Quick International SEO Checklist
Here’s a streamlined checklist to help you nail your international SEO:
- Spot and Prioritize Target Markets
- Use SEO insights to pinpoint and focus on the most promising markets that align with your global objectives.
- Pick the Right URL Structure
- Decide between ccTLDs, subfolders, or subdomains. Steer clear of parameterized URLs—they’re messy!
- Set Up Hreflang Tags
- Use hreflang tags to guide users to the correct language and region-specific content.
- Implement a CDN
- Ensure your site loads quickly everywhere by setting up a Content Delivery Network (CDN).
- Do Localized Keyword Research
- Adapt keywords to fit the language and cultural nuances of each market.
- Localize Your Content
- Translate and culturally tweak your content for every target market.
- Build Local Backlinks
- Boost your site’s credibility in each country by earning local backlinks.
- Keep an Eye on Performance
- Regularly monitor your strategy’s success and make adjustments as necessary.
- Avoid the Usual Traps
- Skip automatic redirects; instead, give users the option to choose their language and region.
Want the full scoop? Keep on reading!
Get Clear on Goals and International Markets
Understanding your company’s motivation for going global is essential for tailoring your SEO strategy to align with your international growth ambitions. Whether your business is founder-led, venture capital-backed, publicly listed, or a rapidly scaling startup, your SEO tactics should correspond with your growth goals to achieve optimal results.
Once clear, you may already know the international markets to pursue based on non-SEO considerations, such as operational feasibility. It’s beneficial to delve into SEO metrics to identify potentially profitable markets.
To assess markets with SEO potential quickly, consider using SEO tools to input your competitors and analyze their estimated organic traffic by country through the provided graph.
For example, suppose a competitor derives a substantial portion of their traffic from Canada. In that case, this may indicate a market worth exploring.
Remember, this is just a preliminary step. A thorough keyword and competitive analysis is necessary to confirm the viability of your international SEO strategy within these markets.
However, this initial exploration will give you a firm foundation to build upon.
Prioritizing Target Markets
You likely know which global markets to target based on factors beyond SEO, like where your business can operate. But it’s wise to look at SEO metrics to see which markets could be gold mines for your business.
- Average Order Value (AOV)
- This metric gives you an idea of how much customers typically spend in one transaction. Markets with a higher AOV can be more profitable, making them attractive for business expansion.
- Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)
- CLV tracks the total revenue a customer can expect throughout their relationship with your business. Markets with a higher CLV are often more valuable in the long term, offering more sustained profitability.
- Investment Required
- Assess the cost of entering each market, including marketing, translation, and compliance expenses. Some markets may demand more upfront investment, which can impact your decision-making.
- Market Size
- Larger markets mean more potential customers but can also be more competitive. It’s crucial to find a balance between market size and the level of competition.
- Market Similarities
- Expanding into markets similar to your home market can simplify the process, as there are fewer barriers to overcome, such as language or cultural differences.
When expanding, first target highly developed markets like the U.S., Singapore, and New Zealand for their high profitability and low entry barriers. Next, focus on solid economies like Japan and South Korea, where some adaptation might be needed. Finally, consider exploring emerging opportunities in regions like South Africa or Mexico with tailored strategies.
Considering Language Diversity
Suppose you’re implementing a global SEO strategy for countries with multiple languages. In that case, you must offer content in those languages to effectively reach your audience. Take Switzerland, for instance. With German, French, and Italian as official languages, you’d want to create tailored content in each language to connect with users nationwide.
This multilingual approach applies in countries with diverse populations, even if they have a single official language. You might wonder if you can focus on creating content by language alone without worrying about specific countries. The good news is that Google supports targeting users by language, so this strategy can work well for certain types of content. It’s worth checking how top-ranking pages for your key keywords handle this.
Starting with a language-first strategy might be wise, especially if you’re working with limited resources. It simplifies management by reducing the number of pages you need to maintain, minimizing potential issues. However, country-specific SEO is often the better choice if you’re targeting a specific country. This approach lets you cater directly to the needs of users in that country, such as showing prices in the local currency and their local terminology and content to fit the local culture—even when the language is the same across different regions.
