Google Shares 3 Key Tips for International Website SEO

Google has released a video outlining essential strategies for optimizing international websites. Here are the main points:

1. Choose the Right International Setup:

   • Use local top-level domains (e.g., .de, .fr)
   • Utilize subdomains or subdirectories
   • Consider pros and cons for each approach based on specific needs

2. Implement Hreflang Correctly:

   • Use hreflang tags to help search engines understand language and country variations
   • Can be implemented via HTML tags, HTTP headers, or XML sitemaps
   • Key points:
     • Use valid language and country code combinations
     • Ensure all variations link to each other
     • Include self-referential links

3. Link to Language Variations:

   • Provide visible links to different language or country versions
   • Allow users to choose their preferred version
   • Helps search engines discover all site variations

Bonus Tip:

• Focus on quality over quantity in internationalization
• Prioritize locales and countries that are truly relevant
• Ensure high-quality, useful content for each language variation

Google emphasizes the importance of providing a great user experience across all language versions and recommends consulting their documentation for more detailed information on international SEO best practices.