International SEO

International SEO is about ranking correctly across languages and countries. It requires the right domain structure, flawless hreflang and localised content that feels native to each market.

I help you choose the structure, implement hreflang without errors and localise — not just translate — so you hit the local intent in each market.

The domain structure is the first and most important decision. ccTLD (your-brand.de), subdomain (de.your-brand.com) and subfolder (your-brand.com/de/) each have their own strengths and weaknesses — and the wrong choice can take years to undo. I assess the structure against your business: how much authority do you have today, where are your primary markets, and how much local presence do your customers expect? It's rarely a technical choice, but a strategic one.

Hreflang is the most misunderstood technical SEO element I come across. Even large international brands have errors like missing x-default, self-references pointing the wrong way, or hreflang attributes in the sitemap AND in the head at the same time. I audit and correct everything — so Google always serves the right language version, and you don't punish yourself with duplicate content across markets.

Localisation is not the same as translation. A Danish 'billig' doesn't automatically become 'cheap' in English — customers in each market search with different words, different questions and different expectations. I work with native speakers and local keyword research, so the content both ranks and converts in every market, not just 'exists' there.

Geo signals to Google need to be consistent. Server location, address in the footer, phone number with the local country code, Google Business profiles per market and correct structured data — all these small signals add up and tell Google that you're a real player in the given market. One weak link can devalue the whole effort.

Finally, international SEO requires patience and local insight. Authority from your home market doesn't transfer automatically. New markets often need local backlinks, local digital PR and an effort that looks more like a mini-launch than a simple scale-up. I set the expectations right from the start, so budgets and timelines match reality.