With the development of the internet, it is now common to distribute content aimed at an international audience. Consequently, “SEO strategies for targeting overseas markets” have garnered significant attention.

By implementing SEO strategies for overseas markets, you can drive traffic and achieve various benefits such as “increased sales” and “enhanced brand awareness.” Thus, having knowledge of SEO for international markets is essential if you plan to expand your business or website globally.

This article will comprehensively explain the basics of international SEO, key points for attracting traffic, and important considerations.

If you’re considering expanding beyond domestic markets or are unfamiliar with international SEO, this article is for you.

What is International SEO?

International SEO requires creating content optimized for the target country and language. SEO strategies differ based on the country and language, so it’s essential to tailor your approach accordingly.

Additionally, you need to adapt to different search engines used in various regions. SEO stands for “Search Engine Optimization,” but the types and shares of search engines vary by country.

In Japan, Google and Yahoo! dominate the market share, and since Yahoo! uses Google’s search engine, domestic SEO strategies targeting Google are generally sufficient.

However, in countries like Russia (YANDEX), South Korea (Naver), and China (Baidu), search engine shares differ significantly. Therefore, international SEO strategies must be optimized for each specific search engine.

Thus, international SEO requires both “SEO efforts beyond Google” and “content optimized for international audiences.”

When to Implement International SEO

Whether to adopt international SEO depends on your business goals. Here are scenarios where international SEO is beneficial:

• Expanding markets overseas (gaining distribution channels)
• Benefiting from inbound demand
• Acquiring global talent
• Frequent access by users from different languages
• Frequent overseas product orders

For instance, businesses utilizing traditional Japanese crafts like Washi paper attract attention both domestically and internationally. To capture international customers, optimize site design for local languages, branch locations, shipping times, and local currency pricing.

Conversely, if your business remains local with no plans for international expansion, international SEO might offer limited benefits. Without overseas sales, it’s challenging to satisfy redirected international users.

However, given the rising inbound demand, international SEO can attract new overseas users by promoting domestic experiences like “Washi manufacturing experiences.”

If your business targets international users, international SEO provides significant value and should be considered.

What is the Difference Between International SEO and Domestic SEO?

Domestic SEO mainly targets Japanese users who search in Japanese, while international SEO optimizes the website for users searching from countries outside Japan. The differences between international SEO and domestic SEO are as follows:

• Different languages used
• Differences in trends and culture by country
• Differences in search engine market share

Here, we explain how international SEO differs from domestic SEO.

Different Languages Used

When doing international SEO, it is essential to create content tailored to each region’s language.

Even in Japan, you may have seen awkward Japanese or hard-to-read text produced by machine translation. Some might think that simply translating domestic content is sufficient, but in reality, unnatural phrasing, mistranslations, and unintended meanings can drive customers away.

To create content accepted by local users, it’s necessary to achieve native-level SEO writing by having someone familiar with the local language handle the task. Without a deep understanding of the culture and needs of that region, creating attractive content is difficult, which is why specialized international SEO is needed.

Differences in Trends and Culture by Country

When implementing international SEO, you must consider the differences in trends and culture by country. Importing content that performs well in Japan directly to other countries may not always be effective.

Conversely, many services that were not well recognized domestically gained significant attention after expanding overseas. Additionally, cultural differences by country also need to be considered. As mentioned earlier, the same word can have different meanings depending on the language and region, and certain concepts may be culturally unacceptable.

Moreover, the preferred expression styles differ. For example, American websites often use many images and tend to favor visual expressions. Compared to Japan, where the focus is on the amount of information, the expression methods used in creating content must also differ.

International SEO must take into account the differences in local food culture, trends, and religious aspects.

Differences in Search Engine Market Share

As mentioned earlier, there are significant differences in search engine market share between Japan and other countries. Even if you rank high on Google’s search results in Japan, simply translating the content may not suffice for SEO in other search engines.

Different search engines like Google and Baidu have different evaluation algorithms. Therefore, you need to tailor your SEO strategies to each country’s search engine share.

Additionally, targeting a language spoken by many people increases the number of competitors significantly. For example, implementing SEO in English means competing against many more websites compared to Japanese SEO.

Most search engines rank content based on relative evaluations with other content. Therefore, targeting a language with more speakers results in a wider market but also more and stronger competitors.

Reusing domestic content alone makes it challenging to rank high in search results. International SEO requires creating content specifically tailored to overseas users.

Benefits of Implementing International SEO

By implementing international SEO and achieving results, you can enjoy the following benefits.

