1.
3 Tips to Going Global
at Scale (and Avoiding
Mistakes)
An overview of scaling
international SEO & SEM
Brittany Bingham | SurveyMonkey, Online Marketing Manager

2.
@britt_bingham
What?
1. Planning for expansion
2. Tips to scaling
3. Common mistakes
assumptions
4. Avoiding them

3.
@britt_bingham
What?
1. Planning for expansion
2. Tips to scaling
3. Common mistakes
assumptions
4. Avoiding them

4.
@britt_bingham
What?
1. Planning for expansion
2. Tips to scaling
3. Common mistakes
assumptions
4. Avoiding them

5.
@britt_bingham
What?
1. Planning for expansion
2. Tips to scaling
3. Common mistakes
assumptions
4. Avoiding them

6.
@britt_bingham
What?
1. Planning for expansion
2. Tips to scaling
3. Common mistakes
assumptions
4. Avoiding them

7.
@britt_bingham
So you’re going global…

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@britt_bingham
Knee jerk reaction?

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@britt_bingham
Knee jerk reaction?

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@britt_bingham
The world is a big place

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@britt_bingham
“The Internet is quickly
dissolving borders for
business”
-Anne F. Kennedy and Kristján Már Hauksson

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@britt_bingham
How do you take it on?

13.
@britt_bingham
Create a plan
1. Analyze your current audience
2. Gauge available resources
3. Understand your product in international market
4. Prioritize your online marketing channels
… to define your:
1. Level of international penetration
2. Targeted KPIs and goals

14.
@britt_bingham
Create a plan
1. Analyze your current audience
2. Gauge available resources
3. Understand your product in international market
4. Prioritize your online marketing channels
… to define your:
1. Level of international penetration
2. Targeted KPIs and goals

15.
@britt_bingham
Levels of international localization
Language
Country
Regional
Language
Script

16.
@britt_bingham
The caveats

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@britt_bingham
Tips for scaling

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@britt_bingham
TIP #1
Use tools where you can (and
nowhere else)

19.
@britt_bingham
Options for translation methodology
Automated
:/
Automated
+ Manual
:)
Manual
(agency)
:D
Manual
(in house)
:D :D
Feeling of
‘satisfaction’ with
method

20.
@britt_bingham
Options for translation methodology
Automated
:/
Automated
+ Manual
:)
Manual
(agency)
:D
Manual
(in house)
:D :D
Feeling of
‘satisfaction’ with
method
:(

21.
@britt_bingham
Language automation tools

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@britt_bingham
When you don’t add the human touch…

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@britt_bingham
When you don’t add the human touch…

24.
@britt_bingham
When you don’t add the human touch…
Meet the new content writing team!

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@britt_bingham
Assumption
All phrase translations are created equal
• Assumption: a phrase in one language, when translated, is
the appropriate way of saying it.
Take for instance, the case of hacer and crear….

26.
@britt_bingham
Assumption
Translation = localization

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@britt_bingham
When translating, also prepare your website with:
1. Domain structure
2. Necessary markup
3. Proper redirects
4. Unique content
5. Appropriate formatting
6. Speed & device
And…

28.
@britt_bingham
Design

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@britt_bingham
Options for creative customization
GOOD
Creative that can be translated
Challenge: may not resonate with global audiences

30.
@britt_bingham
Options for creative customization
BETTER
Customize by language
Challenge: may not speak to all-inclusive countries

31.
@britt_bingham
Options for creative customization

32.
@britt_bingham
Options for creative customization
BEST
Custom creative by country
Challenge: resources and branding integrity

33.
@britt_bingham
Suggested methodology (at scale)
• Tool selection &
implementation
Automate
• Agency
• Local talent
Human
check
• Monitor
performance
• Check the SEPRs
• Test variations
Measure it

34.
@britt_bingham
TIP #2
Go for the big wins first

35.
@britt_bingham
Assumption
Going international requires new search engines
United States
Aug. 2014

36.
@britt_bingham
Assumption
Going international requires new search engines
United States
Aug. 2014
Global
2014

37.
@britt_bingham
Assumption
Going international requires new search engines

38.
@britt_bingham
New search engines can bring new opportunities
Image credit: http://www.my-life-in-china.com/

39.
@britt_bingham
Assumption
Market share = user preference & revenue contribution
When surveyed… primary
search engine leader:
• Google – 80%
• Yahoo – 8%
• Bing – 6%

40.
@britt_bingham
Leveraging paid acquisition
1st
Take learnings
from English ROW
to expand to:
Non-English
language
targeting
2nd
New search
engines
Display expansion
Creative multi-
variant testing
and
Country +
regionalized
targeting
Select approach:
1. Location targeting
2. Language targeting
Keep in mind:
1. Keywords matter in all
languages
2. Build a scalable account
structure
Be wary:
1. Of using your US or
European keyword set
2. Of time zones
3. Of your character length
4. That your web experience
is mobile friendly
5. Of conversion rates

41.
@britt_bingham
Unfortunately…
There is no substitute for localized
keyword research.

