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International SEO 4 Expert SEOs Give Advice

From: Steve Paine 17.04.20194 great SEOs: Charlie Williams, Chris Green, Izzi Smith and Barry Adams, joined SISTRIX around the table at SISTRIX recently for an open and active video chat about International SEO. There’s some great information here as we talk about different types of top-level domains, the complexity of hreflang implementation, CDNs and Geo-IP redirection.ContentsContentsVideo SEO and internationalisationGeneric vs Country DomainsThe Complexity of HreflangForced IP Geo Redirect Issues to consider CDNs from a Googlebot perspective

Video SEO and internationalisation

A full transcription is available as closed captions within the video.

Generic vs Country Domains

We start the talk by discussing the differences between a generic top-level domain and a country-code top-level domain. Do you need a .com domain in order to be ‘international’ or are there good reasons to use multiple country-focused domains? In the UK, however, .com appears to be the starting point due to “global aspirations” says Chris. Charlie adds that “.com and folders” is an ideal starting point but is often not possible. Izzi Smith Technical SEO Analyst at Sixt Izzi, an International SEO for Sixt in Germany, brings up a great point about the trust associated with top level domains. We often forget, , at least in the English-speaking world, that ccTLDs (country-code top level domains) can bring trust about language, customs and transactions. Barry also talks about the ‘brand’ value of a ccTLD.

The Complexity of Hreflang

The conversation moves on to hreflang tags where Barry then gives us a series of examples of the problems that can be encountered. For example, x-default, and the issues associated with Google crawling a site that uses hreflang tags in the HTML code of the page. Native-level content is discussed next and you’ll hear insights about how language variations can be handled and that local country knowledge is also important. In the off-camera discussion we covered a translated-to-German travel guide that didn’t cover the fact that if you land in Germany on a Sunday, there aren’t any shops open! This is a great example of the need for local knowledge. Barry Adams Polemic Digital & SISTRIX Speaker

Forced IP Geo Redirect Issues to consider

Did you know that forced IP-based geo-redirection is illegal in the EU? Izzi tells us why and you’ll hear tips about using IP-based geo-discovery without forcing a redirect. And don’t forget that Google primarily crawls from US IP addresses which means Google may only see the US version of a site that implements IP-based geo-redirection. Chris Green Strategiq & SISTRIX Speaker

CDNs from a Googlebot perspective

Finally we talk about CDNs. In a previous talk, Barry had indicated that CDNs are not expensive. I wanted to drill further into the topic to see if there are any risks or hidden costs. “Even if you’re a small site you can get some major advantages from it.” says Barry in relation to helping Google crawl a website. It’s clear to me at the end of the discussion that perhaps there are skills needed in this area. Charlie Williams Chopped & SISTRIX Speaker Many thanks to Charlie, Izzy, Chris and Barry. Information available in the speaker profiles above. From: Steve Paine 17.04.2019Related posts 11 years of Top-20 UK Domains, in 60 Seconds As of this week, you can now use the movers and shakers feature for the complete timeline of the top domains, by Visibility... Steve Paine13. June 2022 SectorWatch: Exposing the Real Competitors in UK Online Grocery Delivery As home delivery and fast-track grocery delivery services come-of-age, competition in the grocery retail sector increases.... Steve Paine3. November 2021 Topshop to ASOS – 80% Off in Search Visibility Migration A case-study in buying and migrating digital assets is unfolding in the UK this week. ASOS is merging multi-channel Topshop... Steve Paine16. February 2021 German English Spanish Italian French