9 Ways to Conduct International SEO for a Multilingual Website

In the ever-evolving landscape of global digital marketing, mastering international SEO is crucial for multilingual websites. We’ve gathered insights from seasoned professionals, including Digital Marketers and SEO Consultants, to offer you nine specific tips. From localizing content with cultural nuance to optimizing headlines for both keywords and appeal, these experts unveil their best practices for a successful international SEO strategy.

Want to get quoted in MarketerInterview.com content just like this? Apply to become a contributor today!

Localize Content with Cultural Nuance

Content localization goes beyond translations. Do the hard work, which involves researching cultural nuances and preferences, so that you can create content that feels native to the audience you’re targeting in each market. In return, your content will resonate and drive meaningful engagement.

Andrew Ganesh, Digital Marketer, neshworks

Conduct In-Depth International Keyword Research

Keyword research is one of the most important pillars of international SEO. It’s not about translating words. It’s about understanding different cultures, languages, and search behaviors to reach global audiences effectively. Here are some tips to make your international keyword research effective:

1) Start by identifying the countries or regions you want to target. Consider factors such as language preferences, cultural nuances, purchasing behaviors, and market demand for your products or services.

2) Gather insights about your target markets, including their demographics, language variations, popular search engines (e.g., Google, Yahoo, Bing), and competitors’ strategies. Tools like Google Trends, SEMrush, and Ahrefs can provide valuable data.

3) Avoid literal translations of keywords. Instead, use localization services or native speakers to translate and adapt keywords to fit cultural contexts, search intents, and regional dialects. Humorous or colloquial phrases may vary widely across languages!

4) Use keyword research tools to identify high-volume and relevant keywords in your target languages. Focus on long-tail keywords and consider regional variations, synonyms, and common misspellings.

5) Understand the search intent behind keywords. Are users looking for information, products, services, or solutions? Tailor your content to match the intent and provide valuable answers or solutions.

Fun fact:

A shoe brand learned the hard way that “slippers” in the UK mean something entirely different in the US. After refining their international keywords to include “flip-flops” and “sandals,” they saw a spike in global sales.

Kate Dzhevaga, Marketing Team Lead, SYMVOLT

Use Distinct URLs for Language Versions

Avoid dynamically changing your content based on language—it’s likely that Google won’t find your other localized versions. Instead, work with your developers and use different URLs for different language versions.

I had a client who wasn’t able to rank with localized keywords. Right after we revamped the URL structure and used subdirectories (such as /es/, /fr/) to separate different languages, we immediately observed a fivefold increase in the number of ranking keywords in each region, and the client was able to rank for localized keywords.

Aubrey Yung, SEO Consultant, Aubrey Yung

Implement Hreflang Tags Correctly

Implementing hreflang tags correctly is key for managing a multilingual website to ensure it performs well in search engine results across different regions and languages.

These tags help search engines like Google understand which version of a page is appropriate for users based on their language and geography.

It’s important to remember that hreflang tags should ALWAYS be reciprocal (bi-directional) and self-referencing. This means that every version of a page should include a reference to itself and to every other version in different languages.

For example, if your site has English, Spanish, and French versions, each page in English should include hreflang tags pointing to the corresponding pages in Spanish and French, as well as to itself.

Many overlook this and wonder why their SEO is lacking. So that would be my main tip.

Janis Thies, Founder, SEOlutions

Prioritize Quality Translations

A vital practice for conducting international SEO on a multilingual website is to prioritize high-quality, culturally relevant translations. Avoid relying solely on automatic translation tools like Google Translate, as they often miss linguistic nuances and can produce awkward or incorrect text. Instead, employ professional translators who understand the cultural context of your target audience.

This approach ensures that not only the main content but also currencies, time zones, and image alt texts are accurately translated and localized, enhancing both user experience and search engine optimization. This meticulous attention to detail in translation and on-page SEO setup will significantly improve your site’s relevance and performance in international markets.

Marco Genaro Palma, Freelance CMO and SEO Consultant, SEO Coach

Base SEO Strategy on Detailed Research

Use a tool like Ahrefs or SEMrush to collect the keyword data for each country you’re aiming to create content for, in the language you’re looking to target. 

Creating a sound international SEO strategy comes down to proper research at the start. Don’t shortcut the process. It may take 10-20+ hours, or longer, depending on how many countries you’re looking to target, but the research will be well worth it. Your strategy will be backed by data, and you’ll have a clear path for how to create content that can rank in those countries outside of your own. 

Once you’ve conducted the research, you should have an SEO strategy for each country, specific to the language of that country. You can then intelligently implement, execute, and measure the results.

Connor Gillivan, Entrepreneur, Owner and CMO, TrioSEO

Focus on Unique User Experiences

I appreciate that many people will look at this from probably a technical, language reference perspective.

However, my emphasis here would actually be on focusing on unique user experiences. One error we see a lot of the time when businesses are conducting international SEO, particularly for multilingual websites, is that they forget about the user experience, nuances of different cultures.

So, for example, if someone’s trying to rank a website or make their product rank well in the UK, you know exactly what a consumer wants to see. You know the elements they want to see; for example, we found that having FAQ sections on each page for a specific product works really well in the UK.

However, doing the same for a product page in America doesn’t have the same impact. Americans don’t seem to value FAQ sections as much, and they’re more willing to take a risk when it comes to purchasing, more so than a British audience.

So I would say focus on the UX and just do a bit of split testing. Test different landing pages in the same language or country and discover which elements, which user experience elements, those users like the most.

Aled Nelmes, Founder and CEO, Lumen SEO

Partner Locally and Leverage Facebook Ads

In my role within eCommerce, prioritizing brand growth in new countries is fundamental. Given the dynamic nature of Google’s algorithms, establishing a strong brand presence is becoming increasingly essential. To effectively penetrate new markets, I focus on two main strategies:

Partnering with Local Marketplaces: Collaborating with platforms such as Allegro, Cdiscount, or El Corte Inglés helps familiarize local users with our brand. This exposure is pivotal in building initial trust and recognition.

Leveraging Facebook Ads: By running sales campaigns on Facebook, we not only boost direct sales but also stimulate brand-related searches on Google. This dual-benefit approach enhances our visibility and reinforces our market presence.

Notably, in some European markets like the Czech Republic, Portugal, and Romania, it’s possible to achieve strong rankings for transactional keywords without the need for extensive local link-building. This efficiency allows us to allocate resources more strategically and gain traction in these regions with greater ease.

Fran Murillo, CEO, OhMyTuft.com

Optimize Headlines with Keywords and Appeal

Writing compelling headlines requires a strategic blend of keyword optimization and reader appeal. Start by conducting thorough keyword research to identify high-traffic terms and relevant topics within the personal finance niche. 

Incorporate these keywords into your headlines to increase visibility and attract organic traffic. Don’t forget to leverage power words and emotional triggers to captivate readers and encourage click-throughs. Strike a balance between SEO optimization and user engagement to maximize the effectiveness of your headlines.

Our writers prioritize clarity and relevance when crafting headlines for personal finance content. Clearly communicate the value proposition and main topic of the article to entice readers to click through. 

Avoid ambiguity or misleading promises that could damage credibility and deter users. Utilize numbers, statistics, or actionable insights to convey the tangible benefits of reading the article. By aligning headline messaging with reader expectations and search intent, you can increase engagement and drive traffic to your content.

Ihor Lavrenenko, CEO, Dental SEO Expert

Want to get quoted in MarketerInterview.com content just like this? Apply to become a contributor today!