42.
@britt_bingham
Be wary that you aren’t doing too much, too quickly
• Short-term promotions are incredibly difficult to scale
• As you automate, you increase risk expansion (SEM)
question code de la route
“Traffic issue”
Cause: demand
m6 actu question du jour
“M6 news question of the day”
Cause: seasonality
etudier en france gratuitement
“Study in France for free”
Cause: expansion

43.
@britt_bingham
Suggested methodology (at scale)
• Market trends
• Competitive
saturation
• Local demand
Research
• Major search
engines
• PPC (brand &
non-brand)
Short term
• Country specific
search engines
• Display inventory
• Non-brand
expansion
Long term

44.
@britt_bingham
TIP #3
Know that your audience
wants you

45.
@britt_bingham
What can you learn from your current audience
Social audiences
• Audience sizes
• Level of engagement
Website analytics by
country
• Visits
• Bounce rate (native language
necessity)
• Conversion rates
Ask them what you want
to know.

46.
@britt_bingham
Leverage the data you already have…

47.
@britt_bingham
What can you learn from your current audience
Social audiences
• Audience sizes
• Level of engagement
Website analytics by
country
• Visits
• Bounce rate (native language
necessity)
• Conversion rates
Ask them what you want
to know.

48.
@britt_bingham
Factors that matter to consumers
Assumption
What we think matters to
them, matters to them.
Assumption
What we are showing
them, speaks to them.
“ To succeed online, you have to understand and
leverage the hidden psychology of your users [by]
knowing who you’re targeting, communicating
persuasively, and selling with integrity.
”- Nathalie Nahai

49.
@britt_bingham
Are you highlighting what matters?

50.
@britt_bingham
Take one product in the EU…
Brits Italians
Swedes French

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@britt_bingham
Not sure which one is best? Ask!

52.
@britt_bingham
How do you know? Gauge your competitors (& yourself)
The ones we know… SEMrush, SEOmoz,
Searchmetrics, social search (graph search), Spyfu,
MajesticSEO, SimilarWeb
Ones we don’t know…
TalkWalkerAlerts
TrackMaven
ScreamingFrog
InfiniGraph
monitor backlinks
Overplay VPN
SimplyMeasured
Rival IQ
The Search Monitor

53.
@britt_bingham
Google’s Consumer Barometer

54.
@britt_bingham
Ask the culture questions…
Does your
product fit the
market?
Is your sales
approach correct
for the market?
Is your site
respecting all
elements of
localization?
?

55.
@britt_bingham
EXTRA TIP!
Marketing is a living,
breathing animal.

56.
@britt_bingham
You can’t just set it and forget it

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@britt_bingham
Once you’re live…
1
• Measure
2
• Test
3
• Cut the fat
4
• Monitor
And notjust forwhat you’dexpect!

58.
@britt_bingham
Must-do’s now & next

59.
@britt_bingham
Market
research &
prep
Aggressive
go-to
market
Website
creation &
compatibility
Long term
focus
Resources
Goals
KPIs
Targets
1. Translate website
2. Audit website architecture
3. Language indication (apply
hreflang=“x” tags, HTTP
headers, language sitemaps)
4. Webmaster mapping
1. Building search
authority (SEO)
2. Leverage content
marketing
3. Scope international
expansion plan
1. Perform localized
keyword resarch
2. Expand
internationally on
major search engines
3. Launch PPC on major
search engines
1. Identify barriers to entry
in markets and channels
2. Analyze and survey your
current audience
3. Own domains & ccTLDs
4. Audit competition
1
3
4
2
Are you prepared? Must do’s!

60.
@britt_bingham
Plan for your next steps
1. Enhance level of localization from: language à country à
region-based
2. Expand to new search engines
3. Grow to country-specific ad platforms
4. Build ccTLD sites (and the necessary infrastructure!)
5. Create and maintain international blogs
6. Create social media presences: segmented by country or
language
7. Put feet on the ground

61.
@britt_bingham
QUESTIONS?
Thank you!
Slides will be available at
slideshare.net/Brittany_Bingham !
| Brittany Bingham
| SurveyMonkey, Online Marketing Manager