International SEO for international companies – because every country searches differently 

1. search terms are country-specific, even if you actually speak the same language 

“Actual” is not the same as “current”. Even if a word sounds the same in English and German, it doesn’t necessarily mean the same thing. And internationally, even English is not the same: if you want to sell pants online in the USA, you use the term “pants”. In the UK, this term is used to attract visitors to your website who are looking for underpants – because that’s what the term “pants” means in British English. This is when a supposed SEO optimization backfires: not only does the disappointed shopper leave the website immediately, but their quick exit also affects the SEO ranking of the website. This is because an increased bounce rate has a negative effect on the ranking in the search engine results. This literally backfires.

2. native speakers from the target country are the ideal way to be perceived as a local player 

Do you like to buy locally? Then you’re in good company. Local suppliers tend to be given the benefit of the doubt, while newcomers to the local market tend to be treated with caution. How do you still manage to overcome this hurdle with flying colors? Local native speakers not only know best about the customs in their country, but also about short-term developments and trends in particular. For example, if there is a risk of forest fires in a country, you could miss the mark with “fiery” marketing.

 3. competitor analysis must be specific to the target country 

If you are new to something, you are well advised to take a good look around first: Is the competition strong and how is it positioned? Who are the top dogs, who are the hidden champions? A competitor analysis will provide you with answers to these questions – and more. After all, you need to know, for example, which keywords your future competitors are using to appear at the top of the search results.

4. not every keyword analysis tool is equally suitable for every target country

Speaking of keywords: SEO analysis tools such as “Ahrefs”, “KWFinder”, “Searchmetrics” or “SEMrush” are internationally positioned, but do not play the same role everywhere. The quality of the results provided by such SEO tools can vary greatly from country to country. When it comes to the question of which search engine tool is most effective in which country, there is therefore no way around the assessment of local SEO specialists. Incidentally, the relevance of search engines can also vary depending on the target country. For example, the market leader among search engines in China is not Google but Baidu.

5. your web content benefits from topics that are optimized for the target market 

Users love good web content. SEO experts do too. At the top of the popularity list are blogs, for example, which offer readers real added value. And here too, the topics that score points depend on the market. While you are guaranteed to be right in warm, southern climes with topics relating to the refrigeration of food, you will attract fewer readers in the cooler north. This example is obvious to SEO managers even without international SEO experience. With many topics, however, the situation is quite different. Market-relevant differences between countries and cultures can be complex. If you expand your web content with articles that are relevant to your target market, you will raise your local profile and increase your local SEO relevance.