Launching your product or service in a foreign market is an extraordinary opportunity to expand your business internationally. So, how can you adjust your marketing strategy to promote yourself abroad as cheaply and effectively as possible? Start with SEO.
Use the correct URL structure for your multilingual webpage.
There are many ways to present foreign-language versions of your website to prospective visitors. Of course, the most common one is to insert buttons or flag symbols in the menu bar that represent different languages.
When it comes to the URL of the website where the new language version will appear, there are several options. The URL can be a subdomain such as fr.domain.com (French), de.domain.com (German) or es.domain.com (Spanish). On the other hand, you can use subfolders like domain.com/fr, domain.com/de or domain.com/es. Alternatively, these can be individual pages that contain keywords in the content, e.g., domain.fr, domain.de or domain.es.
Redirecting to subfolders provides the most SEO benefits. Subfolders are characterized by flexibility (i.e., if necessary, content can be hosted on a separate server or IP address by load balancing).
Use ‘hreflang’ and ‘alternate’ tags.
Google uses the rel=”alternate” hreflang=”x” attribute to inform web crawlers of the relation between websites prepared for different languages and locations. Webmasters have since been able to implement these solutions on their websites, too. The correct application of meta hreflang and alternate elements on your site can increase the ranking of your web domain on Google.
However, it is worth considering technical SEO and remembering that JavaScript can block hreflang element indexations.
Post high-quality content on your website.
Before posting high-quality content on a foreign-language website, conduct a thorough analysis of keywords with tools such as Google Keyword Planner and Moz Keyword Explorer. If possible, consult with partners or colleagues who live in that foreign country on what keywords they would use when looking for your products or services.
The most common and proven solutions are:
• Blogging: According to Neil Patel, blog posts should precisely define all elements that will engage the recipient and convey your business objectives, including pictures, headlines, elements that improve conversion, links and valuable content.
• Competitor comparison: Evaluating popular online content offers the opportunity to compare your product or service offerings to what your competitors are offering. Offer content that highlights your advantages over them and shows how you are better for your target consumer.
• Knowledge base: Providing a knowledge base about your product or service on your website is always useful for your customers. This content can include glossaries, process discussions or channels with instructional videos.
Make use of all the channels offered by the modern internet.
Content marketing on YouTube can be very effective. Dollar Shave Club is a great example of this. CEO Michael Dubin, together with his employees, recorded a video that has more than 25 million views on YouTube at present. This viral advertisement helped him effectively promote his business.
Don’t underestimate the power of social media in promoting your brand abroad. The more your content is shared by followers and fans in foreign countries, the more your brand will spread. By increasing your visibility in a foreign country, you have a great opportunity to get backlinks from foreign websites. Doing so will allow you to effectively improve your country-specific website ranking.
Last but not least, no business is able to achieve global expansion if it does not have a product or service that meets a given country’s needs. Before entering a new geographic market, make sure you identify the need for your offering.