As your clientele goes global, you’ll eventually come to the point of repurposing pre-existing websites for international audiences. However, it’s not as easy as “Let’s turn those English words into French and wham! We have a French site.” Polishing the content on your site for international SEO is a key step in order to reach regionalized demographics.

Does Anyone Speak English?
The English language isn’t the most popularly used language on search engines today. Interesting fact: 70% of all worldwide search is not in English. China also loves the search engine, with 2008 stats that show a yearly growth rate of 33.6% for search. Thus, all over the world people are looking for information in their own way. 

Localize It
Naturally, people search in their native idiom. If you’re speaking a different language, you’ll need to localize your content to cater to your audience. Those who have traveled abroad understand the variations in other English-speaking countries when it comes to words.

Consider the following: British speakers prefer references like “queue up” instead of “line up”. This tiny twist in your copy or header is less likely to get buried in millions of page rankings. It also speaks to the handful of countries that follow the British variation of English.

So, think you may need to reassess your content for an international audience? We’ll go a bit deeper in Part 2 about form and function.