A Short Guide to International SEO

In this article (and following on from previous articles) I was refreshing my notes on international SEO and thought I would summarise the main points for this article, if you are thinking about expanding internationally and aren’t sure which options are available or to use, the information could help guide you in the right direction and explains the considerations, general advice, and main options for effective international SEO targeting.

1. International SEO examples:
2. Multiple languages on a site.
3. Different domains targeting different countries.
4. Same domain targeting different countries.
5. Cultural and colloquial differences

As always, ensure that it is as easy as possible for Google to assess the information on the site and the target audience. It is essentially a unique user experience for each country.

• When it comes to language SEO / targeting it is vital to use detailed and confirmed translations – as using Google Translate / other translation services can be inaccurate – potentially creating a poor user experience.
• Don’t mix languages on the same page.
• Building links and citations to the specific content for that country will help when attempting to get included in a specific country Google SERPS.
• If you are using a different TLD (top level domain) for different international audiences, be sure to use a specific country TLD (.co.uk / .fr) rather than .com
• Also hosting in the targeted country is a powerful way to ensure inclusion in a specific country’s SERPS.
• The code/tag HREFLAN is a specific tag that tells Google (and the other major search engines) which language the page is using and which country it is targeting.
• Local contact information is also important, having a local address to the area/country targeted, will help to get the site included in the local version of Google and to build trust with users.
• List prices in the local currency for products and services, currency should always match the targeted region.

What is the best option for your business?

The following options are the most popular:

• Subfolder/subdirectory (website.com/France)
• Subdomain (France.website.com)
• Different TLD (website.fr)

Which option you choose depends on your target audience, competitors (what others in your market are using) and the resources available.

Using a different TLD per target country means a lot more resources to create the different sites, host, populate, update, and maintain them. If you have the resource and budget, this can be a very effective method, but it is time consuming and needs a good implementation strategy.

Also bear in mind that each different TLD used will be a fresh website and therefore will need marketing from scratch which can take time and of course, resources.

Sub Folders are much more resource efficient and with subfolders and subdirectories you can specifically geo-target them using the Google Search Console (this allows the user to specify an area, region or country for a particular folder or subdomain)

NB you can’t specify the country or GEO target a CCTLD (Country code top-level domain (example - .co.uk)) as they are already by default geo-targeted to the specific country that the TLD refers to.

Subdomains, although search technology has changed, can be treated as a completely different site to the main domain – Google tries to attribute the subdomains to the main domain if appropriate, but it can’t always ‘understand’ the connection plus it is technically possible to have a completely different website on a subdomain, therefore, you wouldn’t always want the connection.

Generally speaking, a subdomain is treated as a different domain.

In summary:

Country Specific Domains:

Pros:

• Clear Geotargeting.
• Server location can be very specific.
• Easy separation of website.

Cons:

• Requires a reasonable budget.
• Resource heavy.
• Generally, only target one country.

Subdomains:

Pros:

• Easy to set up.
• Allows for different server locations.
• Easy to separate sites.

Cons:

• Google might associate with the main domain / or may not.
• User experience might suffer as the URL might be confusing.
• Potentially not as effective as specific ccTLD.

Sub Directories/folders:

Pros:

• Easy to set up.
• Low maintenance.
• Potentially only need one host.

Cons:

• URL segmentation could be difficult.
• Users might not recognise Geo-targeting.
• Potentially not as effective as specific ccTLD.

I hope this has helped, again a bit of a whistle-stop tour of international SEO but at least you can make an informed choice as to which option to explore when considering expanding into different regions and countries.

More on this: Google Developers

If you would like to discuss international SEO or indeed any other aspect of online marketing, please DM me on LinkedIn or contact the team here.