What else is worth knowing about the French market?
When planning to expand into the French market, it is worth considering payment preferences and key suppliers. In addition, mobile optimization is essential, as mobile devices generate almost half of internet traffic. Knowledge of tax regulations and RODO will help avoid legal barriers.
Currency
France has a euro currency, which the country adopted in 1999.
Forms of payment
What payment methods do consumers in France prefer? The most common choices are: PayPal, Sepa Direct Debit, Cashway.
In addition, according to the PPRO (Payment and e-commerce Report), the share of payment types in 2024 was as follows:
- Card (52%)
- Electronic wallet (27%)
- Transfer (11%)
- Other (10%, including cash 2%)
Mobile devices
SEO efforts in the French market must not lack optimization for mobile devices. They account for well over half of web traffic in France (63% in February 2025). This is a significant increase over the previous years 2023 and 2024, which opens up new perspectives and opportunities.
Delivery
High fees and excessively long delivery times discourage users in France from shopping online and encourage shopping cart abandonment. That's why it makes sense to choose a supplier with whom cooperation will be mutually beneficial - your company and your customers.
The main providers of such services in France are La Poste (46.7%) and Chronopost (38.7%). Smaller market shares are held by companies such as Colissimo, DPD and Mondial Relay.
Law and taxes
VAT rates in France
- 20% - the standard VAT rate in France, applies to all goods and services that are not subject to reduced rates,
- 10% - the first rate of reduced VAT (e.g., unprocessed agricultural products, housing renovations that raise the standard, social housing, firewood, passenger transportation),
- 5.5% - the second rate of reduced VAT (e.g., food products, books, electricity, gas),
- 2.1% - the third rate of reduced VAT (e.g., medicines covered by state reimbursement, sales of live animals for slaughter, some cultural events, some press publications),
- 0% - super reduced VAT rate (intra-Community and international transport, except for road and inland waterway transport).
RODO
The RODO regulation applies throughout the European Union. In France, it is a continuation of the French Informatique et Libertés Act of 1978, which was amended in 2018 with the Data Protection Act.
SEO in France
The most visited type of website and application in France is:
- Social media (92.3%),
- Communicators (88.3%),
- Search engines and web portals (87.1%).
Search engines are the main source of brand discovery for more than 40% of users in France.
Search Engines
Google's search engine has the largest market share, at nearly 88 percent. Just under 6 percent has Bing, and the remaining share goes to search engines such as Yandex, Yahoo!, Ecosia, and DuckDuckGo.
SEO optimization in France
SEO audit and strategy
The activity with which we start optimization on Google in France is an SEO audit. We will examine your site for Google page indexing, traffic, speed, backlinks, content duplication, image optimization, among other things. We will be assisted by tools such as Sitebulb, Google Search Console, PageSpeed Insights, Ahrefs.
Domain extension
The national domain extension in France is .fr , and in most cases it is worth opting for it. It can increase the confidence of French customers because it sends them a signal that the company operates in this market.
The benefits of this domain extension:
- A signal to the search engine - the algorithms will treat the site as more suitable for users in France.
- User trust - the site is perceived as trustworthy. 90% of French people trust web addresses with this extension. Very small (VSE) and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the first to choose a .fr domain when setting up a site.
Competitor Analysis
Included in the analysis of your competition in the French market is the identification of keywords, metadata and URL structure, assessment of content quality and website speed. These detailed analyses will help us create a strategic plan that, when implemented, will work for your site's search engine visibility.
Language and content
We will prepare content according to the requirement of the French market, which means that we will take into account both language and communication. Information from the French market will allow us to optimize blog content and product listings for the most popular phrases.
Content Localization
Simply translating content from Polish into French may not be enough to convey information according to the country's norms and cultural context. With help comes localization of content, which takes into account not only norms and culture, but also legal regulations and communication typical of French users.
The authenticity of the content, marketing message and cultural context will be taken care of by a conent writer and a local expert from France, with whom we are collaborating.
Keyword research in France
Competitor Analysis
We will check the content and keywords of competing sites. Content Gap analysis will help us identify content gaps and fill them with keywords that are valuable to your site's position.
Key phrases related to location
We will pay attention to location-related keywords. We will not overlook the regions and cities in France that your site should have in the keywords plan. This will ensure that your listings:
- will be better matched to the target group's searches,
- gain a chance to convert.
Semantic analysis
We will apply semantic analysis to understand context and search intent. This will affect the SEO and user experience and engagement. The content will be consistent with the expectations that users have when they type a specific key phrase into Google.
Link building in France
We will increase the number of valuable links leading to your site.
- We will start with an audit of the current link profile to identify areas that need improvement.
- We will then select French websites, industry portals and blogs that enjoy high search engine authority.
- The next step is to connect with site publishers and prepare engaging content (e.g., guest blog posts, sponsored articles).
- Using SEO tools, we will monitor and, if necessary, optimize the link building strategy.
You will see the effects of SEO and linking strategies not only in reports, but also in real terms - in your business.
Your website will gain authority in Google, gain more visibility in search results and attract potential customers from the French market.
Why should you do SEO in France with us?
When you work with us, you get a partner who knows the mechanisms of global markets and how to use them to the advantage of your business.
Services tailored to the company
Thanks to the modularity of our offerings, we are able to create a flexible and effective plan of action. Whether you need SEO in France, content marketing support or link building, rest assured that you are investing in what actually contributes to building your business.
SEO strategy in France, French-language content consulted with a local expert, marketplace action plan - these are just examples of our support. A presence in a new market consists of many activities.
Discover the potential of the French market, where innovation meets local consumer patriotism - a market that ranks 11th in global innovation and attracts informed buyers who value native products. Our modular SEO offering is designed to precisely match the unique requirements of French e-commerce, where nearly 90% of consumers see the Internet as the key to saving time.
Local expert
We are working with a local expert who is very familiar with the French market and consumer behavior.
Direct communication
With direct contact with an SEO expert at our agency, communication is smooth and any suggestion or idea can be quickly incorporated into the action strategy.
Transparency
We prioritize transparency, so you will receive insight into the results of the SEO strategy we implement for you. This way you not only see the results, but you have a real influence on the next steps.
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