International SEO: Are We Speaking the Same Language? -Cindy Krum

Multi-National Brands Have Web Issues: Multiple Currencies Different E-Commerce Laws Inconsistent Marketing Aesthetics Multi-National Brands Have SEO Issues: Multiple Languages Different Search Engines Inconsistent Competitive Situations

Multi-National Brands Have Web Issues:

Multiple Currencies

Different E-Commerce Laws

Inconsistent Marketing Aesthetics

Multi-National Brands Have SEO Issues:

Multiple Languages

Different Search Engines

Inconsistent Competitive Situations

Things to Consider Design & Development Cost Maintenance Cost Server Configuration & Location CMS System Order Fulfillment E-mail & Direct Marketing PPC SEO

Things to Consider

Design & Development Cost

Maintenance Cost

Server Configuration & Location

CMS System

Order Fulfillment

E-mail & Direct Marketing

PPC

SEO

SEO and some of the other stuff…

Site Architecture Options One Site -Subdomains & Sub Directories -Translation Software Multiple Sites -A Site for Every Country Blended -Some Combination of One Site & Multiple Site Solutions

Site Architecture Options

One Site -Subdomains & Sub Directories -Translation Software

Multiple Sites -A Site for Every Country

Blended

-Some Combination of One Site & Multiple Site Solutions

ONE SITE

The ‘One Site’ Approach You are Keeping Everything on One Domain - Usually the ‘.com,’ ‘.net,’ ‘.org’ etc. Different Languages are Provided on Subdomains, or Rendered with Translation Software. One Site:

The ‘One Site’ Approach You are Keeping Everything on One Domain - Usually the ‘.com,’ ‘.net,’ ‘.org’ etc.

Different Languages are Provided on Subdomains, or Rendered with Translation Software.

One Site: Pros Lower Maintenance Cost Easy to Control Look & Feel Links & Traffic All Point to One Domain Site Updates Are Only Made Once Can Target Languages or Countries Cons: High Start-Up Costs Very Technically Involved May Require a Sophisticated CMS May Require a Sophisticated Order Fulfillment System One Hosting Location Harder to Rank in Country-Specific Search Engines

Pros

Lower Maintenance Cost

Easy to Control Look & Feel

Links & Traffic All Point to One Domain

Site Updates Are Only Made Once

Can Target Languages or Countries

Cons:

High Start-Up Costs

Very Technically Involved

May Require a Sophisticated CMS

May Require a Sophisticated Order Fulfillment System

One Hosting Location

Harder to Rank in Country-Specific Search Engines

ONE SITE SUBDOMAINS & SUBDIRECTORIES

One Site: Subdomains/Directories This approach involves putting the most likely language on the on the home page and keeping other languages in optimized subdomains or sub directories. www.sub DOMAIN .website.com www.website.com/sub DIRECTORY

This approach involves putting the most likely language on the on the home page and keeping other languages in optimized subdomains or sub directories.

www.sub DOMAIN .website.com

www.website.com/sub DIRECTORY

One Site: Subdomains/Directories Cons: Bad for Targeting Multiple Countries that Speak the Same Language: DUPLICATE Home Page Only Ranks in One Language Extra Click for Users/Confusing Pros: Easy to Set Up Same Content in Different Languages is Never DUPLICATE Put Top Keywords in Your Domain or Url Page Content & Imagery Targeted By Language Country Specific Hosting Option

Cons:

Bad for Targeting Multiple Countries that Speak the Same Language: DUPLICATE

Home Page Only Ranks in One Language

Extra Click for Users/Confusing

Pros:

Easy to Set Up

Same Content in Different Languages is Never DUPLICATE

Put Top Keywords in Your Domain or Url

Page Content & Imagery Targeted By Language

Country Specific Hosting Option

Spell the name of the subdomain or the subdirectory in the appropriate language. www. Espanol .website.com NOT www. Spanish .website.com Better: Use your top keyword for each language as the name of the subdomain or directory. www. Location-de-Voiture .website.com www. Affitto-di-Automobile .website.com www. Autovermietung .website.com One Site: Subdomains/Directories STRATEGY TIPS