Here, we explain the benefits of implementing international SEO.

Increased Search Traffic

Integrating SEO strategies for international markets can significantly increase search traffic. Simply translating domestic content into other languages can lead to an influx of foreign-language searches.

By optimizing the UI, design, and language to be more familiar to foreign users, you can expect even greater increases in search traffic. This can enhance overall traffic to your site and expand your target user base, making it a substantial benefit of international SEO.

Consider implementing a multilingual UI, such as “Japanese/English,” to begin optimizing your website before diving into full-scale SEO strategies.

Accelerated Branding

Engaging in international SEO can enhance your exposure abroad, thereby accelerating your branding efforts. As more users visit your site, the recognition of your products increases, attracting attention to your brand.

Additionally, gaining backlinks from foreign media and users, previously unattainable, becomes easier. This boosts your site’s visibility and authority, helping you achieve higher rankings on various search engines.

Targeting the Vast Overseas Market

One major advantage of international SEO is the ability to target the expansive global market. When domestic expansion reaches its limits, looking towards international markets for new opportunities is often beneficial.

Particularly, as the domestic market narrows due to population decline, focusing on global markets for products with international appeal is advisable. Additionally, incorporating new perspectives from overseas can lead to the development of innovative services and products.

Disadvantages of Implementing International SEO

Implementing international SEO is not simply about “”just doing it.”” There are both benefits and drawbacks, so it’s crucial to determine if it aligns with your business goals.

Here, we explain the disadvantages of implementing international SEO.

Potential for Failure

If you rely on poorly translated content for international SEO, there is a risk of lowering your site’s reputation. Producing low-quality content makes it challenging to achieve high search rankings. Even with international SEO efforts, you may not achieve the desired results, leading to potential failure.

Low-quality multilingual sites can drive users away, causing them to leave immediately and negatively impacting search engine rankings.

It’s essential to ensure that your content is of high quality when undertaking international SEO.

Incurs Costs

Targeting international users with SEO requires investment in content creation and site optimization, among other expenses. Expanding into new markets inevitably incurs costs.

Additionally, for a robust international presence, it’s ideal to use overseas servers. Using domestic servers can slow page loading times for international users, increasing the risk of user abandonment.

To address such issues, you’ll need to invest in “new content creation,” “server maintenance and contracts,” and “new domain acquisition and management costs.”

SEO is cost-effective if successful, but be aware that it requires significant upfront investment.

Can be Counterproductive Depending on the Business

Some may think, “Let’s increase our domain authority by getting backlinks through international SEO.” However, a challenge arises if you offer only domestic services despite implementing international SEO.

Even if you achieve high rankings, if international users visit your page and realize they aren’t the target audience, it can lead to decreased user engagement and negative impressions.

Therefore, focus on meeting user needs and creating content that caters to your target audience, rather than just aiming to attract users.

The Flow of Attracting Customers with International SEO

Implementing thorough international SEO measures can be challenging, so it is advisable to hire a professional company specializing in international SEO. However, some companies may want to adopt certain measures internally.

The process is generally the same as domestic SEO, but research tailored to the search engines and cultures of different countries is crucial. Here, we explain the steps for those considering international SEO.

*If considering repurposing existing content for Google search, managing the site in multiple regions and languages is an option
Source: Google Search Central “Managing Multiregional and Multilingual Sites“

Research International Search Needs

First, investigate international search needs. The method of researching keywords is not significantly different aside from the language differences.

However, while keyword searches like “SEO how-to” are common in Japan, some countries see more sentence-based searches. For example, in the United States, users often search in sentences like “how to do SEO for a website step-by-step.”

Based on this, it’s essential to assess the demand for basic keywords.

A higher search volume is not always better, as high-volume keywords also mean more competition. Strategically choosing keywords is necessary. “Google Keyword Planner” is useful for investigating international search volumes across different search engines.

Research Competitor Sites Already Ranking High

Once keywords are determined, investigate the content that ranks high for those keywords. Start by searching in the target country or region.

To display local search results on Google, adjust the search settings to the desired language and region. The sites appearing at the top are “competitor sites recognized by the search engine.”

To understand the trend of top-ranking sites, review the headings and content of the top 10 articles. Additionally, including the “related questions” highlighted snippet can increase site visibility.

Create Content

When creating content, ensure it covers local trends and the content from high-ranking competitor sites. While the basics of content creation are the same as for domestic content, the focus should be on whether it is useful for the local target audience.

