A Quick Reference Guide to Getting Started with International SEO
Here's a fast guide to everything you need to know about implementing a global SEO plan.
For many businesses, having a global website is one of the most effective strategies to reach a larger audience and expand their market.
As more quick and easy website design services become available, even a single person can start a business by using a global website to target overseas markets.
However, having a worldwide website does not guarantee your success in other nations.
Furthermore, adhering to basic SEO best practices will not make your global website competitive in all of your target nations. While there appears to be no end to the amount of material available on foreign SEO, it is a fact that many of these resources are outdated.
Should I Go Global? And, more importantly, where is my market?
It's always a good idea to look over some market studies, statistics, and even your own website data before diving into international SEO.
This is especially crucial if you are unsure about the opportunities in various nations or need to persuade your bosses.
These resources help you choose the countries/markets you would like to follow:
Trade.gov and WTO.org, for example, are government and trade organization websites that provide the most up-to-date international business and trade news and statistics.
Internet World Stats, Econsultancy, and McKinsey & Company are just a few of the companies that provide Internet-related research and statistics. There is also a slew of websites dedicated to specific countries.
Note: Regardless of which local version of Google a searcher is using, Google now delivers search results based on the searcher's location.
Even when searching for the same keyword, Google.com used to return different search results than Google U.K.
However, unless you search in three distinct countries, you will obtain the same results in all three Google searches.
Is it better to use Google or not?
While Google is by far the most widely used search engine on the planet, there are some countries where locally developed search engines are significantly more popular.
If you're aiming for one of the countries listed below, you'll need to pay particular attention.
Baidu Isn't Just A Search Engine
News, maps, government searches, an encyclopedia, internet TV, anti-virus software, and more are available to Baidu users.
Baidu's Influence is Growing Outside of China
Baidu USA was established in 2014 and is based in Sunnyvale, California.
Research by Baidu U.S.\sBaidu Intelligent Driving Group of the United States Department of Commerce Smart Living Group of the United States of America U.S.
Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent (together known as B.A.T.) are three of China's most powerful firms, and their influence is spreading far beyond the country's borders.
All three are hiring American workers and investing in AI firms in the US.
Is Baidu the Next-Generation Search Engine?
Baidu's current dominance in the Chinese market, as well as its phenomenal rise over the years, are undeniable.
Is it better to have a single worldwide website or many websites?
If your target market is big, consider creating a website for each country.
It is always preferable to have a dedicated website for each target country, not only for SEO reasons but also to create a better user experience for local visitors. It also enables you to use various formats and information on each site as required.
This, however, may not be a practical option for you, at least not right away. You'll have a website for each language spoken in your target country in that instance.
It's fine to do so because you might wish to test the water before diving in.
Fortunately, we can tell Google what language and country each page was designed for by using hreflang hashtags.
Should I go with a ccTLD or a gTLD for my domain?
If you had asked me this question in 2008, I would have said ccTLD. For a variety of reasons, this option is not available to everyone.
Fortunately, because the search engines reach so far, it has little effect on your SEO.
Is it true that hosting is important?
One of the most crucial factors for international SEO related to geotargeting is the location of the web server.
However, because you have other options for appropriately targeting your online market to search engines and CDN managed regions, it isn't as critical right now.
The host's location, on the other hand, has a big impact on page speed. Make sure that your website is easily accessible in the countries you're targeting.
What is the best way to go about Alternative Geotargeting?
When website owners transition from ccTLDs and local marketplace hosting, geotargeting is perhaps one of the most common mistakes they make.
You can geotarget your website and pages in a variety of ways. Here are a few popular approaches:
In the Google Search Console, assigning geolocation.