International SEO: Strategy Creation & Optimization & Measurement
Posted: Mon Dec 09, 2024 9:13 am
There are some important points that separate international SEO from known SEO. I will explain them in detail. However, we also encounter the “user” that is the basis of SEO in international SEO. The basis of international SEO is “providing the right information to the right user in a way that looks nice and high quality to Google”. First of all, I want to talk about geographic region targeting and language targeting. There is a small difference between what to do in SEO for these two situations.
Language Focused-Region Focused SEO
Before determining an international SEO strategy, let's clarify the difference between geographic and language-targeted sites. Geographically targeted sites mostly target countries that use the same language. The search engines used by these regions are also different from each other.
For example; google.co.uk is used in the United Kingdom, while google.com is used in the United States. Language-targeted sites are sites that target users who speak different languages. They are ideal for those who want to offer different language options to different users. It is also possible to create a structure that is both geographically homeowner database targeted and language-targeted. First, you should decide whether you are targeting a geographical region. Then, you should determine which language you will provide service to this region. At this point, there is a situation like this; you will not appear in search results outside the geographical region you target. To prevent this, you can only show language target. I think that at the end of my analysis, the unanswered points about which strategy to apply, why and how will be clarified. Now, let's explain the steps of the International SEO process in detail one by one.
Researching and Determining International SEO Strategies and Goals
One of the mistakes made in international SEO is to make changes directly on the site without considering the differences between users, the sector and competitors. It is critical not to make changes to the structure and content of the site without doing serious research on the target audience.
Opportunities should be evaluated and the behavior of users and the industry should be measured to provide content appropriate for the target audience.
The product or service in the target language or geographic region may not be the same as the best product or service in the current language and country option.
The product or service sought in the target language or geographic region may not be translated to match the current language and country options.
Seasonal changes in the industry in the target language or geographic area may vary.
Your competitors’ sales strategies may differ in your target language or geographic area, so differences in competition may also be required.
Search volume and potential organic traffic values may vary. In some countries, local search engines may be more important and optimization may need to be based on these search engines. For example; Yandex usage rate is quite high in Russia, while Baidu is used in China .
In order to create an effective international SEO strategy, these must be taken into consideration.
i. Seasonality and Trend
It is necessary to consider changing trends and seasonal differences for each targeted country. You can use the Google Trends tool to determine this. In order to see trends and seasonal movements on a yearly basis, you can filter by country and sector with Google Trends.
ii. Local Language
When determining keywords for your international SEO strategy, focus on locally searched words. It is necessary to take into account local differences, as there may be spelling differences between the words Optimization and Optimization or Behaviour or Behavior, and different words with the same meaning, such as rubbish and garbage. For example; “pulperia” is a word that means octopus dish in Spanish, while in most Latin American countries it means greengrocer. Therefore, words suitable for the language used by the target countries should be researched and the strategy should be designed around these words. You can use the Lexipedia tool for keyword analysis. This tool, which is like a visual dictionary, supports many languages and also shows related words such as noun, verb, and adjective forms of the relevant word.
iii. Search Conditions
In addition to local usage of keywords; situations in which these searches are made, user behaviors, long-tail keyword opportunities should also be investigated and determined. Ubersuggest tool , which supports many languages , offers different suggestions for the word you want.
Language Focused-Region Focused SEO
Before determining an international SEO strategy, let's clarify the difference between geographic and language-targeted sites. Geographically targeted sites mostly target countries that use the same language. The search engines used by these regions are also different from each other.
For example; google.co.uk is used in the United Kingdom, while google.com is used in the United States. Language-targeted sites are sites that target users who speak different languages. They are ideal for those who want to offer different language options to different users. It is also possible to create a structure that is both geographically homeowner database targeted and language-targeted. First, you should decide whether you are targeting a geographical region. Then, you should determine which language you will provide service to this region. At this point, there is a situation like this; you will not appear in search results outside the geographical region you target. To prevent this, you can only show language target. I think that at the end of my analysis, the unanswered points about which strategy to apply, why and how will be clarified. Now, let's explain the steps of the International SEO process in detail one by one.
Researching and Determining International SEO Strategies and Goals
One of the mistakes made in international SEO is to make changes directly on the site without considering the differences between users, the sector and competitors. It is critical not to make changes to the structure and content of the site without doing serious research on the target audience.
Opportunities should be evaluated and the behavior of users and the industry should be measured to provide content appropriate for the target audience.
The product or service in the target language or geographic region may not be the same as the best product or service in the current language and country option.
The product or service sought in the target language or geographic region may not be translated to match the current language and country options.
Seasonal changes in the industry in the target language or geographic area may vary.
Your competitors’ sales strategies may differ in your target language or geographic area, so differences in competition may also be required.
Search volume and potential organic traffic values may vary. In some countries, local search engines may be more important and optimization may need to be based on these search engines. For example; Yandex usage rate is quite high in Russia, while Baidu is used in China .
In order to create an effective international SEO strategy, these must be taken into consideration.
i. Seasonality and Trend
It is necessary to consider changing trends and seasonal differences for each targeted country. You can use the Google Trends tool to determine this. In order to see trends and seasonal movements on a yearly basis, you can filter by country and sector with Google Trends.
ii. Local Language
When determining keywords for your international SEO strategy, focus on locally searched words. It is necessary to take into account local differences, as there may be spelling differences between the words Optimization and Optimization or Behaviour or Behavior, and different words with the same meaning, such as rubbish and garbage. For example; “pulperia” is a word that means octopus dish in Spanish, while in most Latin American countries it means greengrocer. Therefore, words suitable for the language used by the target countries should be researched and the strategy should be designed around these words. You can use the Lexipedia tool for keyword analysis. This tool, which is like a visual dictionary, supports many languages and also shows related words such as noun, verb, and adjective forms of the relevant word.
iii. Search Conditions
In addition to local usage of keywords; situations in which these searches are made, user behaviors, long-tail keyword opportunities should also be investigated and determined. Ubersuggest tool , which supports many languages , offers different suggestions for the word you want.