International SEO

Welcome to the International SEO Guide from Courses Buddy!

Optimising for organic search across languages and regions helps us improve global search visibility and achieve our organisational goals. In this guide, we will learn how we can develop and implement a successful international SEO strategy, targeting global audiences and popular search engines worldwide.

Also, we will discover the global and regional aspects of localisation techniques, translation and interpretation best practices, technical on-page elements of international SEO, and off-page optimisation tactics for our international content.

Moreover, we will explore how major search engines manage multilingual and multiregional content, how to leverage their webmaster tools, the nuances of international keyword research, and how to measure, analyse, adapt, and consistently improve our international SEO results.

Reaching Global Audiences with International SEO

The internet has undeniably revolutionised the way we connect, shrinking the world and enabling organisations worldwide to engage with global audiences like never before. With the power of international SEO, we can ensure that the right content appears on the right search engines, in various languages and regions, helping us deliver the perfect messages to the right visitors.

Courses Buddy invites us to explore the essential strategies and techniques involved in international SEO. By implementing effective international SEO, we can optimise our content for global reach and visibility, ensuring we interact with diverse audiences across borders and time zones.

International SEO plays a vital role in expanding your reach to audiences across different countries and languages. It’s not just about translation—it’s about making your content discoverable, understandable, and relevant to users around the world. To get it right, your strategy must always start with your organisational goals.

Define Your Goals and Audience

Your international SEO approach will depend on who you’re trying to reach and where they are. Consider the following scenarios:

• A US-based company serving only the domestic market but needing to engage Spanish-speaking users.
• A Canadian business targeting both English and French speakers within Canada.
• A UK organisation aiming to market products to English-speaking audiences across Europe.

Each of these situations calls for a different localisation strategy—some involving multiple languages within a single region, and others requiring regional adaptations within the same language.

Language, Culture, and Regional Nuances

Language alone doesn’t define your strategy—cultural context matters just as much. English used in the US, for example, differs in spelling, phrases, and expressions compared to the UK or Australia. The same goes for Spanish in Mexico versus Argentina.

You’ll also need to account for regional business practices and regulations, which may impact what products or services you can offer in specific markets.

When you localise content:

• Avoid direct translation—tailor messages to local culture.
• Consider idiomatic expressions, references, and tone.
• Align your content with region-specific expectations and needs.

Structuring Your Site for Search Engines

Search engines today are far better at detecting language, but you can still help them index your content more effectively using:

• Subfolders or subdomains with clear language/region codes.
• Hreflang tags to indicate alternate language or regional versions of a page.

These signals ensure that search engines display the right version of your content to the right users.

Multilingual vs. Multi-regional Targeting

You might be managing:

1. A multilingual website for users speaking different languages in the same region.
2. A multi-regional site targeting different countries with the same language.
3. Or a combination of both.

Take the example of a North American website targeting both Canada and the US. While both countries predominantly speak English, spelling, usage, and cultural references can differ—so should your content.

Similarly, your strategy should also address non-English speakers in these markets—French speakers in Canada, Spanish speakers in the US, and so on.

Know Your Search Engines

While Google and Bing dominate in North America and Europe, other regions use different search engines:

• Baidu in China
• Yandex in Russia and parts of Eastern Europe
• Naver in South Korea

Understanding which search engines are popular in your target markets is essential. Be sure to:

1. Sign up for regional webmaster tools.
2. Adapt your optimisation techniques to platform-specific algorithms and requirements.

No One-Size-Fits-All Approach

There is no universal blueprint for international SEO. Whether you’re optimising for multiple languages, regions, or both, your approach must reflect:

• Your organisational goals
• Your audience’s language and location
• The search engines they use

The key is to make your site’s structure, content, and technical elements work together—so that search engines can easily discover and serve the most relevant, localised content to your global audience.

Once you’ve identified the countries and languages you’re targeting, the next step is to build a solid structure that allows search engines to easily discover and understand your international content.

Subdomains vs. Subfolders

There are two common approaches for organising multilingual websites:

• Subdomains (e.g. es.example.com): These use two-character language codes and are treated by search engines as separate websites. This offers complete flexibility in design, layout, and content, making it suitable if your different language sites vary significantly.
• Subfolders (e.g. example.com/es/): These keep all content under the main domain but organise it by folder. This structure simplifies internal linking, consolidates link authority, and is easier to manage when the overall site structure remains consistent across languages.

