Presentation about International SEO from SES London 2014. Best practice geo targeting, using hrefflang, language and link development internationally.
6. Geo-targeting
Making sure your website is indexed
in the right geographical index.
Options:
- ccTLD, Sub domain or Sub Directory
- Using Google webmaster tools
- Using Hreflang Attribute
#SESLon
@LisaDMyers
7. + Authority of links
to the domain
- Little/or no
benefits of links to
main domain
#SESLon
@LisaDMyers
9. ccTLDs
Country specific TLDs such as .co.uk .de
and .fr is the best sign you can give the
search engine to which geographical index
you want to be index and ranked in.
#SESLon
@LisaDMyers
10. If you have an office (or will have) in the
relevant country and it is a
growing business
ccTLDs are recommended.
Especially if you also have a marketing
budget in those countries (or in house
capabilities).
#SESLon
@LisaDMyers
11. Having a marketing department in a country
and still being on a sub folder is a bit like
living at home with your parents at 30!
#SESLon
@LisaDMyers
13. When subfolders should be
used
- Budget restrictions & no local marketing
- Sites that don’t have local offices (and are
not planning to open local offices)
- Initial geo targeting & time restraints
- Informational sites
+ benefit of link authority of entire domain!
#SESLon
@LisaDMyers
14. Often this is the first option you have
available to you.
It’s a good start for growing brands.
#SESLon
@LisaDMyers
15. ASOS stages this well
www.asos.com/it
www.asos.com/es etc
When established move to ccTLD
www.asos.de
www.asos.fr
#SESLon
@LisaDMyers
17. When Subdomains Should be
Used
• Technically it’s a middle road between
ccTLDs and sub folders but in my opinion
NOT ideal
• Easy to implement and can have separate
hosting BUT don’t benefit in whole of the
link authority on main domain
That’s all I could think of. I would avoid it if
you can.
#SESLon
@LisaDMyers
21. BUT don’t restrict yourself. Only to be
used if you definitely DON’T want to
show up in any other indexes
#SESLon
@LisaDMyers
22. 25% of sites has wrong
geo targeting settings!
source: John Mueller Google
#SESLon
@LisaDMyers
23. hreflang attribute
The new way of saying “It’s the translated page innit” or
“it’s suppose to be indexed in this country”
#SESLon
@LisaDMyers
@LisaDMyers
#SearchLove
24. What is it?
The Hreflang attribute is simply a
way of telling the search engine
this is a different language version
of a page.
#SESLon
@LisaDMyers
25. When to use Hreflang
• You translate only the template of your page, such as
the navigation and footer, and keep the main content in a
single language
• Your pages have broadly similar content within a
single language, but the content has small regional
variations. For example, English-language in the US,
GB, and Ireland.
• Your site content is fully translated. For example, you
have both German and English versions of each page.
#SESLon
@LisaDMyers
26. Guides on Hreflang
Google’s guide on hreflang
Can be implemented as a HTML link element in
the header
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="http://www.example.com/en" >
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="de" href="http://www.example.com/de" >
(must be implemented within HTML on BOTH URLs)
Or by Implementing Hreflang using sitemaps
(recommended)
#SESLon
@LisaDMyers
27. Tool for creating sitemap
the Mediaflow created this tool to make it
easier:
www.themediaflow.com/resources/tools/href-lang-tool/
#SESLon
@LisaDMyers
28. BTW!
The Hreflang attribute will NOT
make your site rank higher!! And is
not the same as canonical.
#SESLon
@LisaDMyers
29. Be Aware
Using hreflang and canonical together
can have huge detrimental impact if
done wrong
#SESLon
@LisaDMyers
32. YOU Need to speak the
language AND understand
the culture!
#SESLon
@LisaDMyers
33. If you want traffic from Norway;
Snakk Norsk for faen
Funnily enough the search engines also
believes that a site that has content in
Norwegian might also be targeting Norway.
Simples. End of.
#SESLon
@LisaDMyers
34. Speak Their Language!
Don’t directly translate and for F#%* sake
don’t use Google translate and think that’s it.
#SESLon
@LisaDMyers
41. IP Detection/Redirection
• Several big issues with IP Detection but
mainly the problem that bots usually crawl
from US IP so therefore might never see
your other content.
• Instead maybe use a javascript overlay
that detects IP address and requests users
to select relevant country!!!
#SESLon
@LisaDMyers
43. Sometimes it seems like the algorithm is
different from country to country.
Updates DO get rolled out at different times
in the country specific indexes so in a way
the algo IS different.
#SESLon
@LisaDMyers
44. If you are working in one of those
countries that gets the search
engine updates rolled out much
later…you basically have a crystal
ball into the future. Use it wisely!
#SESLon
@LisaDMyers
46. Link Development is very
different in each country, what
works in one country might not
work in another
#SESLon
@LisaDMyers
47. Spain, Italy and Poland
Blogger Outreach still works well. Not
over saturated and people are positive
and open (not jaded).
#SESLon
@LisaDMyers
48. Scandinavia
There is little point in blogger outreach in
Sweden (99% wants paying). Denmark is
quickly following suit.
In Norway there are all sorts of legal rules
for declaring something is done with
marketing intent.
#SESLon
@LisaDMyers
49. Social Shares:
By getting social
shares to the page
where we have a link
we are enforcing
trust and quality of
that link!
#SESLon
@LisaDMyers
50. Attraction of links combined with
promoting of content is one of the
safest strategies
#SESLon
@LisaDMyers