International SEO – The Forgotten Strategy

For a site that competes internationally, and that functions in a whole host of different markets, a proper international SEO strategy is fundamental. Far too often nowadays, webmaster’s concentrate their efforts on a single language SERP, or indeed a single nation’s results pages. For success across the globe, change would be required.

If we take a huge corporate brand, for example, Nike – they look to operate in all four corners of the globe. Some nations have identical languages – the US and the UK, for example, whereas others are entirely different.

International SEO is essential because we need to tell the search engine exactly which market our content is targeting. Just because two jurisdictions and markets have the same language, doesn’t mean Google will rank our content in both.

There are a host of tools out there which are useful – not least the Google suite of products, including keyword planner. This is essential in assisting a webmaster in determining which keywords are most sought after in various territories. Just because ‘men’s trainers’ is highly searched in the UK, doesn’t mean it is in Australia, for example. Google Trends is also really useful here, as it helps a marketer to understand which trends, topics and keywords are breaking out in which territories.

Enterprise SEO tools have become fundamental in the implementation of an SEO strategy on more complex websites. Siteimproves’s enterprise SEO platform is a fantastic example of such software and provides a whole host of significant benefits when it comes to successfully implementing international SEO, in particular. Not only does it automate a number of laborious processes, it adds real benefit when it comes to brand visibility too.

Returning back to our Nike example – why are they so successful in every market in which they operate? The answer is a simple one – their brand visibility and brand awareness. Everybody knows the Nike tick, and everybody has heard of the brand. And an online presence is no different – we need to make Google aware of our brand so that when we enter into different markets, Google trusts and recognises it to the point that it will be given substantial SEO equity in the SERPs of new markets.

Furthermore, such an enterprise tool covers all aspects of competitor analysis. Venturing into a new market with an international strategy is tough but is even tougher without truly understanding who the competition is. After all, it’s unlikely it will be the same in all locations. The holistic nature of an enterprise platform does just that – analyses and enables implementation based on these findings. By using these tools, international SEO may not be as difficult as it may seem.