Each method has pros and cons, and your choice will depend on your team’s resources and how different your multilingual content really is.

Country Code Top-Level Domains (ccTLDs)

When targeting specific countries, another option is using country code top-level domains such as .fr for France or .de for Germany. This sends a strong geographic signal to both search engines and users. It also provides more geo-targeting flexibility and allows for full customisation per region.

However, managing ccTLDs comes with added cost and complexity. Some countries require a physical presence to register their domains, so it’s essential to research any legal or administrative restrictions before committing.

Combining Strategies for Country and Language

In many cases, you’ll need to account for both country and language. You might:

• Use a single subfolder structure like /fr-ca/ to target French-speaking Canadians.
• Separate content with both a country-level subdomain and language-based subfolders.
• Mix approaches by combining ccTLDs for countries and subfolders for languages.

The important thing is to remain consistent and choose a scalable approach aligned with your long-term goals.

Usability and Interface Considerations

Regardless of your architecture, users won’t always land on the correct language or region version of a page. To address this, include familiar and easily accessible interface elements that clearly indicate language and region—and allow users to switch between them effortlessly.

The best technical structure for international SEO is one that aligns with your organisation’s needs and resources while supporting your future scalability. Once you’ve made your decision, commit to it and implement it consistently across your site. This helps search engines serve the most relevant content to users searching in specific languages and regions.

Understanding the geographic location of your users opens up numerous opportunities to optimise their experience and boost your international SEO efforts. By leveraging location data, you can deliver more relevant content, enhance user satisfaction, and even optimise the speed and accessibility of your site.

Knowing where your users are located allows you to automatically detect their regional and language preferences. This enables you to provide the most relevant content from the outset. Additionally, it can inform decisions like server placement and the use of content delivery networks (CDNs), which help deliver fast-loading pages to users across different regions.

Search engines reward sites that offer an excellent user experience, and this applies to international SEO as well. If users are presented with content in their preferred language and region, they are more likely to engage with your site. Furthermore, a fast, smooth user experience is a ranking factor for search engines.

Location and Browser Language Detection

There are various ways to detect users’ locations and language preferences programmatically. For example:

• IP Address Detection: You can deliver region-specific content based on the user’s IP address.
• Browser Language Settings: Alternatively, you can use the language set in the user’s browser to provide content in their assumed preferred language.

While technically simple to implement, these methods require careful execution from an SEO perspective. If you rely solely on automatic redirection based on IP addresses or browser settings, search engines may not properly crawl or index your content. This could prevent international content from being discovered.

Offering User Control and Avoiding Over-Automation

It’s important to remember that you won’t always know exactly what language or region a user prefers. For instance, an Australian visitor in France may need a quick way to switch back to English. To accommodate such cases, it’s crucial to implement easily recognisable navigational elements—usually in the top right of your site, often with flag icons or language codes.

Additionally, remember to retain users’ language and regional preferences. This will enhance their experience and reduce frustration, ensuring that they don’t have to manually adjust settings every time they visit your site.

Clear Site Structure and Sitemap Submission

To help search engines discover your international content, ensure that it’s included in your site’s sitemap. This will make it easier for search engines to find and index your content. It’s also essential to use text links to connect different language and regional versions of your site, which crawlers can easily follow.

Hosting and Performance Optimisation

Where you serve your content from is another critical factor. Hosting your site closer to your target audience improves load times, but it can also affect customer satisfaction. To test your site’s performance globally, use tools like WebPageTest, which allows you to measure how well your site performs from different locations worldwide.

To ensure fast content delivery across the globe, consider using Content Delivery Networks (CDNs). CDNs distribute your site’s content to multiple servers worldwide and serve it from the closest server to the visitor. This helps improve performance and user experience, regardless of their location.

The Importance of a Positive User Experience

Search engines and users alike value fast, responsive, and regionally relevant websites. By optimising your site’s speed and ensuring that users can easily access the content they need, you create a better experience for your audience. This not only improves engagement but also helps your site rank higher in search engine results.

When creating a strategy for multilingual or multinational audiences, don’t overlook core functionality. It’s vital for all users, regardless of language or location. There are two main areas to focus on: translating website functionality and handling regional nuances.

Translating Website Functionality Beyond Text

It’s not just the text on the page that needs translation. Other elements must be addressed, such as:

• Site-Wide Navigation Menus: Make sure all navigation elements are fully translated.
• Error Messaging: Translate error messages so users can understand them in their language.
• Internal Search Results: Ensure search results reflect the user’s preferred language and region.

