93% of all digital customer experiences begin with search engines. And since every modern customer is now online and searching, the biggest challenge for many businesses is figuring out how to build a global experience that stands out from the competition.
The solution? Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
But what exactly is SEO? In simple terms, SEO is the process of increasing your website and content visibility through organic search results in search engines, such as Google and Bing. A successful SEO strategy will drive traffic to your website and help your content rank higher in search engine results pages, both of which can significantly improve your global customer experience.
Below are three key reasons why SEO matters for your localization strategy:
Widen your reach to international audiences
Improve conversion rates across the finish line
Build trust and credibility in new markets
Nine out of ten (91%) clicks from a Google search page go to the results on the first page. This means that if your business isn’t ranking in the top 10 search queries, you’re missing out on a huge chunk of potential customers. When you implement a global SEO strategy with powerful and locally-relevant keywords and phrases, international customers are able to easily find and access your website and content when they most need it.
Organic search is often the primary source for website and content traffic growth. When your site and content become searchable, customers can meet your brand at key moments throughout the buyer journey. A good SEO strategy considers mobile and desktop user experience, site navigation and speed, potential broken links, and contains description tags and internal links to help boost your Google ranking. In turn, customers are able to easily navigate through your site and find content to quickly make informed decisions along the customer journey.
The way global customers use search engines is highly dependent on their native language and local search patterns. Nailing down an engaging SEO strategy despite these complexities tells potential customers that you care about them and can ultimately help build your brand reputation as a global market leader.
Following global SEO best practices, such as researching market-specific keywords and browsing behaviors, will help ensure that your brand and content is maximizing its value and reach. Here are a few best practices to keep in mind when creating your global SEO strategy:
• Research keywords for every market
• Consider searching and browsing behaviors
• Measure localization KPIs and track success
Every market and region has unique vocabulary and browsing behaviors that can impact searching patterns — so much so that even the smallest of keyword variations can make all the difference in making or breaking your search engine ranking.
For example, let’s say an English-speaking customer is searching for to-go restaurant options nearby. Even though they both speak the same English language, a British consumer would most likely search “top takeaway foods near me”, whereas an American consumer would search “top takeout foods near me”. Without performing an accurate and in-depth research, you could miss out on countless potential customers if your content doesn’t contain relevant keywords.
SEO is all about the customer. That means your brand should know what they want, need, and do. This includes understanding their online behaviors and regional differences such as preferred search engines, content types, and searching devices. Once these factors are identified, you’ll want to create your keywords, tags, links, etc. accordingly.
Last, but not least, you should always be tracking localization KPIs for your content and site. This will allow you to understand what’s working and what’s not in your SEO strategy. If you’re noticing a large spike in website traffic and time spent on a webpage after implementing new keywords in your content, then you’re most likely on the right track. If not, you may want to reconsider your strategy and find ways to improve.
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Ready to take your global experience strategy to the next level? Reach out to Lilt for a personalized consultation.