Core Issues

International SEM is more complex than ever before. We must now take into account a myriad of factors to get your pages ranking across the globe. Here are the main factors you should take into account:

1. Google is not the only game in town. Yandex and Baidu are huge in their respective markets. Bing’s market share is bigger in Latin America, so make sure sure to prepare a diverse ranking strategy.

2. Perform an adequate density analysis. Even if your core market resides mainly in the US, explore your most active states and discover the most prominent cultures in each area.

3.  Take into account regional difference of particular geographies and languages.

… you might want to pay particular attention to the regional differences of the Spanish language. For example, California is primarily Mexican, Florida is heavily Cuban and New York is predominately Puerto Rican. This means that in many instances, one phrase will not accurately reach all of these cultures. – SearchEngine Land

4. Study Asia before selling in Asia. This continent is a whole new level in multiculturalism. It’s filled with opportunities for growth and expansion but even the biggest firms get it wrong. I recommend you study about Asian issues for at least a year before expanding there. Even if all you want to do is make the Asian version of your website! Refer to this presentation by Michael Hong

5. Get technical. It’s time to learn about puny codes, international ccTLDs and multi-regional and multilingual sites. There’s so much to learn that you might not finish in a decade. However, you only need to know more than your competition. And, by reading this blog your well on your way.

Resources

1. Building Multi-regional and Multilingual Sites, a list by Google.

2. Tech in Asia has deep coverage on the region and its technical issues.

3. Tech List Asia, has a rich list of startups and companies you can partner with. This is also a great resource for acquisition targets in the area. The platform is even richer than CrunchBase.

4. How to Create an SEO-Friendly Multilingual Website by Inc Magazine.

5. The Ultimate Guide to Multilingual and Multiregional SEO by Search Engine Land