Don’t forget the hidden text in your website’s HTML, such as meta titles and descriptions. Also, translate title and alt attributes for links and images. For instance, if a user hovers over an image on a Spanish page and sees an English description, it confuses both users and search engines.

Addressing Multilingual Media and Content

Your content should go beyond text translation. Consider other media formats:

1. Images with Text: Images with text, such as buttons or banners, must be adapted for different languages.
2. PDFs, Videos, and Podcasts: Decide whether to translate or leave these in their original form. Or, remove them entirely if not useful for your target market.

Localising Global Headers, Footers, and Links

Check global elements like headers and footers to ensure they are used correctly across all language versions of your site. Review links such as “Contact Us” to ensure they lead to localised pages. These pages should have the proper language, regional office location, and contact details.

E-commerce Considerations

For e-commerce websites, localisation is essential:

• Currencies: Display the correct currency for each region.
• Number Formats: Use the appropriate formats for numbers and dates.
• Exchange Rates: Account for exchange rates when pricing and processing transactions.

Adhering to Local Business Regulations

Ensure compliance with regional business regulations. Failing to do so could result in penalties. Keep in mind the following:

• Data Privacy Laws: Follow local data privacy laws, which vary by country.
• Business Conditions: Adjust for regional differences in phone numbers, product availability, and shipping logistics. Remove products that can’t be sold in a specific region.

Improving user experience also boosts your SEO efforts. Optimising your site’s functionality across different regions ensures both users and search engines have a positive experience. This can help you rank higher and reach a broader audience.

When building a strategy for multilingual or multinational audiences, it’s easy to overlook core functionality. Yet, these elements are essential for every user—regardless of their location or language.

Translation isn’t just about visible text. You must go deeper.

• Navigation menus, error messages, and internal search results must all be localised.
• Check the hidden text in HTML, such as meta titles, meta descriptions, and image/link attributes like title and alt text.
• Hovering over an image on a Spanish page shouldn’t reveal an English description. That confuses both users and search engines.

Translate Text Embedded in Images

Images that include English text—like a ‘Buy Now’ button—should not be reused on other language pages. Instead, design new versions for each target language. Visual consistency must match the user’s language.

Consider Other Content Types

You may also have PDFs, videos, or podcasts. Decide whether to:

• Translate them,
• Keep them in the original language, or
• Remove them altogether from certain localised versions.

Adjust Headers, Footers, and Links

Pay close attention to global elements such as headers and footers. These should pull the correct include files for each region.

Also, update shared links. A “Contact Us” button should point to a localised contact page, in the correct language, with the appropriate office details.

Handle E-Commerce Localisation

Selling globally brings added complexity. Adapt your e-commerce setup to support:

1. Regional currencies
2. Correct number and date formats
3. Live or fixed exchange rates

Also, ensure your checkout process reflects local shipping costs and logistics.

Comply with Local Regulations

Every country has different laws. Make sure your website reflects:

1. Data privacy regulations, like GDPR in Europe
2. Local business conditions, such as varying call centres or support numbers
3. Geographic availability of products or services

If you don’t offer a product in a specific country, remove it from that version of the site.

A Win-Win for Users and SEO

A simple SEO rule applies: what’s good for users is good for search engines. By ensuring your entire website works seamlessly in each market, you’re not just improving usability. You’re also improving discoverability and rankings in local search results.

When managing international websites, it’s essential to understand how search engines interpret multilingual content. Their main goal is to return the most relevant results to users—and language plays a big role in this.

Let Search Engines Know the Language

Search engines want to be certain about the language used on each page. Don’t leave it to them to guess—tell them clearly.

1. Define the character set in your HTML, especially for special characters or language-specific letters.
2. Use UTF-8 encoding, a widely accepted format that handles most languages well.
3. Add this in the <head> section of your page with a single line of code.

Stick to One Language Per Page

Avoid mixing languages on the same page. Search engines can detect language, but mixed content sends mixed signals.

• Translate menus, headers, footers, and HTML markup.
• Don’t use side-by-side translations on a single page—create separate versions instead.

Use Hreflang and Meta Language Tags

To help search engines find equivalent pages in other languages:

1. Use the hreflang attribute and meta language tags.
2. Follow ISO 639-1 codes (e.g., en for English, fr for French).
3. These tags tell search engines which language a page uses and what other versions exist.

