5 International SEO Tips That Don’t Include Hreflang

When expanding your website’s reach across borders, international SEO becomes crucial for attracting global traffic. While many discussions around international SEO focus on hreflang tags—a tool that helps search engines serve the right language and regional version of your site—there’s much more to optimizing for global audiences. From cultural nuances to technical elements, there are several factors to consider for successful international SEO.

Here are five international SEO tips that don’t include hreflang, but can still help boost your visibility in multiple markets and ensure that your site performs well across borders.

1. Use Country-Specific Domains (ccTLDs) or Subdomains

One of the most effective ways to target users in specific countries is to use country-code top-level domains (ccTLDs) or subdomains. A ccTLD, such as .uk for the United Kingdom or .fr for France, signals to search engines and users that your content is tailored to a particular country. This can improve your search visibility in that region and make your website feel more relevant to local users.

If using ccTLDs isn’t an option, subdomains (e.g., uk.yoursite.com or fr.yoursite.com) are a great alternative. They allow you to create a dedicated version of your site for different countries, helping you optimize your content and marketing strategy based on regional needs without overcomplicating your website structure.

• Tip: Ensure that each country-specific domain or subdomain has localized content (discussed below) and is properly indexed in the country you’re targeting.

2. Localize Your Content Beyond Translation

Translating your website content is an obvious first step, but effective international SEO requires localization—adapting your content to fit the cultural, linguistic, and behavioral nuances of each market. Localization goes beyond translation and involves adjusting your messaging, visuals, and even product offerings to resonate with local audiences.

For example:

• Currency and units: Display prices in local currencies and use region-specific units of measurement (e.g., kilometers vs. miles).
• Cultural references: Remove or replace any references that don’t make sense to local audiences, and incorporate local examples where possible.
• Tone and formality: Some cultures respond better to formal language, while others prefer a more casual approach. Adapt your tone accordingly.

By fully localizing your content, you’ll create a more relevant and engaging experience for users in each region, increasing the chances of them staying on your site and converting.

3. Focus on Local SEO for Each Target Market

While general SEO strategies apply worldwide, it’s important to also prioritize local SEO in each of your target markets. Search engines like Google favor websites that provide locally relevant information, and optimizing your content for local search terms and directories can give you a competitive edge.

Here are a few local SEO strategies to consider:

• Google My Business: Set up and optimize a Google My Business profile for each region to improve local visibility and appear in local search results and Google Maps.
• Local keywords: Conduct region-specific keyword research to find out what local users are searching for, and incorporate these keywords naturally into your content.
• Local backlinks: Earning links from local websites, blogs, and directories can boost your authority in that region. Seek out partnerships and collaborations with local businesses or influencers.
• Tip: Each country or region may have its own popular review sites or business directories, so make sure your business is listed where it matters most.

4. Optimize for Regional Search Engines

Google may dominate the global search engine market, but it’s not the only player. In certain regions, other search engines like Baidu in China, Yandex in Russia, and Naver in South Korea hold a significant share of the market. To reach users in these countries, it’s important to optimize your site specifically for these search engines.

Each search engine has its own ranking factors, and optimizing for them requires some adjustments:

• Baidu: Baidu places a heavy emphasis on Chinese-language content, fast loading speeds, and locally hosted websites. Ensure your site is optimized for mobile and use Chinese characters in titles and meta descriptions.
• Yandex: Yandex values user behavior metrics like time on site and bounce rates, so focus on providing high-quality, relevant content that keeps users engaged. Also, hosting your website in Russia may improve rankings.
• Naver: Naver prioritizes its own search ecosystem, which includes blogs and user-generated content. Getting your business listed in Naver’s own directory and using Naver-specific content formats can help improve visibility.

By optimizing for regional search engines, you’ll improve your chances of appearing in front of your target audience in these markets.

5. Improve Site Speed and User Experience Globally

Site speed and user experience are important ranking factors for SEO across the board, but they become even more crucial when targeting international audiences. Slow load times, especially for users in distant regions, can lead to poor user experience and lower rankings.

Here’s how to improve site speed and UX globally:

• Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN): A CDN distributes your website’s files across servers around the world, allowing users to access your site from the server closest to them. This reduces load times and improves user experience.
• Optimize images and media: Large, uncompressed images can slow down your site, especially for users with slower internet connections. Use image compression tools and responsive design techniques to optimize media for different devices and bandwidths.
• Test your site globally: Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or WebPageTest allow you to test your site’s performance from different regions, so you can see how users experience your site globally and make necessary improvements.

A fast, user-friendly website that performs well across different regions will not only help with SEO rankings but also reduce bounce rates and keep visitors on your site longer.

Conclusion

Optimizing your website for international markets involves more than just translating your content or adding hreflang tags. By focusing on localizing content, choosing the right domain strategy, optimizing for local search engines, and ensuring a top-notch user experience worldwide, you can significantly improve your international SEO efforts.

At DigitLeap, we specialize in helping businesses expand their digital presence globally. Whether you’re just starting with international SEO or looking to refine your strategy, we can help you optimize for success in multiple markets. Let’s work together to grow your brand globally and boost your search engine rankings around the world.

FAQs

Q1. What is the difference between translation and localization in SEO?

Translation involves converting your content from one language to another, while localization involves adapting your content to fit cultural, linguistic, and regional preferences to better resonate with local audiences.

Q2. Why are ccTLDs important for international SEO?

Country-specific domains (ccTLDs) signal to search engines and users that your content is tailored for a specific country, improving your visibility and search rankings in that region.

Q3. Should I optimize for search engines other than Google?

Yes, especially in markets where Google is not the dominant search engine. For example, Baidu is the leading search engine in China, and Yandex is popular in Russia. Optimizing for these platforms is crucial for reaching local users.

Q4. How can local SEO improve my international reach?

Local SEO helps you target users in specific regions by optimizing your content for local keywords, earning backlinks from local websites, and appearing in regional search results and directories like Google My Business.

Q5. How does using a CDN improve site performance for international users?

A CDN distributes your site’s content across multiple servers worldwide, reducing the distance data has to travel and speeding up load times for users, no matter where they are located.