Ideally, have content written by native speakers of the local language. Translation tools often result in unnatural language, so be careful when selecting writers.

Use robots.txt to block search engines from crawling automatically translated pages on your site. Automated translations don’t always make sense and could be viewed as spam. More importantly, a poor or artificial-sounding translation can harm your site’s perception.

Source: Google Search Central “Managing Multiregional and Multilingual Sites“

Additionally, the structure of websites can vary significantly between countries. For example, American sites often feature high-quality images and design, whereas Japanese sites tend to emphasize text and information.

Focus on creating articles optimized for local trends as part of your international SEO strategy.

Revise According to Results

After creating content, check the keyword rankings after 2-3 months. If the results are not as expected, identify missing elements and update the content by adding text or images.

Unexpected keywords may also yield results. Preserve the elements of content that are performing well and analyze what aspects are being valued. Incorporate these findings into your updates to improve search engine rankings.

Ideally, revisions should be made every 2-3 months. Regular updates are essential even if top rankings are achieved, as search engine algorithms frequently change.

Points to Note for International SEO

When implementing international SEO measures, there are several points to be aware of to ensure effectiveness.

Consider the Culture and Search Needs of the Target Country

Naturally, popular search terms and suggestions vary by country. Understand the culture and trends of the target country to create content that meets search needs.

While the basics of keyword usage are similar to Japanese, unfamiliar foreign keywords require thorough investigation to understand what overseas users and competitors use.

<Distinguish URLs and Servers from Domestic Pages>

When running a multilingual site, it’s best to set unique URLs for each language. Sharing URLs across languages can make it difficult for users to find content in their preferred language, leading to higher bounce rates.

For multi-language support within the same region, changing subdomains or subdirectories is common. Using “.htaccess,” PHP, or JavaScript to detect user language and automatically switch to the main language is also important.

For instance, using PHP to check browser language settings and automatically optimize the URL to the preferred language can enhance user experience. If server providers or security clearances are strict, implementing IP address controls via “.htaccess” is crucial.

When operating a site for a specific country, consider using a server close to that location to improve loading speed and usability. Domestic servers may cause slower loading speeds due to physical distance, potentially leading to higher bounce rates.

<Be Aware of Country-Specific Regulations>

Due to cultural differences, services unregulated domestically might be prohibited in other countries. For example, items prohibited from export, insufficiently described products, and personal data regulations vary by country.

Checking these regulations is vital for effective international SEO. Understanding and adhering to local rules is crucial when optimizing for international markets.

Points for SEO on Search Engines Other Than Google

While Google is the dominant search engine globally, in Russia and China, other search engines hold significant market shares.

Here are some SEO points for search engines other than Google, focusing on the target countries:

China: Baidu

Baidu is China’s leading search engine with a significant market share. Sogou is also used in China, but Baidu is predominant, especially on mobile.

SEO for Baidu involves standard practices like setting up internal and external links, optimizing H1 tags and alt attributes, and optimizing meta descriptions and keywords. However, Baidu requires some specific actions:

• ICP registration with the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT)
• Submitting a sitemap to Baidu
• Applying directly on Baidu’s site, not through Google Search Console

These differences from Google SEO should be noted.

Russia: Yandex

Yandex is more popular than Google in Russia. The Russian market, where online advertising surpassed print in 2011, considers web strategies crucial for business.

Yandex SEO can follow Google’s approach but requires registration with Yandex’s unique webmaster tools. This provides data on search performance, aiding content creation and rewriting.

South Korea: Naver

Naver is Korea’s leading search engine with a unique structure:

• A portal-based search engine
• Evaluation divided into categories like ads, knowledge, community, shopping, and blogs
• Users evaluate based on purpose

Unlike Google in Japan, where listing ads are less emphasized, Naver shows 20 ads in top results, making listing ads a key strategy. Blogs, though last in display, are most utilized by users. Thus, enriching Naver blogs is essential for effective SEO.

These tailored strategies are vital for SEO success in these countries.

Summary

While overseas SEO strategies are essential for business growth, they require marketing expertise to leverage their benefits and manage their drawbacks. Implementing SEO tactics isn’t enough; understanding your services’ unique features and ensuring that overseas SEO efforts align with successful branding is crucial.

At MASSDRIVER, we specialize in creating content that performs well on various international search engines. Our approach not only aims to increase user traffic but also focuses on achieving long-term business success. For tailored advice and strategies, please contact us for consultation.