For generic pages like language selectors or country locators, use the x-default hreflang. This signals that the page isn’t targeting a specific language or region. Google and Yandex support this tag.

Link Localised Pages Properly

Search engines discover content by following links. When using:

1. Subfolders (e.g., /fr/)
2. Subdomains (e.g., fr.example.com)
3. Country-code domains (e.g., example.fr)

…make sure that all links on a page point to content in the same localisation.

Also, link between language versions of a page. These connections help both users and search engines find the right content.

Manage Duplicate Content Carefully

Duplicate content can confuse search engines. But in multilingual SEO, some similarity is expected.

• For example, your contact pages for different regions might be nearly identical, aside from local details.
• As long as hreflang is properly implemented, this won’t harm SEO.

Optimise Structure for Clarity

How well search engines understand your multilingual setup depends on your:

• Site structure
• Use of HTML tags
• Linking strategy

Clear organisation improves both SEO and user experience. When search engines know where and how to find localised versions, they serve the right pages to the right users.

When targeting multiple regions or languages, the hreflang attribute is one of the most effective tools for SEO. It helps search engines understand which version of a page should be served to users based on their language and location.

What hreflang Does

The hreflang tag signals to search engines like Google and Yandex where different language or region versions of a page exist. Each tag pairs a URL with its corresponding language and optional country code, guiding search engines to deliver the right version to the right audience.

Implementation Methods

There are three main ways to implement hreflang:

1. In the HTML head – Add tags to each version of the page, pointing to all language or region variants. For example, English and French versions of an About Us page should reference each other with the proper codes.
2. In an XML sitemap – This is a clean method if you want to keep your HTML uncluttered. Each translated page needs its own entry and cross-references.
3. Via HTTP headers – Ideal for non-HTML files such as PDFs. The server sends hreflang details directly with the file request.

Handling Language and Region Codes

Use the ISO 639-1 format for language codes (e.g., en for English, fr for French) and ISO 3166-1 Alpha-2 codes for countries (e.g., CA for Canada). While you can specify a language alone (en), country codes must always be combined with a language (e.g., en-CA).

Also, include the x-default value for pages like language selectors or pages with no specific language targeting.

Why It Matters

Implementing hreflang correctly ensures that:

• Search engines understand which version of a page is intended for which audience.
• Users are served the most relevant content for their language or location.
• Duplicate content across localised pages is correctly interpreted and not penalised.

While search engines like Google and Yandex use hreflang tags to identify regional content, some engines don’t fully support this method. In these cases, meta tags can help provide additional clarity on your content’s target language and region.

Content-Language Meta Tag

The content-language meta tag can be placed in the head of your HTML page. This tells search engines the primary language and country of the page. The format uses the ISO 639-1 language code and ISO 3166-1 Alpha-2 country code, separated by a hyphen. For example:

• French-Canadian: fr-ca
• Spanish for Mexico: es-mx

HTML Element or Title Declaration

Alternatively, you can declare the language directly in the HTML element or the title tag. Both methods are valid, but it’s best to choose one to avoid confusion.

HTTP Header Implementation

For non-HTML content, like multilingual PDFs, you can declare the language using the Content-Language field in an HTTP header. Multiple languages can be specified using a comma-separated list. This method is useful when other tags can’t be applied.

Maximising Multilingual SEO

Using a combination of hreflang, meta tags, HTML attributes, and HTTP headers ensures that search engines know the precise language and region your content targets. This helps improve your visibility and relevance across international searches.

Google Search Console offers powerful tools to help site owners monitor their websites’ health and performance. When optimising for international audiences, there are key features to help monitor search queries and ensure visibility across different regions.

If you’re targeting multiple languages and regions, Hreflang tags are essential to signal search engines which versions of your pages are intended for specific languages or countries. A good practice is to implement Hreflang tags through XML sitemaps. 

You can submit these sitemaps in Google Search Console, where you’ll receive feedback on their successful submission. This allows you to track the discovery of URLs and address any errors or warnings.

Performance Reports

To monitor search visibility, Google’s performance reports show data on clicks and impressions by country. If you’re not seeing the expected search activity from a particular region, you can use country filters to narrow the data. For example, if you expected more traffic from Canada, apply the country filter to segment the data. 

This allows you to review:

• Search queries used by visitors from the region.
• Pages returning in search results.
• Devices being used to access your site.

Data Analysis and Insights

By exploring these reports and filters, you gain valuable insights into your international search presence. You can download data for further analysis, helping you identify areas for optimisation and ensuring your regional content appears correctly in search results.

