirectories in a URL structure, are different versions of a page or sections of a site placed in different folders under the main domain. Each subdirectory is an integral part of the main site, allowing domain authority and backlinks to be shared between all subpages within a single domain. Examples of sites that use subdirectories:IKEA
- Homepage: https://www.ikea.com
- USA: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/
- Poland: https://www.ikea.com/pl/pl/
Samsung
- Homepage: https://www.samsung.com
- Poland: https://www.samsung.com/pl/
- Germany: https://www.samsung.com/de/
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The before & after of a blog previously in a subdomain (dotted) and now in subdirectory (solid) 😎🙌 <br><br>Despite tech challenges due to which both had to coexist for a bit & still a few redirects going through hops w/ 302s (in the backlog to solve), there's already clear growth 👌 <a href="https://t.co/hwSCXU7Er2">pic.twitter.com/hwSCXU7Er2</a></p>— Aleyda Solis 🕊️ (@aleyda) <a href="https://twitter.com/aleyda/status/1547764541823414273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2022</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Analyze and modify SEO strategy
The positioning strategy should assume some flexibility.
With analytical tools and reports, we can monitor the performance of SEO efforts and respond to areas that could be better managed.
In the reports (depending on the tool), you can see:
- Organic and paid traffic by location
- Keywords organic
- Backlinks
- Domain Rating based on the quality of backlinks
- Keywords by intention
- Major organic competitors
It's also worth reaching for data that will help you gain more insight into user behavior and better understand them, including:
- Demographics
- Activity on the site
- Engagement
- Traffic sources
- Devices
Selected tools for international SEO
Google Search Console
A tool for monitoring a site's online presence, it is used to measure traffic and shows the pages linking to the site.
Google Analytics 4
It monitors international traffic on the site and provides data to analyze the behavior of users from different countries.
SEMrush
A tool for keyword research, SEO audits, competitive analysis and tracking visibility rankings in different countries.
Ahrefs
A tool for SEO auditing, backlink analysis, keyword research and monitoring rankings in various sites.
Screaming Frog
A tool for indexing a site in search engines and analyzing the results. It allows, for example, to find broken links and other errors.
Google Keywords Planner
Keyword search and analysis tool for different languages and markets.
PageSpeed Insights
Another tool from Google that analyzes the performance of websites, evaluating their speed and optimization on all devices.
Neuron
A tool for planning and creating competitive content with phrase suggestions based on NLP(Natural Language Processing).
Summary
SEO efforts in a new country may seem complicated. However, if the strategy takes into account the company's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, international success as is most feasible. Positioning combines both technical aspects, such as placing the hreflang tag in the site code, and researching the target audience or new market.
I hope the tips I've described will help you look at SEO from a slightly different angle. Not just search engine oriented, but also business, market and cultural oriented.
