Setting up an effective international SEO strategy can be a daunting task. There are many different factors to consider, from selecting the right keywords to optimizing your website for different languages and cultures.
To help you get started, we’ve created this comprehensive international SEO checklist. This guide covers everything you need to know to get your website ranking in foreign markets, including:
1. Researching Keywords for International Markets
One of the most important aspects of any SEO strategy is keyword research. When expanding your business into new markets, it’s essential to identify the right keywords to target. Otherwise, you’ll miss out on valuable traffic and conversions.
There are a few different ways to approach keyword research for international markets:
Start with your existing keywords:
If you already have a successful SEO strategy in place, chances are you’re already ranking for some relevant keywords in foreign markets. Use tools like Google Search Console and Google Analytics to see which of your keywords are getting the most traffic from international visitors.
If you already have a successful SEO strategy in place, chances are you’re already ranking for some relevant keywords in foreign markets. Use tools like Google Search Console and Google Analytics to see which of your keywords are getting the most traffic from international visitors.
Use keyword research tools:
There are many different keyword research tools available, such as Ahrefs, Moz, and SEMrush. These tools can help you find new keyword ideas based on your existing keywords, as well as your competitors’ keywords.
There are many different keyword research tools available, such as Ahrefs, Moz, and SEMrush. These tools can help you find new keyword ideas based on your existing keywords, as well as your competitors’ keywords.
Translate your keywords:
Once you’ve identified some potential keywords, it’s important to translate them into the target language. This will ensure that you’re targeting the right audience with your content. You can use a tool like Google Translate or hire a professional translator to help with this task.
2. Optimizing Your Website for International Search Engines
Once you’ve identified the right keywords to target, it’s time to optimize your website for international search engines. There are a few different factors to consider here:
Language:
The first step is to make sure your website is available in the target language. This can be done by creating separate versions of your site for each language or by using automatic translation tools. It’s important to note that machine-translated content is often not as accurate as human-translated content, so it’s best to use a professional translator if possible.
The first step is to make sure your website is available in the target language. This can be done by creating separate versions of your site for each language or by using automatic translation tools. It’s important to note that machine-translated content is often not as accurate as human-translated content, so it’s best to use a professional translator if possible.
Country-specific domains:
It’s also a good idea to use country-specific domains (e.g., .de for Germany, .fr for France, etc.) when targeting foreign markets. This will help search engines understand that your website is relevant to users in that particular country.
It’s also a good idea to use country-specific domains (e.g., .de for Germany, .fr for France, etc.) when targeting foreign markets. This will help search engines understand that your website is relevant to users in that particular country.
Localized content:
In addition to translating your existing content, it’s also important to create new content that’s relevant to the target market. This could include blog posts, infographics, videos, etc. that are specifically tailored to the interests and needs of your target audience.
In addition to translating your existing content, it’s also important to create new content that’s relevant to the target market. This could include blog posts, infographics, videos, etc. that are specifically tailored to the interests and needs of your target audience.
Technical SEO:
There are also a few technical SEO considerations to keep in mind when optimizing your site for international search engines. These include setting the correct hreflang tags, using geo-targeting in your robots.txt file, and more.
3. Promoting Your Website in Foreign Markets
Once you’ve optimized your website for international search engines, it’s time to start promoting your site in foreign markets. There are a few different ways to do this:
Paid advertising: Paid advertising is a great way to quickly generate traffic from foreign markets. Google AdWords and Bing Ads are both great options for this.
Paid advertising is a great way to quickly generate traffic from foreign markets. Google AdWords and Bing Ads are both great options for this. Social media: Social media is another effective way to reach new audiences in foreign markets. Be sure to create social media profiles on the platforms that are most popular in your target countries (e.g., Weibo in China, VKontakte in Russia, etc.) and post regularly to these profiles.