Spell the name of the subdomain or the subdirectory in the appropriate language.

www. Espanol .website.com NOT www. Spanish .website.com

Better: Use your top keyword for each language as the name of the subdomain or directory.

www. Location-de-Voiture .website.com

www. Affitto-di-Automobile .website.com

www. Autovermietung .website.com

Location Detection Software can Suggest or Redirect to the correct Subdomain or Subdirectory. Buy the Country Specific Domains & Redirect them to the Appropriate Language Subdomain or Subdirectory. Optimize all Meta Data & On-Page Tags in the Appropriate Language. Avoid SEO Unfriendly ‘Choose a Language’ Home Pages. Include Links to Different Languages in the Footer. One Site: Subdomains/Directories STRATEGY TIPS

Location Detection Software can Suggest or Redirect to the correct Subdomain or Subdirectory.

Buy the Country Specific Domains & Redirect them to the Appropriate Language Subdomain or Subdirectory.

Optimize all Meta Data & On-Page Tags in the Appropriate Language.

Avoid SEO Unfriendly ‘Choose a Language’ Home Pages.

Include Links to Different Languages in the Footer.

ONE SITE SERVER-SIDE TRANSLATION

This solution involves using location detection software to determine where the user is coming from, then serving the user data in the correct language. Translations can be static or on the fly & are provided all on one Url. One Site: Server-Side Translation

This solution involves using location detection software to determine where the user is coming from, then serving the user data in the correct language.

Translations can be static or on the fly & are provided all on one Url.

One Site: Server-Side Translation Pros: Homepage Ranks in Multiple Languages Robust Translation Software=Lower Overhead & More Scalable Can work with CMS, Back End, XML Feeds & DHTML Best User Experience Cons: Harder to Setup Risk of Inaccurate Location Detection Risk of Mistranslation Risk of Duplicate Content Natural Inbound Links Could be in Wrong Language

Pros:

Homepage Ranks in Multiple Languages

Robust Translation Software=Lower Overhead & More Scalable

Can work with CMS, Back End, XML Feeds & DHTML

Best User Experience

Cons:

Harder to Setup

Risk of Inaccurate Location Detection

Risk of Mistranslation

Risk of Duplicate Content

Natural Inbound Links Could be in Wrong Language

Use ‘IP Sniff & Replace’ to Provide the Appropriate Content. ALWAYS Check the Work of the Translation Software. Redirect Country Specific Domains to the Appropriate Translation of the Homepage. Always Allow Users to Change or Specify Their Location. Set a Cookie to Remember the Users Language of Choice. Combine with Single-Language Legacy CMS to Optimize Output Urls, Meta Data and Main Content. Include Links to Different Languages in the Footer. Buy the Country Specific Domains, Set a Language Cookie & Redirect them to the Appropriate Translation. Web-App & On-the-Fly Translation Options Take Longer to Load. Instead, Use Software to Generate Static Pages. www.WorldLingo.com One Site: Server-Side Translation STRATEGY TIPS

Use ‘IP Sniff & Replace’ to Provide the Appropriate Content.

ALWAYS Check the Work of the Translation Software.

Redirect Country Specific Domains to the Appropriate Translation of the Homepage.

Always Allow Users to Change or Specify Their Location.

Set a Cookie to Remember the Users Language of Choice.

Combine with Single-Language Legacy CMS to Optimize Output Urls, Meta Data and Main Content.

Include Links to Different Languages in the Footer.

Buy the Country Specific Domains, Set a Language Cookie & Redirect them to the Appropriate Translation.

Web-App & On-the-Fly Translation Options Take Longer to Load. Instead, Use Software to Generate Static Pages.

www.WorldLingo.com

MULTIPLE SITES

Multiple Sites In the ‘Multiple Site’ Approach You Purchase & Creating Different Sites on Multiple Country-Specific Domains; ‘.de,’ ‘.fr,’ ‘it,’ ‘.es,’ etc. The ‘.com’ can be Used as an International Site.