Note that some international targeting features in Google Search Console have been deprecated, though Google still supports Hreflang tags for language and region targeting.

Exploring Other Search Engine Tools

While focusing on Google, don’t forget that other search engines like Yandex, Baidu, and Bing offer similar tools for international SEO. These tools are just as crucial for optimising your presence across different global markets.

When targeting multiple geographies, it’s essential to ensure that your content is more than just translated. It’s important to optimise it specifically for the local audience you are targeting. This not only enhances the user experience but also strengthens your signals to search engines. 

Localising your content further than simple translation can help you gain powerful links and mentions from local sites, which are critical offsite signals for SEO.

Core Functionalities to Localise

Start by evaluating your website’s core functionality. For instance, consider your internal search engine. Have you optimised it to respond to queries in the correct language or to promote local content for visitors from regional pages? Don’t forget your 404 page—does it reflect the language and expectations of local users? Additionally, review the forms on your site. Do they default to the correct formats and submit to the appropriate regional locations? Regional formatting standards, such as date formats or address structures, can vary, so be sure they are set correctly for each region you serve. 

For example, in the UK, forms often ask for counties and postcodes, whereas other countries may have different address structures.

Contact Information Customisation

Consider how your contact information is displayed. For UK users, you might prominently feature your UK offices, while for Germany, you should list your German offices first. Remember to adjust hours of operation, phone numbers, email addresses, and other key details to reflect regional specifics. These elements are essential not only for user experience but also as strong regional signals for search engines.

E-Commerce Considerations

If you run an e-commerce business, you have even more localisation opportunities. Different regions may require varying product offerings, prices, currencies, taxes, payment methods, delivery options, and even different ways to write product descriptions that align with local messaging or legal requirements.

Publishing and Content Organisation

For sites promoting global content, such as news outlets or professional organisations, think about what content is most relevant to each region based on language and location. Your content organisation, menu, and navigation should be tailored to local audiences. Similarly, for B2B websites, consider adjusting the products and services you promote in each locale. 

Highlight case studies or client lists that resonate with local audiences. Customising these elements can significantly improve your site’s relevance to regional users.

Incorporating Structured Data

To further optimise for local search, incorporate schema.org structured data. This helps search engines understand the attributes of a location and how it fits within your organisation. Schema.org is a type of code that provides explicit information to search engines about your business, products, services, or other types of content. 

Basic structured data for international SEO can help search engines understand your content’s language and location, thus improving search results.

For example, you can use the schema.org/organisation markup to define your address, location, phone numbers, email, and other contact details. If you want to highlight a regional office, you can use schema.org/localbusiness to specify the services offered, hours of operation, currencies, and more for that location.

By incorporating localisation and structured data into your international SEO strategy, you enhance your content’s relevance to users in different regions. As search engines better understand your content in context, they can deliver the most relevant results to users, ultimately benefiting your international visibility and reach.

Once the logistics and infrastructure of your multilingual or multi-regional site are set, the next crucial step is translating and localising your content for the specific languages and countries you are targeting. This is an important process that requires time and resources; it’s not an area where corners should be cut.

Relying on Automated Translation Services

While automated translation tools powered by machine learning and artificial intelligence are improving, they should not be relied upon as the sole method for translating your content. These tools can serve as a good starting point, but they still cannot match the nuance and quality of real professional translators. Native speakers from the regions you want to target can offer insights that automated systems simply cannot provide.

If your team lacks the necessary in-house translation resources, there are numerous reputable translation services that specialise in tailoring content to specific regions. These services ensure that the quality of your translated content is on par with your original content.

Focus on More Than Just Words

Remember that translation is not just about converting words from one language to another. It’s about conveying the correct meaning and context, and understanding the cultural and linguistic nuances that come with different languages. 

This requires human expertise and intuition.

It’s essential to think beyond page elements like titles, metadata, and image alt texts, which are often overlooked in automated translations. These details can significantly impact user experience and SEO.

Account for Cultural and Linguistic Differences

To elevate your translations, consider cultural and linguistic differences that may influence how content is understood in different regions. Idioms, metaphors, and expressions can be particularly challenging. For example, the English idiom “You’re pulling my leg” could be translated literally into Spanish, but a Spanish speaker would likely find it nonsensical. Instead, the equivalent expression in Spanish might be “me tomas el pelo,” meaning “you’re pulling my hair,” but even that phrase may vary across different Spanish-speaking countries.

