Ever tried to talk about football with a New Zealander? Ever stumbled through a conversation with a Canadian about trousers? (They call them pants, by the way). Ever overhear an argument between an Australian and an American about the meaning of the word ‘thong’?
It’s easy to assume that all English-speaking countries speak the same language, but in reality they don’t. Every country, and sometimes every city, has its own culture and language. If you’re looking to establish an international presence with your SEO plan, you need to take this into consideration not just with your keywords, but with your whole approach.
A lack of research is behind the failure of many international campaigns. The perspective from your Liverpool office can hold you back in unexpected ways. It can undermine your authority, waste marketing budget and even create distrust if there’s an impression your site is not what it appears to be.
The way to avoid this is to approach your SEO target market as a multitude of audiences. Instead of an ‘international market’, start thinking in terms of a number of local markets that must each be catered to. This will mean more work, but avoid embarrassing mistakes that can set your campaign back. Use an SEO company that has knowledge of local markets, for example, by using writers native to the country for the content through blogs or web copy on your site. For SEO in Australia, use Australian writers; for SEO in Canada, use Canadian writers and for SEO in America, use American writers. A good SEO company offering international SEO should be able to provide this – and it’s easy to tell from your website.
People can come to blows about how the last letter of the English alphabet should be pronounced, or the pros and cons of the metric system. When it comes to your search engine optimisation and internet marketing, you want to make things as smooth as possible. Do your research and choose a company experienced in international SEO.
- What are the nuts and bolts of digital marketing? - September 10, 2020
- What is Google RankBrain and how do you use it? - September 9, 2020
- Three dos (and three don’ts) of writing great content - September 4, 2020
So true – just because we all speak English? No we don’t all speak English! And Google translate is definitely not the answer.
There is no substitute for local knowledge.