SEO_Brein_meetup_-_CTRL_C_is_not_how_to_scale_international_SEO.pdf

Linda Hogenes | Head of SEO @ Coolblue | linkedin.com/in/lindahogenes
| #seobreinmeetup| speakerdeck.com/lindahogenes

Today's talk is all about how to create a successful
website in a new market or language at scale.

Stand up if you've ever launched a new-language slite by
duplicating what already worked in your home market.

Now stay standing if, deep down, you knew it wasn't
going to work - but shipped it anyway.

Welcome to the copy-paste loop. Let's break it.

Because if your site doesn't feel local, it won't perform
local.

11 years at Coolblue 2014

Long-time member & moderator SEO Brein

We sell consumer electronics

12 . Netherlands, Belgium and Germany

13 7 diﬀerent language/country combinations German English Dutch English Dutch
French English

You've probably seen us around

Anything for a smile

The illusion of scale

Happy customers?

Rankings?

Commercial results?

Will they trust you?

Make a website that is actually local

You can scale a lot still

Today's subjects • Words • Assortment • Formatting • Expectations
• Show you're local

Same language Diﬀerent keywords Droger Wasdroger Droogkast

Untransla table No direct translation possible Kopfhörer Hoofdtelefoon Koptelefoon Oordopjes

Time of day the Dutch 'middag' has a diﬀerent meaning
in Netherlands and Belgium

With a smile Fact/slogans

Words A lot of words are the same across countries,
or can be easily translated. 1

Words Check the correctness of your wording, ideally by a
native speaker & customize your pages where needed. 1

Diﬀerent products language on panel

Diﬀerent products Keyboard layout

Service providers Internet, telephony

Assortment Ask vendors & check competitors to ﬁnd out if
products are diﬀerent. 1 ?

Assortment A lot of your assortment will be the exact
same. 1

Assortment Or the same product, just with a diﬀerent name
and look. 1

Assortment Or entirely diﬀerent products. 1

Assortment Customize where those diﬀerent products are shown on your
site. 1

Date & time display Diﬀerent per language 6 février 2025
14 h 38

Notation of numbers Like dishwasher niche sizes

Formatting Customize the templates per country/language. Test improvements. 1

Legislation Impressum (Germany, Austria, Switzerland)

Expectations Service, delivery, installation → strong USP?

Expectations Check competitor websites and market data. 1 ?

Credibility Why should people trust us if they don't know
us?

Payment methods Oﬀer the ones your customers are used to

'Feel' local Images must match local expectations

'Feel' local Images are actually local

Be local Stores

Be local Delivery

Be local Customer service

Show you are local Don't fake it. No copy-paste. 1

Check where you need to localize • Words • Assortment
• Formatting • Expectations • Show you're local

Google follows users behaviour

Hreﬂangs point to each other & itself Wasdrogers nl-nl Droogkasten
nl-be Sèche-linges fr-be Dryers en-nl Trockner de-de <head> <link rel="alternate" href="..." hreflang="nl-nl"> <link rel="alternate" href="..." hreflang="en-nl"> <link rel="alternate" href="..." hreflang="nl-be"> <link rel="alternate" href="..." hreflang="fr-be"> <link rel="alternate" href="..." hreflang="de-de"> </head>

Either in the <head> or in sitemap <head> <link rel="alternate"
href="..." hreflang="nl-nl"> <link rel="alternate" href="..." hreflang="en-nl"> <link rel="alternate" href="..." hreflang="nl-be"> <link rel="alternate" href="..." hreflang="fr-be"> <link rel="alternate" href="..." hreflang="de-de"> </head> <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9" xmlns:xhtml="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <url> <loc>https://www.coolblue.nl/wasdrogers</loc> <xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="nl-nl" href="https://www.coolblue.nl/wasdrogers"/> <xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-nl" href="https://www.coolblue.nl/en/dryers"/> ... </url> <head> sitemap

If unavailable, don't link to it Wasdrogers nl-nl Droogkasten nl-be
Dryers en-nl Trockner de-de <head> <link rel="alternate" href="..." hreflang="nl-nl"> <link rel="alternate" href="..." hreflang="en-nl"> <link rel="alternate" href="..." hreflang="nl-be"> <link rel="alternate" href="..." hreflang="fr-be"> <link rel="alternate" href="..." hreflang="de-de"> </head> fr-be

Targeting Belgium? be

be Targeting Belgium? Belarusian

be-nl Targeting Belgium?

be-nl Targeting Belgium? Belarusian

nl-be Targeting Belgium?

nl-be Targeting Belgium? Dutch (Flemish)

Check where you need to localize • Words • Assortment
• Formatting • Expectations • Show you're local • Hreﬂang ... and much more

Linda Hogenes | Head of SEO @ Coolblue | linkedin.com/in/lindahogenes
| #seobreinmeetup| speakerdeck.com/lindahogenes

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