If you target multiple Spanish-speaking countries, consider creating regional versions of your pages to account for these variations. Similarly, referencing local heroes, celebrities, or sports teams can be effective in one region but irrelevant or confusing in others. 

For instance, an Indian company referencing the endorsement of the National Cricket team might not resonate as strongly in countries where other sports dominate.

Work with SEO-Savvy Translators

When selecting a translation service, it’s important to choose one that understands SEO. Effective international SEO requires conducting keyword research tailored to different languages and regions. By mapping target keywords to your localised pages, you can enhance the search visibility of your content across multiple regions and languages.

A skilled translator will know how to integrate local keywords naturally into the content, optimising it for both the user and search engines. This ensures that your site ranks well in various regions and speaks directly to the needs and expectations of users.

Effective search engine optimization (SEO) helps search engines discover, index, and return relevant results to potential visitors. For international websites, applying on-page SEO tactics can significantly boost visibility and user experience across different regions and languages.

URLs

URLs present a unique opportunity to communicate content to search engines. They also play a crucial role in user experience, helping visitors quickly understand what a page is about and where they are in the site’s structure. 

Keep URLs concise, relevant, and use target keywords in the respective language. For instance, if you’re creating a Spanish-language page about the best restaurants in the Tyrol region of Austria, use a URL like:

www.example.com/restaurantes-mejores-tyrol-austria

Avoid using the same URL structure across all languages, as this misses an important opportunity for localisation.

Page Titles

The title element in an HTML document is vital for both search engines and users. It helps search engines understand what your page is about, and it often appears in search results. Use unique titles for each page, incorporating relevant keywords at the beginning. 

Aim for a length of 50–60 characters to ensure readability and proper indexing.

Meta Descriptions

While the meta description doesn’t directly impact rankings, it plays a key role in click-through rates by enticing users to click on your search listing. 

Craft compelling meta descriptions that accurately describe the content, and target around 150 characters for optimal display.

Header Tags (H1)

H1 tags are important for both search engines and users in identifying the main topics or themes of a page. Use H1 tags accurately to describe the page’s content, including your target keywords. This can improve the visibility of your content in search engine results and enhance user experience.

Image Optimisation

Follow best practices for image optimisation, including optimising image file names and adding translated alternative text. This is an often overlooked opportunity to improve search visibility for localised content. 

Avoid using text inside images, but if it’s necessary (e.g., buttons or promotional elements), make sure the text is updated to the local language.

Page Copy

The content on your page should be well-written, relevant, and engaging, with your target keywords included. Remember that high-quality content that resonates with local users is critical for successful international SEO.

Schema.org Structured Data

Implement schema.org structured data where possible. This markup helps search engines understand the context of your content, making it easier to index and serve to users in relevant regions and languages. Structured data can improve your visibility in search engine results and enhance the user experience.

Site Structure and Internal Linking

For international SEO, ensure that your internal linking structure is optimised. Pages of a specific language or regional version should link to other pages within the same language or region. Additionally, link between pages in different languages strategically to help search engine crawlers discover all your content. 

This internal linking strategy can also influence the importance of pages based on how frequently and where they are linked to within your site.

By focusing on these core on-page tactics, you can enhance your international SEO efforts and ensure your content is optimised for both search engines and users in various languages and regions.

Keyword research is crucial for SEO, particularly for international markets. As search engines become more personalised and region-specific, understanding the words and phrases your target audience uses is vital. To optimise effectively, you must know exactly what you’re optimising for. 

Here’s a breakdown of key considerations when conducting international keyword research.

Initial Keyword List

Start with a seed list of keywords that align with your goals. If you already have an existing list from your primary language, begin by translating these keywords. However, don’t stop there—this is just the starting point. You need to adjust the list region by region, ensuring that the terms are relevant for each target market.

For example, if your business cannot offer a product in a specific region, remove related keywords from that region’s list. This ensures that your keyword list is always aligned with your actual offerings.

Focus on Local Search Intent

While translating keywords, don’t just rely on direct translations. The phrases that work in your primary language might not have the same impact in other languages. For instance, if you offer a moving service and translate “moving service” directly into Spanish, you might end up with a phrase that refers to physically relocating houses, rather than the intended service. 

Therefore, conduct proper keyword research to find the most suitable and accurate equivalents in the target language.