Choosing the Right URL Structure
Planning your URL structure is critical for international sites, as it determines where content for each foreign market will live on your website. You have three main options to consider, each with pros and cons, plus one to avoid entirely.
| URL Structure | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Country Code Top-Level Domains (ccTLDs) | Gives users a strong sense of being in the right place.Allows for localized hosting, improving page load times. | More expensive as you need to purchase multiple domains.SEO authority is diluted across several domains.Managing multiple domains can be technically challenging.Content or design changes must be replicated across various websites.URL doesn’t indicate the language spoken (e.g., .ca could be English or French). |
| Subfolders | Only one international website to maintain.Easier to create new page versions by changing the URL path.Easier reporting with one analytics tag on one domain. | Users might not be familiar with this type of URL structure. |
| Subdomains | Allows for localized hosting.Customizable naming conventions (e.g., france.example.com). | Similar cons to ccTLDs: technically challenging to manage multiple domains.Users may not be familiar with this URL structure.Content and design changes must be replicated across various websites. |
| Parameterized URLs (Avoid at All Costs!) | None | Not user-friendly.Confuses search engine bots.Google doesn’t recommend this option for internationalization. |
Here’s my take on the best international SEO setup:
Subfolders are the ideal setup for international SEO. The drawbacks of using subdomains outweigh the benefits, so my actual decision is between ccTLDs and subfolders. If I were starting fresh, I’d choose subfolders. The advantage of having all your content under one domain is formidable to pass up. That said, if you lean towards another approach, that’s valid—many SEOs prefer different methods. You won’t be penalized since Google supports all three options.
Setting Up Hreflang Tags
Hreflang is a code typically embedded in a page’s backend or sometimes in sitemaps. It helps Google map out alternative URLs for a specific URL, letting a search engine understand a few key things:
- Which audience is the current page meant for?
- Alternative versions available for users in other regions.
- A default version for users who don’t have a dedicated page (optional).
By implementing hreflang, you can improve the user experience and make sure your rankings benefit from close duplicates, especially for pages in the same language.
To avoid content duplication issues and ensure users are directed to the correct version of a page, always include hreflang tags in the HTML <head> section, the sitemap, or HTTP headers. Here’s how to do it right:
- Pick one method (HTML, sitemap, or HTTP headers) and be consistent.
- Use ISO standards for language and region codes to help search engines accurately interpret your tags.
- Implement the x-default tag as a fallback for users when there’s no exact language match, ensuring they still find relevant content.
While PageRank doesn’t flow through hreflang tags, Google uses the most authoritative version in the searched language to determine ranking. When users search, Google delivers the most relevant version for them.
Hreflang can be tricky to get right, but don’t stress—there are plenty of resources to help. Tools like Semrush’s Site Audit can be handy for reviewing your hreflang setup. Start by running an SEO audit on your site, then check the Localization report to identify any errors.
Setting Up a Content Delivery Network (CDN)
If your site loads quickly for users overseas, it can boost your international SEO rankings. For instance, if you’ve chosen a ccTLD or subfolder structure and have localized hosting for each site, your content will likely load swiftly in each market. However, if you’re serving users across multiple countries from a single international site, using a Content Delivery Network (CDN) becomes essential.
CDNs operate through a distributed server network, allowing visitors to load your international content from a server close to their location rather than relying on a single, centralized server. This reduces page load times, improving the user experience across different regions.
Localized Keyword Research
Once your technical setup is ready, the next step is to conduct keyword research tailored to your target markets and adjust your global SEO strategy accordingly. This step is crucial even if you launch your international strategy in a single language.
Start using tools like Google Analytics to gather insights on which terms bring in international visitors. Instead of just translating keywords, focus on transcreation—adapting keywords to match the local language and cultural context, ensuring they resonate with your target audience.
Monitor keyword performance across different regions and tweak your strategy based on how well your keywords are ranking. SEO tools like Ubersuggest, SEMrush, and Google Trends are great for finding relevant, market-specific keywords.
As I mentioned earlier, terminology can vary even when the language is the same, which impacts the keywords people use. For instance, in the U.S., people often search for “subway,” while in the U.K., they might use “tube” for the same concept. Search volume can differ significantly by country due to population and demand, so it’s essential to consider this when planning your international SEO strategy.
