Taking Your SEO International

It’s no secret that understanding SEO is essential to business building, but sometimes basic knowledge isn’t enough. This is especially true if you want global exposure for your company. In today’s global market, it is absolutely essential to appeal to an international audience when you want to build your business. But unfortunately many people aren’t sure how.

Below you’ll learn our favorite SEO strategies for taking your business to the next level.

Growing International Opportunities

As the global digital population continues to expand, there are more and more opportunities for companies to increase their exposure internationally. While many of us assume that Google is the world’s top search engine choice by a longshot, search engines in China, Korea, and Russia are serious competitors. This means we need to tailor our SEO strategies to work with other search engines.

If we use identical SEO strategies for all markets, our results won’t be as good as they could be. Instead, knowing how local search engines function and who uses them is key.

Questions to Ask

Before you take your SEO strategy global, there are several questions you’ll want to ask yourself. You’ll probably need to do a little research in order to find the answers. Start by considering how search engines crawl, index, and rank content in the country you are targeting. Also look at differences in search results across devices in each area so you can hone your strategy for maximum results.

Next, consider whether your top keywords translate into the target country’s language in ways that make sense. If there are any nuanced phrases used in this country that you could include in titles, descriptions, or URLs, you should be aware of them. Knowing whether to adapt your UX to connect with consumers in specific locations can also be helpful. And finally, understanding how people in the country in question find online information is key. Do they mostly use their mobile devices? Tablets? Computers?

Once you know this information, you can start creating a strategy.

Solving Translation Issues

While Google Translate is a great tool for basic information, it’s not a good idea to use it as part of your international SEO strategy. For one, just because you find a translation of your top keyword phrases, it doesn’t mean those are the variations that are most searched for in the area you’re targeting. In addition, your translation is likely to be inaccurate or ineffective in the case of colloquialisms.

If you rank highly for a query in one country, it doesn’t guarantee that you’ll have the same success elsewhere. Instead, you need to consider search and consumer trends to ensure that you rank properly and attain conversions.

There are luckily many ways you can solve these problems. Start by doing keyword research that considers local demand rather than simply using the keywords already on your list. Getting feedback from native speakers in the country in question can also help you shape your list and determine whether it makes sense. In addition, look into competitors in the area you are targeting and try to look for categories where you will be more competitive. Finally, always make sure your methodology is consistent across countries and adapt your content to the devices customers tend to use to search for information.

Connecting With Your Audience

In addition to the considerations above, it’s crucial that you find ways to connect with your target audience. Pay attention to the trends that impact search results in each country you’re targeting.

You can easily do this by using an enterprise SEO and content platform. Then look for different ways you can rank by using text, video, or image-oriented content. Finally, optimize your content for specific users by gearing it toward search trends with different kinds of devices.

Understanding the nuances of international SEO is one of the most important ways you can ensure that your SEO strategy is ideal for your audience.

For additional help determining how best to target an international audience, contact Blueprint Internet Marketing at 1.888.533.4886 or info@blueprintim.com.