For different regions, there may be varying terms. For example, in the UK, “elevator repair” is typically referred to as “lift repair.” Always adapt your keywords to the regional nuances and ensure they reflect the search intent of local users.

Regional Differences and Competition

International keyword research is not just about translation; it’s about understanding local competition and the market dynamics in each region. In some countries, you may be competing against both local and global competitors, in addition to search engine elements such as news, maps, and images. 

Therefore, ensure your keyword selection targets terms with sufficient search volume and achievable competition.

Keyword Research Tools

There are many keyword research tools available that provide valuable insights on search volume and keyword competition. Some tools specifically focus on international markets, providing regional search data. However, always use the search engines’ native tools—such as Google, Bing, Baidu, or Yandex. 

These platforms offer valuable insights into how users in different regions search for information.

Understanding the Searcher’s Perspective

At the core of international keyword research is understanding the mindset of your target audience. The more you can immerse yourself in the local culture, mindset, and native language, the more effectively you can predict how people will search for your products and services. Ultimately, this local insight will guide your keyword strategy and ensure you’re targeting the right terms to reach your audience.

After translating and regionalising your content, the next step is focusing on off-page SEO, which involves building links and encouraging interactions that drive traffic and engagement. Off-page factors are vital for ensuring your content reaches both local and global markets effectively. 

Here’s a breakdown of how to implement off-page strategies for international SEO.

Registering for Local Business Portals

One of the first steps is to establish your presence on local business portals. For example, registering for a Google Business Profile allows you to associate your business with local addresses, contact details, and languages. Similarly, claim your business on platforms like Bing Places. 

These local business profiles help search engines see your organisation as locally relevant and provide valuable backlinks to your site.

These links are crucial for improving your visibility in the target regions.

Quality Local Directories

Listing your business in relevant, quality directories can provide valuable backlinks. Focus on directories that have a local or regional focus. Avoid generic directories that list any business without curation or charge fees for listing, as these often offer lower-quality links. Instead, look for directories that are specific to your industry or region. 

These high-quality links improve your search engine rankings in the targeted locale.

Review Sites and Industry-Specific Platforms

Review sites are another excellent source of off-page references. Depending on your business, there are many industry-specific review sites, some of which have regional versions. These reviews create references to your localised pages, boosting their visibility. 

Research which review platforms are popular in the countries you’re targeting and ensure your business is listed on these sites to strengthen your local SEO efforts.

Local Community Engagement and Press

One of the best sources of regionally-focused backlinks comes from community involvement and local events. Sponsoring or hosting events that are covered by local news can result in valuable backlinks. Similarly, engaging with professional associations and gaining local press coverage also help increase your local visibility. 

These types of references add authenticity and relevance to your international SEO efforts.

Social Media and Regional Networks

Social networks are important for off-page SEO, and their influence extends far beyond the major platforms. There are thousands of social networks specific to industries, topics, and regions, and these can be particularly powerful for SEO. By sharing your content on these platforms, you can gain direct mentions, backlinks, and increased visibility. 

Research and participate in social networks that are popular in your target regions to maximise your reach.

Tailoring for Each Region

As you increase exposure for your localised content, it’s essential to approach each locale uniquely. Cultural differences, regional preferences, and language variations should all be considered. Working with a local expert who understands these nuances can help optimise your off-page strategies. 

Building reliable, authoritative links from local sources will ensure your international SEO efforts are successful, helping to attract local visitors to your content.

Measuring the performance of your international SEO efforts involves similar principles to traditional marketing channels, but with a specific focus on languages, regions, or combinations of the two. 

Here’s a guide on how to evaluate your international SEO performance using Google Analytics, offering a basic yet effective approach.

Using Google Analytics to Track Performance

Google Analytics provides a valuable set of tools for measuring the performance of your international SEO efforts. A simple starting point is the Demographics report under User Attributes. This report allows you to view data on where your visitors are coming from.

Also, how engaged they are with your content, and whether they are converting according to your business goals. 

Here’s how to dig deeper into your data:

• Filter by Country: Begin by assessing which countries are sending the most traffic. This basic level of information can help you identify where your international audience is located.
• Drill Down to Specific Regions: To get more granular, you can filter your traffic by specific regions or cities. For example, you could filter traffic to see how many visitors are coming from Canada. 

By adding a secondary dimension, such as city or language, you can gather even more specific insights into where engagement is highest and which regions are converting.

