What Else Is Worth Knowing About the Latvian Market?
- Area: 64,594 km²
- Population: 1.9 million
- GDP: $42.25 billion (2023)
- GDP per capita: €26,600
- Currency: euro (EUR) since 2014
Personal Data Protection Policy in Latvia
Latvia uses the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) provisions. A company operating in the Latvian market must ensure compliance with privacy policy and data processing with EU requirements.
Delivery
For Latvian consumers, delivery time is an important factor in making purchasing decisions. Due to the country’s small size, deliveries are completed relatively quickly — often within 24-48 hours.
The most popular carriers are:
- Latvijas Pasts (Latvian post)
- Omniva
- DPD
- Venipak
- Smartpost (Itella)
Consumers in Latvia readily use parcel lockers — over 90%, according to a Gemius study.
Payment Methods
Popular payment methods in Latvia are VISA and Mastercard, as well as credit or debit cards.
SEO in Latvia
Google.lv dominates the Latvian search engine market with a 93% share, which facilitates SEO planning. Other search engines have minimal significance.
The search engine market share in Latvia (February 2025) is as follows:
- Bing: 3.92%
- Yandex: 1.96%
- DuckDuckGo: 0.58%
Website Optimization
A comprehensive SEO audit is the starting point for every effective strategy. In Latvia’s case, it’s particularly worth paying attention to:
- technical site structure
- mobile responsiveness
- loading speed
- content in Latvian
- local meta tags
Domain Extension Selection
For companies planning long-term presence in the Latvian market, we recommend choosing a domain with the .lv extension. A local domain increases user trust and is a positive signal for Google’s search engine.
Alternative options include:
- subdomain (e.g., lv.yoursite.com)
- subdirectory (e.g., yoursite.com/lv)
Google perceives .lv country domains as more suitable for users from Latvia, which can translate to better positions in search results.
Marketplace SEO
In Latvia, it’s worth paying attention to optimizing offers on popular marketplaces, particularly on the following platforms:
- 1a.lv — the largest marketplace in Latvia, offering a wide range of electronics, home appliances, and other product categories
- 220.lv — the Latvian equivalent of Allegro with a wide range of products, the second-largest e-commerce platform
- Rimi.lv — a well-known Latvian online supermarket
The most important optimization elements on marketplaces include:
- adapting product titles and descriptions to Latvian consumer preferences
- using appropriate keywords in Latvian
- high-quality product photos
- obtaining positive customer reviews
Mobile Optimization
Over 25% of internet traffic comes from mobile devices. Mobile optimization is, therefore, crucial in the Latvian market. Sites that are not optimized for smartphones lose one-quarter of potential traffic.
Competition Analysis
In-depth competition analysis in the Latvian market is key to understanding local SEO specifics. It’s worth checking and finding out (which we will handle):
- Which keywords generate the most traffic for competitors?
- Which sites link to competitive websites?
- What content works best in the Latvian market?
- What content marketing strategies does the competition use?
Language and Content
Content localization is much more than just translation. Like any content marketing strategy, it requires understanding local cultural nuances and language preferences.
Therefore, it’s worth:
- creating content specifically for Latvian audiences
- including local events and trends
- adapting messaging to cultural differences
- using native speaker services or local experts
Keyword Research
Keyword research must consider the specifics of the Latvian language. Due to linguistic differences, a simple translation of keywords from English to Latvian may not bring the expected results.
The most important aspects of keyword research for the Latvian market include:
- analysis of keywords in Latvian
- research of search intent
- checking the popularity of specific keywords
- analysis of search seasonality in the Latvian market
Location-Related Keywords
For companies offering local services, keywords containing names of Latvian cities and regions will be crucial, such as:
- “elektronika Rīgā” (electronics in Riga)
- “apavi Daugavpilī” (shoes in Daugavpils)
- “mēbeles Liepājā” (furniture in Liepaja)
Link Building in Latvia
Effective link building in the Latvian market involves:
- cooperation with local portals and blogs
- publishing guest articles in Latvian media
- participating in local events and initiatives
- building relationships with Latvian influencers
- presence in Latvian business directories
We recommend focusing on quality rather than quantity of links. A few valuable backlinks from respected Latvian sites will bring more benefits than dozens of low-quality backlinks.
Why Choose Us for SEO in Latvia?
- International Market Experience — Our experience in international SEO is a real benefit for your company. We’ll adapt the strategy to your goals, local conditions, and algorithms.
- Cooperation With Local Experts — Our SEO activities are supported by Latvian specialists who understand the local market and trends.
- Full Range of Services — We offer a comprehensive package, from market and competition analysis to technical site optimization, content marketing, and link building.
- Transparency — We ensure full transparency of activities and access to real-time reports, giving you complete control over the positioning process.
- Individual Approach — We’ll adapt the SEO strategy to your company’s needs and goals in the Latvian market.
Summary
Effectively reaching Latvian customers requires a carefully planned SEO strategy that considers your goals within the business and cultural environment of the specific country you expand to.
SEO in Latvia should not be a direct copy of activities conducted in your company’s original market. What’s most important is adapting content to the Latvian language, cooperating with local experts, and understanding the specifics of the Latvian e-commerce market.
