5 Steps to DOMINATE International SEOWithout Learning Another Language

Eli SchwartzOnline Marketing Manager

SurveyMonkey

Pubcon New Orleans 2014

SEO @ SurveyMonkey

Own Your Destiny

Keywords Matter THE MOST

Non-English Search is Weaker than English

More Spanish speakers worldwide than English*

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_languages_by_number_of_native_speakers

2nd Page of Results for Competitive Terms

Google.com (English) Google.es (Spanish)

Must Use Correct Keywords to Rank

Non-English Spelling Correction is Weaker

In French a misspelling brings up different results

Make Sure Your Translations Make Sense

Double Check Translation Work

Keywords Need to Be Culturally Relevant

Let’s Learn Keyword Research

Keyword Tools are NOT the Starting Point

In English, you might just go to Adwords Keyword Tool and call it a day

Just blindly trusting search volume will NOT work

Understand Keyword Weakness

None of these are relevant to SurveyMonkey’s Business

Learn just one word…

Put your primary keyword into Google Translate

Search Translation Alternatives Too

Some of these might be the better keyword

Add Keyword Modifiers

Adding a modifier gives Google Translate context around the word

Start Googling

Search the just discovered keyword in your target language AND country

Google can help even in non-Google dominant languages

Search All Translations To Get Right Word

Not all translations will be relevant to your business

Some Translations Are Very INCORRECT

Google’s suggested translation was a XXX term

Look at Number of Results

Only 51 results

Two Tabbed Searching: Translate vs Original

Use Chrome’s translation tool

Add Search Competitors to Spreadsheet

Using your first keyword, find competitive sites

View Search Competitors in Two Tabs

English Translation via ChromeSpanish Original

• View each site to find new keywords• Look at the English to find important keywords• Compare words to original and add translated word to spreadsheet

Google Suggest Will Show New Keywords

Spanish English Translation

Can also use a tool like UberSuggest

Look Up Search Volume of Keyword List

Paste in all keywords you discovered

Pluralize Keywords

• Not every language has a plural • Don’t forget non-s plurals

(Alumnus alumni)

• Search volume of plurals could be greater than singular• A greater search volume for the plural

version of one word does not have bearing on other words• Singularize plural keywords from original

list

Translate Keywords in Your Favorite Tool

Translations just help you to communicate to other team members

Buddy Up With a Native

Dedupe the List and Make it Actionable

Some International Keyword Tools

5 Steps to Dominate Your International SEO

1. If you aren’t doing international keyword research: START

2. Do the work yourself

3. Find a native or rent one

4. Localize content5. Once you are done,

start all over again

Thank you!

Eli Schwartz, SurveyMonkey eli@surveymonkey.com @5le @surveymonkey