Your Keywords Don't Travel Well
You've crushed it domestically. Time to go global.
So you translate your keyword list and target the same terms in other countries.
Wrong.
Wrong wrong wrong.
Why Domestic Keywords Fail Internationally
Language differences. British English and American English use different terms. "Trousers" vs "pants." "Boot" vs "trunk." Same language, different keywords.
Cultural differences. What people search for varies by culture. "Retirement planning" has very different associations in the US vs Japan.
Different competitors. The competitive landscape changes entirely in each market. A keyword that's KD 20 in Australia might be KD 60 in the UK. Understanding keyword difficulty across markets is essential.
Different search engines. Google dominates most markets, but not all. China uses Baidu. Russia uses Yandex. South Korea uses Naver.
The International Keyword Process
Step 1: Choose Your Target Markets
Don't try to go global all at once. Pick 1-2 markets. Master them. Expand.
Step 2: Find Local Keyword Data
Use keyword tools filtered by country. Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Google Keyword Planner all support country-specific data.
Step 3: Don't Just Translate — Localise
Work with native speakers or local SEO experts. They know the natural search language, cultural nuances, and local competitor landscape.
A direct translation might be grammatically correct but nobody actually searches that way. Our multilingual keyword research guide dives deeper into this critical distinction.
Step 4: Analyse the Local SERP
Search from the target country (use a VPN or Google's location settings). What ranks? What's the competition like? What SERP features appear?
Step 5: Understand Local Intent
The same product might serve different needs in different markets. Keywords should reflect local use cases and pain points.
The Investment
International SEO takes significant upfront research. But the payoff is accessing entirely new markets with potentially less competition than your home market.
After 500+ campaigns including international work, getting the keyword research right is the single biggest factor in international SEO success. Google's SEO starter guide includes guidance on international targeting and hreflang implementation.
Build Your International Strategy
SEO Checkup helps you structure your SEO process for any market. 113 tasks. Free. No credit card. 30 seconds.