International SEO Strategy Archives

Most of the concepts surrounding AI are based on speculation collected from search engine behavior and patents. Unfortunately, misconception gives rise to fear and this has lead to the current situation where many are unable to utilize AI in favor of SEO. Before we delve deeper into the subject, we need to know what AI is all about.

What is Artificial Intelligence in SEO?

Artificial Intelligence, unlike popular belief, is not a static formula. It is a continually developing system that has been designed to identify, sort and present the required data to meet user demand at that particular point of time from available variables that go far beyond the keywords typed.

How is AI changing SEO?

The year 2015 saw the introduction of RankBrain by Google to its algorithm chart thereby cementing the significance of Artificial Intelligence in SEO.

3 years down the line and search marketers are using AI to uncover new insights, automate labor-intensive tasks to offer an entirely new level of personalization to end users. The AI revolution is real, and it is happening. The significant areas where AI is changing SEO include:

Web Development
On-Site Content Display
Ads
Testing
Interactive Buttons

AI and Machine Learning

AI and machine learning are not the same. Machine learning is a subset of AI. It relies on algorithms to collect data from the existing surrounding to take actions without being explicitly programmed to do so. In other words, they rely on their experience to deliver the desired results. For example:

1. Google uses machine learning to analyze the context of the content to offer better search results.

2. Amazon’s Echo analyses the user’s behavior and of other similar customers to provide new product ranges to choose.

3. Apple uses machine learning to increase the security of the device whereby the user’s face and fingerprints are recognized to unlock the hardware.

4. Facebook uses machine learning to identify the user image and their context.

How Will AI and Machine Learning Impact Content?

Content that fails to engage is no longer of any importance. “Content is King” is an outdated adage. The main focus is on creating a content that “engages” the end users and leads them to go for the services offered and the products displayed.

For example: to improve user experience, RankBrain interprets the environment from which the content is derived and thereby aims at providing better search results.

The goal is to offer search results that are matching to the closest answer to the query enquired. If the content generated for SEO purpose fails to live up to the need of the time, it will get lost amidst thousands of contents created daily. To step up and become visible, the content has to be “concept-related content” rather than “keyword-related content.”

How to use AI for SEO?

In this tricky environment, it becomes equally important for the SEO professionals to survive the challenges thrown at them. The following 5 strategies can change your game plan completely:

1. Keyword Optimization through keyword gathering, grouping and generating exemplars.

2. Use of Cluster Analysis & Predictive Analytics. Regroup your content on a single chosen topic and use the trends to predict the user demand to arrive at the search results.

3. Leveraging Customer Reviews to the hilt. There is nothing better than authentic customer feedback to create better awareness and higher page ranking.

4. Utilizing the available Customer Data to predict shoppers buying habits.

5. AI powered Chatbots are a great way to attract customers towards a sale.

AI SEO software and tools

The popular AI SEO software and tools can be summarized as mentioned below:

Acrolinx – For analyzing and optimizing quality content
Automated Insights
One Spot – For customizing marketing channels
Narrative Science – For generating immersive narratives from the data available
Market Brew – For figuring out SEO rankings
CanIRank – For SEO strategy formulations
Albert – Use AI for online marketing tricks
Pave AI – For analyzing Google Analytics

Simple AI strategies in SEO for amazing results

AI strategies are not always complicated. Gooogle’s RankBrain aims to offer the best possible search as per the query generated. To make sure that your SEO tactics attract the attention of RankBrain, keep in mind the following attributes:

Mobile Friendly Pages are the key.
Page Speed determines the success rate of your website. A slow loading webpage irks the customer and affects their attention span.
Controlled Bounce Rate.
Improved Dwell Rate.
Enhanced Click Through Rate (CTR).
Use more of Latent Semantic Indexing keywords.
Related Internal & External Links.
Structured Data Usage rather than random information available

AI and Link Building

At present, AI has not reached that stage where they can build links for your content. However, it can assist you at each stage of content planning.

Use AI for data collection through natural language processing. This will help to determine whether the information collected is genuine and relevant or not.

AI can also be used for site analysis to determine whether the site in question will have an impact on the page ranking or not.

Smart Tips for Improving Your AI based SEO

An effective SEO strategy takes time to develop and even more significant time to show favorable results. Data and data analysis is an integral part of any SEO strategy.

However, the human brain can process so many data available at any given point in time. To maximize the data crunching, you need AI.

Artificial Intelligence based SEO offers refined and better search ranking results. It can gather data, identify cross-selling audience segments and follow it up by determining the relevance and effectiveness of the content.

How Can AI Improve Your PPC Campaigns?

Give your PPC campaigns a boost with AI. The trick lies in using the AI to carry out repetitive tasks, which is a full-time job in itself. Use AI to monitor and fine-tune paid ads. To improve your PPC campaigns through AI opt for the following measures:

1. Opt for dynamic ads that show different ads to different users based on their preference and purchase history.

2. For any PPC campaign to be successful, the ad delivery has to be at the right time to the right people. AI helps to optimize ad delivery.

3 .Instead of manual bidding, make use of automated bidding with AI.

