Miranda Gahrmann presented on the Digital Marketing Summit in Dubai about International SEO and beyond. When targeting multiple languages and countries, international SEO plays an important factor to make sure the right website is served in each targeted country. Also, it's important to be aware of cultural differences and differences in language to provide a good user experience across regions.

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International SEO
Miranda Gahrmann

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Who am I?Miranda Gahrmann

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Short intro
• Bachelor in International Business &
Management
• Master in Digital Marketing
• Master of Brand, Reputation and
Design Management
• Google Analytics & Ads certified
• 11 years experience in Search
Engine Marketing
• Based in Dubai
About Miranda Gahrmann
Global eCommerce Consultant

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About Miranda Gahrmann

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Global vs local
International SEO

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Give that local feeling
• Think globally, act locally
• Give the user the feeling
it’s a website from their
country
• More trust means higher
conversion rate
Main purpose of international SEO
International SEO

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Localize content
• Website in local language
• Appropriate use of images
• Usage of capitalization
• Use local currency
• Provide local contact info
• Check for local laws
• GDPR in EU, not US
What to localize?
International SEO

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Localize content
• Also differences in the
English language, both
grammar and use of words
• Soother vs Pacifier
• Nappy vs Diaper
• Trainers vs Sneakers
• Lorry vs Truck
• Lift vs Elevator
Differences within the same language
International SEO
UK spelling Example US Spelling Example
re centre er center
our colour or color
ise apologise ize apologize
vowel + l travelled l traveled
ae leukaemia e leukemia
oe manoeuvre eu maneuver
ence defence ense defense

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Tone of voice
• Relevant for content as well
contact with local markets
• Employee of the month
works in the US, not in
Japan
• Use Hofstede Insights app to
compare your culture with
another country
Better understanding of other cultures
International SEO

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Search engines
International SEO

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Research your market
• Google has a 92% market
share globally
• 88% desktop
• 95% mobile
• 91% tablet
Which search engines to keep in mind?
International SEO

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Research your market
• Statcounter.com provides
insights in the search
engines per market
• Keep track on trends
Which search engines to keep in mind?
International SEO

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Why important?
• Get more accurate insights
in keyword trends
• Use the search engine’s
webmaster tool
• Know where to advertise
• Know the guidelines and
restrictions per search
engine
Difference between search engines
International SEO
Google Bing Naver Yandex Baidu
Main area Global Global Korea Russia China
Webmaster
tools
Google Search
console
Bing
Webmaster
Tools
Naver
Webmaster
Tools
Yandex
Webmaster
Baidu
Webmaster
Tools
XML sitemaps
Multiple, max
50k URL and
max 50MB
Multiple, max
50k URL and
max 50MB
One, max 50k
URL and max
50MB
Multiple, max
50k URL and
max 50MB
Invitation
only, max 10
MB
Hreflang Supported
Not
supported,
use content-
language tag
Not
supported,
use content-
language tag
Supported
Not
supported,
use content-
language tag
Structured
data
JSON-LD,
RDFa,
Microdata
JSON-LD,
RDFa,
Microdata,
Microformats
JSON-LD,
RDFa,
Microdata
JSON-LD,
RDFa,
Microdata,
Microformats
All formats,
must be
submit to
Baidu
Webmaster
Tools
Meta
keywords
No ranking
factor
Ranking factor Ranking factor
No ranking
factor
Ranking factor

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Research your market
• Also research device
usage
• Relevant for if you want to
launch an app
Research the device types in your target markets
International SEO

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Site setup
International SEO

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Choose the right setup
• Are you targeting specific
markets?
• Use ccTLDs, or
• Use subfolders for
countries
• Is your website in multiple
languages but not targeted
towards specific markets?
• Use subfolders
Best domain setup
International SEO

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Use language folders
International SEO

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Implement hreflang tags
• XML sitemap
• Preferred way as easiest for
governance and updating
• Automate to save time
To keep in mind
• Hreflang tags only work if the
locales refer to each other
Rank the correct locale in each market
International SEO
Hreflang tags in XML sitemap
<url>
<loc>https://www.example.com/</loc>
<xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-ae"
href="https://www.example.ae/en/” />
<xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang=”ar-ae"
href="https://www.example.ae/ar/” />
<xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang=”ar-sa"
href="https://www.example.sa/" />
<xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="x-default"
href="https://www.example.com/" />
</url>

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Another locale ranking in
your market?
• Are hreflang tags correctly
implemented?
• Is another page providing a
better answer to the user
intent?
Rank the correct locale in each market
International SEO

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Use a Content Delivery Network
• Improves the user’s experience by
faster loading times
• Reduces server load
• Quickly scalable during times of
heavy traffic
To keep in mind
• For China, local hosting is highly
recommended
Faster loading time
International SEO

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Average Internet Speeds
• Create AMP pages to enable
faster pages
• Faster loading time
• Lower bounce rate
• Higher conversion rate
• Load content in the
background for markets
with unstable internet
Faster loading time
International SEO

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Content
International SEO

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Create global keyword research
• Provide insights in global popular topics
• Input for global content strategy
• Example how to perform a keyword
research
Which topics are popular amongst your target audience?
International SEO

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Content creation
• Drive content from global
• Create content on local level
• Based on popular local topics or
events
Create content in an efficient way
International SEO
Create global content
Share content calendar
Share content
with markets
Localize
Share with
other markets
Create local content
Global team
Local team

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To keep in mind
• Certain languages consist of longer words
• Free shipping and fast delivery
• Gratis verzending en snelle levering
• Kostenloser Versand und schnelle Lieferung
Certain languages take more space
International SEO

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Organizational structure
International SEO

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Global
Local
Global vs local
• Content and outreach
require local market
knowledge
Important
• Organize knowledge
sharing sessions
• Have resources available for
implementation
How to organize SEO?
International SEO
OutreachContent
Technical
SEO

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Use local market expertise
• Outreach should be executed on local
level
• Better understanding of
landscape
• Approach sites in local language
To keep in mind
• Provide training and guidelines to
ensure good quality and white-hat
practises
• Perform regular checks
Earn quality backlinks
International SEO

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Scalability
• AMP templates instead of
separate pages
• Automate hreflang tags
• Optimize meta title and
description logic
• Buy [brand] [product]
[identifier] online | [site name]
Go after quick wins
International SEO
AMP
Logic
Auto generated
pages
Hreflang
tags
Training

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Recent updates
International SEO

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AMP stories
• Create AMP stories with
visual narratives and
tappable interactions
• Can appear as universal
result in Google’s results
pages
Create stories for your website shown in the search results
International SEO

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Takeaways
International SEO

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Global vs local
• Give that local feeling
• Technical SEO should be managed
on global level, for content and
outreach local expertise is required
• Drive content from global, and when
possible local to global
bit.ly/miranda-international-seo-2020
Takeaways
International SEO
Technical
• Choose the right domain setup
• Use language folders
• Implement and review hreflang tags
• Use a Content Delivery Network
Mobile
• Create AMP pages for faster pages
and higher conversion rate
• Create AMP stories

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THANK YOU!
MIRANDA GAHRMANN
miranda@digitalrescuerangers.com
linkedin.com/in/mirandagahrmann
@mirandagahrmann