For example, in Semrush’s Keywords Magic Tool, you might find that “car insurance” has a high search volume in the U.K., while in Canada, “auto insurance” might be more common. This data suggests that the U.K. and Canadian markets could drive significant search traffic for these terms. At the same time, users in other countries may use different phrases more frequently.
Translation and Cultural Adaptation
Once you’ve set up your site’s URL structure and completed keyword research for different regions, you’ll have a localized content plan tailored for each market. Sticking to one language per page is essential. It would be best to create separate pages for every additional language you want to target.
Everything that can be localized should be, including:
- Images
- Currencies
- Time zones
- Phone numbers (where applicable)
- Office addresses (where applicable)
Avoid dynamically translating content on the same URL—Google advises against this. Instead, use dedicated URLs for each language version, making it easier for Google’s crawlers to find, read, and index your content. Suppose you’re segmenting your site by country, not just language. In that case, having country-specific versions of your pages is also smart. For example, if you’re targeting Switzerland, you should create separate pages for the German, French, and Italian-speaking regions. Tailor the content on each page to reflect each region’s specific language and cultural nuances.
These minor localizations not only enhance the user experience but also help Google identify and serve the most relevant content to each user, matching their country and language preferences
Content Localization Best Practices
A common pitfall when rolling out international content is accidentally linking to the wrong language version of a page. This mistake can cause users to end up on a page in a different language than expected and can confuse Google about your content’s intended audience. To avoid this, link only to content that matches the same country and language.
If you only have a handful of pages for a particular market, it might be too soon to launch there. Launching with minimal content can limit your SEO potential and frustrate users who will need more relevant material. A more extensive content base gives Google a more robust signal about your site’s relevance in the new market. Generally, I recommend having enough localized content to populate your header and footer navigation for each market before launching your international SEO strategy.
Building Backlink Profiles in Target Countries
Even if you’ve established a strong presence in your home market, you’ll need to build authority in the new markets you’re targeting. For instance, a backlink from a high-authority site in the U.S. might carry a different weight in Mexico. This critical step is oftenneeds to be noticed, but it’s essential for your international strategy. Though it’s mentioned last here, take it seriously.
Performance Monitoring and Continuous Optimization
Consistently monitor key metrics like organic traffic, bounce, and conversion rates across different regions. This data is crucial for refining and adjusting your international SEO strategy. Remember, international SEO isn’t a one-time task. Keep your content fresh, build local backlinks, and stay updated on search engine algorithm changes to maintain strong rankings and relevance in your target markets.
Avoiding Common Mistakes
Suppose users end up on the wrong version of your site. In that case, it’s better to prompt them to switch to the correct version instead of automatically redirecting them. Avoid redirecting based on their IP address or cookies, as this can frustrate users and confuse search engine bots.
Google often crawls your site from a U.S. IP address, so automatic redirects might prevent it from accessing your non-U.S. content. It’s also not a good idea to bypass redirects specifically for Googlebot—Googlebot needs to experience your site the same way your users do.
For these reasons, Google advises against automatic redirections, stating that “these redirects could prevent users (and search engines) from accessing all versions of your site.” Instead, you can gently prompt users in the wrong location to switch to the correct version. Apple, for example, provides a clear prompt for users to choose the correct regional version of their site. You can also offer a navigation menu that allows users to switch between languages or countries. Making it easy for users to find the correct version could be the difference between losing and retaining a customer. For instance, users can easily switch languages on our website at any time.
Be mindful of potential pitfalls, such as poorly localized content, direct translations that don’t resonate with local audiences, and neglecting competitor analysis in each market. Also, ensure you adhere to local regulations to avoid penalties.
Final Word on International SEO
By following our international SEO checklist, you’ll be on track to optimize your site for global markets and secure rankings across multiple countries. Key points to remember include:
- Choose the right URL structure for your needs, and steer clear of URL parameters.
- Localize your strategy as much as possible, from keyword research to content creation.
- Implement hreflang correctly to give Google clear signals about your content’s target audience.
- Ensure fast load times worldwide by using a CDN.
- Build a strong backlink profile in each target country.
- To succeed in international SEO, it’s crucial to understand regional differences and optimize for cultural relevance.
- Keep your strategies current, use the right tools, and stay focused on your audience.
With these steps in place, your website will be well-equipped to perform globally.
