Practical guide to international SEO for eCommerce: what to do and how to do it right

If your online store is already established in one market and you are considering expanding to other countries, it is essential that your international SEO strategy is well planned. It is not enough to simply translate your product listings: each market has its own nuances, search habits, and unique competition. Here, we explain step by step, with examples, how to prepare your eCommerce to gain visibility and higher rankings in different countries and regions.

Understand each market before optimizing

The first step in an effective SEO international strategy is to research your target market. Even if you sell the same products in several countries, the terms users use to find them may vary significantly. For example, what is searched as “ordenador portátil” in Spain may appear more frequently as “laptop” in Mexico.

To identify these differences, you can use tools such as Semrush, which allows you to analyze the most relevant keywords in different languages and regions. With its international keyword research feature, you will discover not only which terms have the highest search volume, but also which ones have lower competition and greater conversion potential.

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Additionally, take into account cultural and seasonal factors: some products have higher demand at certain times or are searched for with different intentions depending on the country. Understanding your local audience well is crucial to tailor your content and your overall strategy.

How to Conduct International Keyword Research in Semrush

1. Access your Semrush account.
2. In the side menu, go to the section SEO → Keyword Research → Keyword Magic Tool.
3. In the search bar, enter the keyword or general term you wish to analyze.
4. Very important: Right next to the search bar, you will find a dropdown menu for country and language.
   • By default, it is usually set to Spain – Spanish (or the last one you used).
   • Here you can choose from over 130 countries and languages. For example: Mexico – Spanish, United States – English, France – French, and more.
5. Click Search and you will receive keyword suggestions, along with their volume, difficulty, CPC, and trends… but now for the selected country and language.
6. If you want to compare several markets, repeat the search changing the country/language in the dropdown and save the lists so you may analyze them side by side.

Adapt Your Website for Multiregional SEO

Once your market research is clear, it is time to prepare your website so that search engines can interpret it correctly and display it in relevant results according to the user’s location.

One of the most important aspects is to properly implement hreflang tags, which indicate to Google which version of your content should be displayed based on the visitor’s language and country. For example, you might have a page in Spanish for Spain (es-ES) and another in Spanish for Mexico (es-MX), ensuring that users see the most relevant version.

It is also advisable to define whether you will opt for a different domain for each country (for example, .es, .mx), subdomains (es.yourdomain.com), or subdirectories (yourdomain.com/es/). Each option has its advantages and disadvantages, but what is most important is to maintain consistency and ensure that each version of the website is properly optimized. For example, we use .mx, .co, and .cl domains, in addition to .net and .net/en.

Another recommendation is to adapt not only the text, but also images, calls to action, payment methods, and testimonials so that they are aligned with local expectations. This level of customization contributes not only to SEO but also to the overall user experience.

Optimize content and internal linking for each language

Content is the core of your strategy and should not only be translated, but also localized. That means you must adapt expressions, examples, and cultural references to truly connect with the target audience. Here, Semrush proves to be a highly useful tool for analyzing local competitors and identifying which content is performing best for them.

• You may be interested in: Step-by-step guide: How to conduct a competitor analysis with Semrush

Do not forget to also build a local backlink profile in each country. Acquiring mentions and links from local media, blogs, and directories helps gain authority at the regional level, something that Google values highly.

• You may be interested in: How to set up and monitor backlinks with Semrush: A practical guide

Finally, always check that your website is fast and accessible from any device, since site speed and usability also influence SEO and the retention of international visitors.

Summary: think globally, act locally

In conclusion, the success of international SEO is not based solely on translating keywords, but on crafting a strategy designed for each market, taking into account linguistic, cultural, and technical specifics. Tools such as Semrush will help you better guide your decisions and understand what your audience is really searching for in every region.

Plan carefully, measure your results, and adjust your strategy based on the data. In this way, your eCommerce will not only achieve greater international visibility, but will also foster a better connection with users no matter where they are.

By the way: we have spoken with Semrush and they have offered our readers an extension of the free trial from 7 to 14 days, via the following link:

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