In the ‘Multiple Site’ Approach You Purchase & Creating Different Sites on Multiple Country-Specific Domains; ‘.de,’ ‘.fr,’ ‘it,’ ‘.es,’ etc.

The ‘.com’ can be Used as an International Site.

Multiple Sites: Pros: Incrementally Low Start-Up Costs Rank Better in Country Specific Search Engines Faster More Chances to Rank Better in Search Engines Potential Link Benefits Country Specific Hosting Option Cons: High Maintenance Cost Harder to Rank in ‘.com’ Search Engines Forced to Target Countries Instead of Languages Must Compete with ‘.com’s’ in Potential Link & Duplicate Content Risks Harder To Police

Pros:

Incrementally Low Start-Up Costs

Rank Better in Country Specific Search Engines Faster

More Chances to Rank Better in Search Engines

Potential Link Benefits

Country Specific Hosting Option

Cons:

High Maintenance Cost

Harder to Rank in ‘.com’ Search Engines

Forced to Target Countries Instead of Languages

Must Compete with ‘.com’s’ in

Potential Link & Duplicate Content Risks

Harder To Police

Multiple Sites: STRATEGY TIPS Specify the Specific Country for Each Site in Webmaster Tools but Don’t Specify a Country in Webmaster Tools for the ‘.com’. Focus SEO on Country Specific Domains. Use the ‘.com’ to direct Traffic to the Appropriate Sites. Inter-Link Different Sites Carefully & Logically. Use ‘IP Sniff & Suggest’ to Link Users to Other Country Sites .

Specify the Specific Country for Each Site in Webmaster Tools but Don’t Specify a Country in Webmaster Tools for the ‘.com’.

Focus SEO on Country Specific Domains.

Use the ‘.com’ to direct Traffic to the Appropriate Sites.

Inter-Link Different Sites Carefully & Logically.

Use ‘IP Sniff & Suggest’ to Link Users to Other Country Sites .

BLENDED

Blended The ‘Blended Site’ approach has some languages & country specific sites on the main site, and others on country specific domains. This can be a transitional approach companies take when they are changing from a ‘Multiple Site’ approach to a ‘Single Site’ approach or vice versa. This can also be strategic.

The ‘Blended Site’ approach has some languages & country specific sites on the main site, and others on country specific domains.

This can be a transitional approach companies take when they are changing from a ‘Multiple Site’ approach to a ‘Single Site’ approach or vice versa.

This can also be strategic.

Blended Pros: Most Realistic for World Wide Presence Allows Testing Creates Flexibility Strategically Segment by Region or Root Language Cons: Inconsistent & Confusing Perceived as Unprofessional

Pros:

Most Realistic for World Wide Presence

Allows Testing

Creates Flexibility

Strategically Segment by Region or Root Language

Cons:

Inconsistent & Confusing

Perceived as Unprofessional

International site on the .com Choose your Language Landing Pages

International site on the .com

Choose your Language Landing Pages

Blended STRATEGY TIPS If multiple country specific domain names are unavailable, make them part of the ‘.com’ rather than compromise branding. Use country specific domains for highest traffic countries, and group other countries on single sites by language. Evaluate countries/languages by traffic & conversions. Put countries/languages with similar aesthetics on the same site.

If multiple country specific domain names are unavailable, make them part of the ‘.com’ rather than compromise branding.

Use country specific domains for highest traffic countries, and group other countries on single sites by language.

Evaluate countries/languages by traffic & conversions.

Put countries/languages with similar aesthetics on the same site.

“ Do Not Disturb signs should be written in the language of the hotel maids. ” Tim Bedore

Thanks!

Cindy Krum Rank-Mobile 720-231-7277 [email_address]

Cindy Krum

Rank-Mobile

720-231-7277

[email_address]