4. It is not necessary to use AI for your PPC campaigns. You can use AI to find out about customer searches, buying the pattern and use the relevant information in creating your PPC campaign strategy.

5. AI can use data analysis to uncover relevant keywords for your industry, thanks to the real world conversational language.

Future of Artificial intelligence in SEO

To sum it up, we cannot undermine the role played by AI in SEO strategy nowadays. The question remains what lies in the future? If the recent trends are anything to go by, then the following can be predicted for the future:

1. AI will interfere with SEO practitioners using Black Hat SEO tactics like the use of excessive keywords in the content, backlinking.

2. Real-time data will require real-time adjustments with better-personalized care – all thanks to AI algorithm.

3. Conversational keywords will rule

4. The demand for visual content will be on the rise.

Final Thoughts

As technology progresses, we will see many more changes. Who knows, a time might come when you will type in your requirements and mention the budget while the rest will be taken care of by AI.

Back in the days, deciding to go international was a huge step in a company’s history. Businesses would enter another country only after 10 to 15 years of success in home country.

This is not the case now. Technology has shrunk the world and accelerated growth stages of a company. Today, companies are going international within a year of their business. In fact, start-ups are being launched with vision of a global presence.

Read on if you are spreading your digital presence online and want to know how your SEO efforts should change country to country.

Launching your site in a different country is more than just translating. In fact language is only one part of your site transformation. Sometimes, your site will have to change according to the region even in two English speaking regions. For example, Amazon has different sites for each country. (This is called country targeting).

Follow this checklist to launch your website successfully.

Domain Name viability

There is something that comes even before you figure out your regional hosting, target market and translation. It is your business name feasibility in other countries.

Launching popular Dublin whiskey brand “Irish Mist” was an embarrassing mistake in Germany because ‘Mist’ means manure in German!

It’s important to test your product name, brand name and domain name in another country before you think of implementing SEO strategy. P&G had to change its brand “Mr. Clean” to Flash in Ireland as the name was already taken.

In case of such legal complications and cultural misfit you may want to consider buying a different domain name altogether.

Competitor Market Research

One reason why international SEO strategies fail is because they do not adapt to the different competitive landscape of the new market.

New regions will have new players who could be more competitive or more aggressive in their ad spends.

Besides, Google is not the primary search engine in some countries. China has ‘Baidu’ and Russia has ‘Yandex’ as the most popular search engines.

You will have to find how search results are ranked here and tweak your SEO strategy if you want to launch in these countries.

Looking at the country’s top competitors will give you good idea of what SEO strategy is working. Use tools such as SEMRush and Google Trends to find keywords others are using for successful SEO strategy.

Keyword Research

Keywords are crucial to your SEO strategy. Search terms and context change from country to country depending on products and services.

A search for flights will be more or less similar throughout the world. However, search terms for clothing may be completely different. Soft sport shoes are called ‘sneakers’ in the U.S. and ‘trainers’ in U.K.

This is why going into a new market may mean doing your keyword research all over again.
Never assume the same keyword will work in another country. You will also have to re-purpose your content keeping the new keywords in mind.

Localize Content

The next step after deciding on your keywords is to localize your content of your website.
This includes translation to language, change in currency, metric systems etc.

Translation is a major part of it although you may need to re-position your content in some cases. Remember that different audiences interpret words, messaging, and colors differently. It is advisable to involve local digital marketing firm or consultants to be sure that your brand message is coming across correctly.

Website Structuring

There are various ways to structure your international website. Here is a video of terms you must be familiar with before you consider your options:

Here are some additional terms to know for international SEO:

Country code top level domain (ccTLD) – these are country specific such as ‘.fr’ for France in ‘www.example.fr’
Sub-Directory- It is simply a folder on the site. ‘fr’ in ‘www.example.com/fr’
Sub Domain – A unique subset of the domain name. It appears just before the domain name. ‘www’ in ‘www.example.com’

As of 2018 the international SEO consultants recommend that you use Sub-directories to differentiate country specific sites. This is because Google does not treat this as a separate site and uses your root domain name authority to rank page.

Localization Signals

Google also provides webmasters with various tools to help it rank the right localized page for the intended audience. Here are some tools and signals that your web developer / web master must optimize targeting:

1. Hreflangs – This is an attribute (‘just a part of site code’) which tells Google how different versions of your site are related and which page is meant to be shown in a country / language search.

2. Geo-targeting Settings– You can also set your target country in the country targeting tool in Google Search Console. Select this for site versions that you want to restrict to one country only. Do not set this if you want to target multiple countries with the same site.

3. Backlinks – It would benefit your Germany targeted website if most of its backlinks came from German sites. Backlinks from all over the world could confuse the geo-targeting signals.

4. Server Locations– A server closer to your audience is a signal for targeting the region. This means using a server located in Germany will help to target a Germany target site.

Final Thoughts

We are lucky to live in an era where the whole world is open to businesses old and new. Launching your websites across the globe requires some thought and planning. Checking everything off this list will take your international SEO strategy closer to success.

Tag: International SEO Strategy

Guide to Artificial Intelligence in Search Engine Optimization