International SEO Guidelines

Are you looking to reach potential customers abroad? It’s no surprise users all around the globe use search engines (mainly Google), but the search results, and consequently SEO strategy, differ from country to country. While it’s largely true that there is not a manual for international SEO, there is an abundance of best practices written by industry SEOs who have tested the waters of improving a website’s visibility in international search engines. First, it’s important to ensure your translated content is published on unique URLs rather than allowing different language versions to be rendered under the same URL. One key identifier that tells search engines a page is meant for users in a particular country is the country-level (top level) domain (TLD) name. Even if you don’t have multilingual content right now, it may be a good idea to acquire the TLDs for the countries you wish to target in the future to ensure they aren't taken by someone else. As standard with SEO, do the keyword research using international search volume data from the engines to determine which keywords to target in your multilingual content. Use these keywords to perform on-page optimization tactics to increase visibility. Lastly, find an individual or a professional services firm that is familiar with your industry terms and can professionally translate your content. Follow these best practices and you should see an improvement in your website’s visibility in international search engines.