In this guide we aim to give you a good understanding of international Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). SEO for your international sites is just as important as with your domestic market and language. Ranking highly on Search Engine's is the life blood of many an online shop so you also need to put the effort in to perform well internationally.
With the potential for ecommerce businesses to reach a global audience greater than ever before comes the challenge of standing out in a crowded online marketplace. One of the most effective ways to ensure your ecommerce site attracts international buyers is by optimising its SEO strategy.
Understanding International SEO
Before diving into optimisation techniques, it's crucial to understand the fundamentals of international SEO. Unlike traditional SEO, which focuses on ranking within a specific geographic region, international SEO aims to attract visitors from other countries and regions. This involves tailoring your website's content, structure, and technical aspects to appeal to a global audience while considering language, culture, and search engine preferences in different regions.
Keyword Research and Localization
Keyword research is the foundation of any successful SEO strategy, and it's even more important when targeting international markets. Start by identifying keywords relevant to your products or services in your target regions. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs to discover popular search terms in different languages.
Localization is key here. You will need to translate your keywords accurately into the languages spoken in markets you want to attract. Direct translations often won't work, as the nuances in language and cultural context can significantly impact search intent. When fully optimising consider hiring native speakers or professional translators to ensure context is taken into account, but if you're looking to make a small improvement at this stage you can use one of the many available translation engines.
Geotargeting and International Domain Structure
Geotargeting involves informing search engines about the geographic regions you want to target with your website. One way to do this is through Google Search Console's geotargeting feature, where you can specify the countries and regions you are targeting for your website.
Additionally, consider doing this with your URL There are three good ways:
Using a new top level domain, e.g. .co.uk, .es, .hk
By adding a subdomain to your existing domain, e.g. FR.mydomain.com
Or by using a sub-directory on your existing domain, e.g. mydomain.com/FR/
The best way to get a higher ranking is by using a domain with a top level domain that will be registered in the country you want to optimize for. A subdomain or sub-folder will likely be easier for your technical team to manage and this is a good argument when deciding how to proceed at this stage. But ultimately if you're looking for the best result, it will be with a local top level domain.
Ideally you would also host this local copy of your site on a local IP but this can then get pretty hard to manage, fine when you have a specific country to target, and its still worth investigating with your tech team to see if there's a way you could do this.
Multilingual Content Strategy
Creating multilingual content is essential for engaging international audiences effectively. We'll go into this in more detail in another post. For now its good to understand that besides translating product descriptions and website copy, you should consider creating region-specific landing pages, sat on those SEO friendly URLs, local blog posts and FAQs tailored to the interests of a target market. This helps enhance your site's relevance in local search results and gives you a boost in ranking.
Structured Data Markup for Multiregional Websites
Consider implementing a structured data markup using schema.org which will provide search engines with detailed information about your products and business. This helps search engines understand the context of your content and display snippets on the search results such as product ratings and prices, increasing your click-through rate (CTR) and giving you overall better visibility.
International Link Building and Outreach
As with domestic SEO, building backlinks from reputable websites in your target countries will boost your site's authority and visibility in international search results. Focus on acquiring links from relevant industry directories, local business associations, and influential bloggers or influencers in each target market. Personalized outreach campaigns to these potential link shares, in the native language, can help establish relationships and get you valuable inbound links.
Mobile Optimization for Global Accessibility
While also very important domestically, given the growth of mobile usage for shopping worldwide, optimizing your site for mobile devices is critical. Ensure your ecommerce site's design mobile-friendly and provides a seamless user experience across different mobile devices and screen sizes. This is particularly important in regions where mobile internet usage is the default, such as in many of the developing countries.
Monitor Performance and Adapt Strategies
As you would domestically, make sure you regularly monitor your site's performance in international search results using tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console. Track key metrics such as organic traffic, rankings, and conversion rates across different regions to identify where you could make some improvements. Stay updated on changes in search engine algorithms and user behaviour trends in your target markets, and adapt your SEO strategies accordingly.
In Summary
Optimizing SEO for international ecommerce sites requires a strategic approach that takes into account language, cultural, and technical considerations. By conducting good keyword research, localizing your content, leveraging geotargeting, and adopting a multilingual content strategy, you can improve your site's visibility and attract more international buyers.
Remember to continuously monitor performance metrics and adapt your strategies to stay ahead in the competitive global marketplace. With the right approach, your ecommerce business can thrive and expand its reach to customers around the world.
If you need some more help on the basics of SEO I can recommend SEO for Beginners by Jessica Ainsworth or indeed SEO for Dummies. They both cover the basics of SEO well and as always with Internationalization of your sites, if you learn something new - apply it domestically as well!
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