(Newswire.net — March 2, 2021) — Some companies operate internationally. They have target audiences from around the world. These companies must have an international SEO strategy. However, even small business owners can also have an SEO strategy to target international audiences. The truth is that even these established companies didn’t start to become an international brand. They also started as small businesses. Due to their international strategy, the companies managed to see the potentials for advertising in the international markets. With the help of the best SEO agencies in Houston, it’s possible to expand and include audiences from other countries.
It’s not only about translating content
To target audiences in different places, it’s important to have a functioning website using different languages. For instance, if the American-based company wants to include Canada as part of its market, some French speakers might feel interested in buying the products. Therefore, the website should also have a French version for these audiences. While it’s important to translate the content, it’s not the only strategy.
The goal is also to localize the content. Certain nuances might work well for some groups of people but might not be relevant elsewhere. Understanding the cultural context would be necessary. Even the currencies used across different countries are also different. Being sensitive to these differences would make the company more appealing across borders. The key is empathy. Businesses that want to target people from other places should try to understand their cultures and practices.
Allow search engines to identify the audiences
Search engines don’t immediately determine the target audiences of the content posted. Therefore, the company should have an effort to guarantee that the content will be visible to the intended audiences. Content analysis is the first step. If the target audiences are British, the content should be in British English. Check the spelling and context to ensure that Google understands that it’s for British audiences. The backlink profile is another important aspect. If the backlinks have domains from the target country, Google will associate them with that specific market. If the backlinks connect with the German market, Google will find a way to make it more visible to the German audiences.
Completing the business listing profile would also be helpful. When people search for information using the business listing, it will appear as one of the options.
Conduct a market search
To successfully target an international market, conducting market research is the most important step. It’s crucial to know if the audiences may want to purchase the products and services. There’s no point in targeting them if what the company offers isn’t relevant to them. Conducting keyword research would also help understand the popularity level of the products to the target market.
Competitor research would also help determine if a company that caters to the needs of these people already exists. If they feel satisfied with the existing option, it would be difficult to compete. However, if there’s still sufficient space for a competitor in the market, that group of people is the perfect target.
During the market search, the company will know what’s most important for these people. If there’s already an existing brand, the company can compete by offering more affordable prices or a more comfortable payment option. Presenting them with more varied options like colors, sizes, and quality might be an effective strategy. After conducting the market search, the business will know if the international marketing strategy would work.
Create a leadership structure
Just like multinational companies, it’s also important to have different leadership positions for managing the international SEO strategy. There can be someone who has the entire team and is responsible for defining the strategy. However, there are local teams that are responsible for executing these strategies. In doing so, it’s easier to think of a more targeted approach while having a consistent message across-the-board. It also ensures that the brand is consistent regardless of the location.
Automatic translation tools are a big no
Since it’s important to cater to people who speak different languages, the company might feel tempted to use automatic translation tools. They are a big no. These tools aren’t perfect, and they might not produce content that humans can read properly. There might also be some jargon and nuanced terms that won’t easily get translated to the target language. It could lead to confusion. Worse, the target audiences might think that the business isn’t serious about reaching out to them. Hiring people to translate the text instead of using the automatic translation feature would be a better option.
Don’t practice cloaking
Clocking is the practice of creating different versions of the same content. One version is for the target users, while the other version is for search engines. The goal is to rank higher in search engines using a more technical SEO approach. This approach is as popular as an auto-redirect solution for international audiences. While it works for them, it doesn’t do the same for search engines. Therefore, instead of ranking higher in the search engine results, it only makes things worse.
Keep trying
Managing a local company is already challenging. It’s even worse if the business would like to extend its appeal to an international market. It’s not easy to convince people to purchase the products and services right away. Therefore, having a strong international SEO approach would be necessary. It also takes time to introduce a brand from a different country to another. Some people have a hard time trusting this brand, especially if they already have a different partner in the past.
The best SEO agencies are there
The good thing is that experts like the best SEO agencies in Houston can help. They have already worked with different companies in the past, and some of them attempted to be more popular in the international market. They have different strategies to ensure that the business will achieve its goals. Again, it could take a while to be more popular across borders, but it’s possible. All businesses started small and targeted local audiences first. Being popular in other countries is impossible if the brand is yet to establish itself in the local area.