How To Set Your Brand Up For International SEO Success: Key SEO considerations when trying to grow internationally from New Zealand & Australia

So, you’re a relatively successful New Zealand or Australian business, revenue is growing, and you think it’s time to expand overseas. This could mean venturing into markets as far-reaching as America, Europe, Asia, or anywhere else. It all seems relatively straightforward—you hire a PR agency and replicate your online and offline marketing strategies in a new country, adapting to the nuances ahead of you.

But how do you set your website up for success and ultimately launch and grow overseas from an SEO perspective? Let’s explore this and discover how you can prepare for international SEO success while devising your strategy.

Optimising Your URL Structure for International Growth

There are four main ways you can set up a URL structure for international SEO, each with its own advantages:

• ccTLDs (e.g., example.nz):

  Best for country-specific sites, as they send a strong signal to search engines about the region you’re targeting.

• Subdomains (e.g., nz.example.com):

  Easier to set up and maintain, ideal for broader targeting while keeping content slightly segmented.

• Subfolders (e.g., example.com/nz/):

  Centralised structure, easier to maintain, and excellent for targeting specific languages or countries without requiring separate domains.

• Query Parameters (e.g., example.com/?lang=en):

  Less effective for SEO, as they don’t send strong regional or language signals to search engines. Avoid if possible.

Traditionally, we recommend focusing on subfolders and subdomains. These structures offer a balance between simplicity and effectiveness, especially when paired with tools like Google Search Console.

What is Google Search Console?

Google Search Console (GSC) is a free tool provided by Google that helps you monitor and optimise your website’s presence in search results. When using subfolders or subdomains, you can register these as separate “properties” in GSC. This allows you to track their performance individually, target specific countries or languages, and submit sitemaps. By aligning subfolders or subdomains with GSC properties, you give your site a better chance to perform well in international markets.

Localising Your Content for a New Region

Once you’ve set up a new website or section for a different country, the next step is to localise your content. Localisation is more than just translation; it’s about tailoring your site to the cultural and functional preferences of the target audience. Key considerations include:

• Adapting dates and currencies:

  Ensure formats match local norms (e.g., DD/MM/YYYY in New Zealand vs. MM/DD/YYYY in the USA).

• Conducting regional SEO and keyword research:

  Discover what terms and phrases people in that region are searching for and optimise accordingly.

• Adjusting contact information:

  Update all addresses, Google My Business profiles, and Bing listings with local details.

• Using regional language nuances:

  For example, “optimisation” in New Zealand becomes “optimization” in the USA.

Even minor adjustments can make a significant impact when building credibility and usability in a new market.

Hreflang Implementation

On the internet, there’s something called an hreflang tag. Think of it as a translator for search engines. Hreflang tags tell Google and other search engines which version of your site to show for a specific region or language. For example, your New Zealand site will show to users in New Zealand, while your American site will show in the USA.

If you use subdomains or subfolders, hreflang tags are critical but can be complex to implement, often requiring developer expertise. For single sites (e.g., example.com), hreflang tags can be applied to specific content, like blogs, allowing you to target different regions with tailored content. Having a solid hreflang strategy enables you to scale faster across multiple markets.

Technical SEO for International Success

Strong technical SEO is the foundation of any successful international strategy. In addition to basics like mobile-friendliness, page speed, and user-friendly design, focus on these three advanced practices:

• Canonicalisation:

  This prevents duplicate content issues by specifying the “preferred” version of a webpage. For example, if you have similar pages for different regions (e.g., example.com/nz/ and example.com/au/), canonical tags tell search engines which version should be prioritised. This avoids confusion and ensures your SEO efforts aren’t diluted.

• Building Backlinks from Local Domains:

  Earning backlinks from websites in your target region improves your local authority and visibility. For example, getting links from Australian domains (.com.au) can significantly boost your site’s performance in Australia.

• Legal Compliance:

  Ensure you meet region-specific regulations, like GDPR for Europe or data protection laws in other countries, and follow local e-commerce rules.

Summary

Expanding your business internationally requires thoughtful planning, especially when it comes to SEO. Overlooking SEO can undermine the impact of your marketing, sales, and growth strategies. By aligning your strategy early—using tools like Google Search Console, implementing hreflang tags, and addressing localisation—you’ll set yourself up for long-term success.

If you’re an e-commerce business or heavily reliant on online traffic, these considerations are even more critical. Planning ahead saves time, energy, and headaches later, allowing you to focus on growing your brand overseas.