What Are Some Unique Considerations For International SEO

Ella Pybus | 12 November, 2025 | 3 minute read | Blog, SEO

If you’re expanding your business into new countries, here’s the truth: you can’t just copy and paste your existing SEO strategy and hope that it works in another country. 

Search engines, languages, and user behaviours all shift when you go to a different country. That’s where international SEO comes in, the process of optimising your website so it’s visible and relevant to audiences in various countries and languages. 

It’s not just about translating content or adding a country flag to your homepage. Done correctly, international SEO helps your brand show up for the right people, in the right place, at the right time. 

In this blog, we’ll unpack some of the most important considerations when taking your SEO global, from structure and localisation to cultural context, so you can expand confidently and effectively. 

Understanding the Foundations of International SEO

Before diving into strategy, it’s worth clarifying what makes international SEO different from standard SEO. 

At its core, it’s about sending the right signals to search engines, telling them which version of your content should appear in which region or language. For example, a user in France should see your French-language page, not the UK one.

This involves technical elements like hreflang tags, country targeting, and domain structure, all working together to avoid duplicate content and improve user experience.

But technical optimisation is only half the strategy. The other half is understanding the people behind the search queries, how culture, intent, and local habits influence what they’re actually searching for.

Choosing the right domain structure 

When it comes to international SEO, your website’s structure can make or break your success.

You’ve got three main options:

• ccTLDs (country code top-level domains) – like .fr or .de for specific countries.
• Subdomains – e.g. fr.example.com.
• Subdirectories – e.g. example.com/fr/.

Each has pros and cons. ccTLDs send strong local signals but require more management. Subdirectories are simpler and keep domain authority consolidated.

The right choice depends on your long-term goals, resources, and whether you’re targeting countries (geographic focus) or languages (linguistic focus).

Want to learn more about international SEO? Read our Ultimate Guide to International SEO for 2025.

The Power of Localisation

Localisation goes beyond language. It’s about adapting content to fit local culture, search intent, and behaviour. That includes imagery, currency, units of measure, and even colour choices.

For example, a product description that resonates in the UK might not in Japan because the cultural cues are different. Similarly, the way people search for solutions can vary; a “car hire” in the UK becomes a “car rental” in the US.

Localisation ensures your message feels native, not foreign. It builds trust.

Our final thoughts 

International SEO isn’t just about going global; it’s about going local everywhere you go.

From domain structure and localisation to understanding regional search engines, each decision plays a key role in how your brand appears (and performs) overseas.

Want to dig deeper into International SEO? Read our blog: International SEO Strategy For Multilingual Sites