Digging Deeper: City-Level Insights

Let’s say you are getting twice the number of users from Toronto compared to Montreal. While engagement might be similar, you notice that Montreal is driving significantly more conversions. 

This could suggest that Montreal has a higher-quality audience, and it would be worth investigating further.

• Language-Specific Insights: By adding a secondary dimension of Language, you can see which languages are driving the most conversions. For instance, if Montreal’s conversions are coming mainly from English-speaking users, this could support the idea of expanding your content in French to cater to the local market.

Traffic Acquisition and Organic Search Performance

Another useful report is Traffic Acquisition, specifically looking at data coming from organic channels. By filtering the data to focus on organic search, you can evaluate how well your international SEO efforts are performing across different search engines. This view helps you assess:

• Search Engine Trends: By monitoring how traffic is performing over time, you can spot trends, such as a downward movement in traffic. If you notice a drop, you can add additional filters to look at the performance by language or country. This deeper analysis helps identify which regions or languages need more attention.

Using Data to Refine Your Strategy

Understanding the performance of your international SEO efforts doesn’t just help you measure success; it also informs future decisions about where to focus your resources. For example, if your content is performing well in a particular region, you might decide to allocate more resources to further enhance your SEO efforts in that area.

Analytics tools allow for countless customisations, giving you the flexibility to slice and dice your data in various ways. The more you explore, the more insights you’ll uncover that can guide your international SEO strategy and ensure it aligns with your business goals.

Reporting plays a key role in evaluating and guiding your international SEO strategy. While deep analysis helps you understand your audience and identify areas for improvement, regular reporting allows you to track performance trends over time, recognise successes, and identify where further effort is needed.

Streamlining Your Reporting Process

Manually pulling data from different platforms can be time-consuming. Fortunately, there are now plenty of automated reporting and visualisation tools available that connect to your analytics, webmaster tools, and SEO platforms. 

These tools save time by keeping your reports consistently updated with minimal maintenance, and they cater to a wide range of budgets.

Tailoring Reports to the Right Audience

Reports should always be aligned with their intended audience. Management usually needs a high-level overview, while tactical teams working on execution require more detailed data. Every metric should serve a purpose—if a report element doesn’t support action or insight, it likely doesn’t belong.

It’s also worth noting that detailed one-off analyses are still best handled directly within analytics or specialised SEO tools. Reports should focus on what matters most and what supports ongoing decision-making.

Key Metrics to Monitor

For international SEO, it’s helpful to report on:

1. The volume of localised content being created, which supports content accountability.
2. Organic search traffic by country, language, and search engine—highlighting regional performance.
3. Engagement, conversion, and revenue data from organic traffic by region or language—offering insights into ROI.
4. Keyword rankings across international markets—showing progress in visibility.
5. The number of external backlinks and mentions—reflecting your off-page efforts.

Automation tools can make these elements easier to track consistently and can integrate with common reporting platforms.

Making Reports Actionable and Accessible

To support a culture of data-informed decisions, reports should be shared widely across your organisation. Include them in regular team meetings and strategic planning sessions. 

The more accessible your insights, the more they will influence meaningful action.

Continuous Improvement Through Monitoring

International SEO is an ongoing process. Consistently measuring what matters—traffic, engagement, visibility, and content performance—helps ensure that your strategy evolves in the right direction. Focused, well-structured reports are one of the best tools for keeping your efforts aligned with your goals.

We hope this guide has provided a clear overview of international SEO and equipped you with essential concepts to consider when optimising for global search visibility. Whether you’re expanding into new regions or refining your multilingual strategies, success depends on a few core practices.

Understanding your audience’s languages and regions is foundational. From there, optimising your website content for those international targets and building authority beyond your site are central to improving visibility. 

Consistent measurement, thoughtful analysis, and structured reporting ensure that you stay on course—highlighting both wins and areas that require more attention.

Staying Updated and Going Deeper

If you’re looking to explore SEO more broadly, the SEO Foundations guide is an excellent next step. It dives deeper into core concepts and offers additional resources that can support your learning and application of SEO techniques.

The digital landscape evolves quickly. Search habits change, search engines update their algorithms, and new tools continue to emerge. While it’s valuable to stay informed about trends and innovations, it’s reassuring to know that the core principles of effective SEO have remained remarkably consistent.

Thank you for exploring international SEO with Courses Buddy. As you move forward, keep refining your strategies, measuring what matters, and adapting to changes while holding firm to SEO fundamentals. 

We look forward to seeing your content perform across global search engines.