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Search engine optimization

lastmod 2026-10-27created 2019-09-0412 edits

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the work of structuring web pages to fit the way web search engines collect and rank data, so that they appear near the top of search results. If a web page appears near the top of results for search terms related to it, visitor traffic increases, so it can be considered one of the effective internet marketing methods. The basic approach is to place specific search terms appropriately on a web page and to get many links to it from other web pages. Since the arrival of Google, search engines have used how often content is cited by other websites as a basic indicator of its trustworthiness, so optimization aims at increasing the number of citations from other sites.

However, Korean portal sites such as Naver apply criteria different from those abroad to search engine ranking, and applying general SEO can in some cases even get a site classified as spam. This is because they give priority exposure to their own blogs; to be exposed in Korean search engines, you must optimize so that site content is registered as blog posts rather than web documents. Also, apart from the search keyword, they use as an additional indicator how widely existing keywords with high blog traffic are distributed on the page, so optimization involves inserting keywords popular on existing Naver blogs. With large blog platforms such as Tistory and Egloos, getting registered as a blog post on Naver is not difficult, but with self-installed blog platforms such as WordPress, several tasks must be performed to be exposed in the Naver blog section.

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How to build an SEO strategy for users in multiple countries/languages

International SEO is the process of optimizing your website for users across multiple countries or languages. It’s crucial if you want to reach an international audience through organic search.

But creating an international SEO strategy can be daunting—even for professional SEOs.

In this guide, I’ll break down the process and walk you through it step by step.

Understanding the market

  • Identify which markets have potential
  • This tells you which markets to serve in the future; don't miss markets with high search demand or no search competition

Understanding technical requirements

  • Use a separate URL for each market
  • Decide the URL structure: ccTLD vs. subfolder vs. subdomain vs. parameter
    • ccTLD : .co.uk .fr .co.kr
      • Pros: clear target country. Page load time can be improved with local hosting
      • Cons: higher cost (buying a domain in each country). Hard to manage multiple domains. The URL doesn't specify the language (.ca is English or French)
    • Subfolder : /gb /us /fr /kr
      • Pros: simple to set up. Custom names per country possible (/germany). Easy tracking and reporting
      • Cons: users may not be familiar with the URL structure
    • Subdomain : gb.example.com kr.example.com
      • Pros: local hosting possible. Custom naming possible (france.example.com)
      • Cons: hard to manage multiple domains. Users may not be familiar with the URL structure
    • Parameter URL : /?gl=fr /?gl=KR
      • Avoid at all costs. Not user-friendly, and confusing to bots too
  • Consider creating pages in multiple languages per country
  • Why not just create pages per language?
    • Google's guidance says to do so
    • Depending on the content, that may not hold. Doing keyword research is recommended
    • If resources are limited, this approach is a fine way to start
  • Adopt a CDN

Keyword research for the chosen markets

  • Research is needed even for a single language. Search volume differs by country
  • Avoid automatic translation tools. Be careful even if you use them for cost reasons

Localize copy and optimize landing pages

  • Localization is a must, since nuances and terms differ by region
  • Localize currency/time zone/phone numbers/office addresses as well
  • Check that each version links correctly to its internal pages
  • Add a navigation menu for switching between versions

Make Google serve the correct version

  • Applying hreflang is a must
  • Avoid geo-redirection
  • Regardless of your presence in the domestic market, building backlinks in each region is a must

See also

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