expert
international seo
consultant

International SEO adds another layer of complexity to almost every part of search optimisation. Site structure, language targeting, hreflang, canonical tags, content, migrations and reporting all need to work together across several markets rather than just one.

I work directly on the technical and strategic parts of the setup, so there is no separate account team between the recommendations and the implementation.

That is particularly useful when an international site has grown over time and nobody is quite sure why the wrong pages are ranking, why markets are competing with each other or why a setup that looks correct on paper is not behaving properly in search.

I start by understanding which markets and languages the website needs to serve, how the existing site is structured and where the current search visibility is coming from.

From there, I look at the technical signals that tell search engines how the different versions relate to each other, whether the content actually reflects how people search in each market and whether the right pages are being indexed and shown in the right places.

The aim is not simply to add hreflang tags. It is to create an international setup where site architecture, content, targeting and measurement all support each other.

If you already have multiple country or language versions of your website, an international SEO audit can identify where the setup is causing search engines to choose the wrong pages or where different markets are competing with each other.

That can include reviewing:

• international URL and domain structure
• hreflang implementation
• canonical tags and indexation
• language and country targeting
• duplicate or near-duplicate content across markets
• cross-market cannibalisation
• market-specific landing pages
• internal linking between international sections
• sitemaps and crawlability
• market-level search visibility and performance

The output is a prioritised set of recommendations showing what needs fixing, what should be left alone and where the biggest opportunities sit across the different markets.

One of the most important international SEO decisions is how different countries or languages are organised within the website.

That might involve country-code domains such as example.fr, subdomains such as fr.example.com or subfolders such as example.com/fr/.

There is no single structure that is right for every business. The best approach depends on the markets being targeted, the authority of the existing domain, how independently each market operates and how the website needs to be maintained.

I can review the available options and recommend a structure that balances search visibility, scalability and the practical realities of managing the site.

Hreflang helps search engines understand which language or regional version of a page should be shown to different users.

When it is implemented incorrectly, search engines can ignore the signals, choose the wrong version or allow similar pages from different markets to compete with each other.

I can audit, implement and troubleshoot hreflang across individual pages, templates or XML sitemaps, including language and country codes, return references, x-default behaviour and the relationship between hreflang and canonical tags.

I also check the wider indexation setup, because correct hreflang cannot compensate for pages that are blocked, canonicalised elsewhere or otherwise unavailable to search engines.

International SEO is not just a translation exercise.

People in different countries can use different terminology, search for different products or services and respond to different types of content even when they speak the same language.

I can review search demand and intent by market so important pages are built around how people actually search in each country rather than simply translating the keywords used on the original site.

This also helps identify when a market needs its own landing page, different supporting content or a different emphasis rather than a direct copy of another country's page.

The best time to think about international SEO is before a new market or website structure goes live.

If you are adding a new country, changing domains, reorganising international folders or moving to a new platform, I can help plan the search requirements before the migration takes place.

That can include deciding how new market URLs should be structured, mapping existing pages, planning redirects, reviewing hreflang and canonical requirements and making sure existing international visibility is protected during the move.

Where the project involves a wider move, this can form part of my website migration consultancy.

International performance needs to be understood market by market rather than hidden inside one global traffic number.

I can help structure reporting around country, language, landing page and market so you can see where visibility is improving, which versions are attracting the right users and where one market may be cannibalising another.

This can include Search Console, GA4 and Looker Studio reporting where a clearer cross-market view is useful.

I can work directly with business owners or alongside marketing teams, digital agencies, web developers and ecommerce managers where different parts of the international setup are owned by different people.

My role is usually to connect the search, content and technical requirements across those teams so the international setup works as one system rather than a collection of separate market websites.

If you need broader specialist support across an internal team, you can also find out more about how I work with in-house teams.

International SEO touches site architecture, content, migrations, technical SEO and measurement, so problems rarely sit in only one place.

The work can form part of a wider website SEO audit, a website migration or ongoing SEO consultancy where several markets need to be managed together.

The aim is to make sure search engines understand the relationship between the different versions of your website and that each market has the best chance of ranking with the right pages.

International SEO needs ongoing attention as new markets, products, pages and languages are added.

I can provide regular or ad-hoc support to monitor international visibility, review new content, troubleshoot hreflang or indexation issues and make sure future website changes do not undermine the setup already in place.

tracking & reporting

Keeping an eye on performance and making sure your tracking stays accurate.
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performance insights

Digging into your data to spot trends, issues, and opportunities.
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audit & optimisation

Regular reviews and updates to keep your site on track.
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ad-hoc support

Ask a question, get a second opinion, or get help with a one-off job
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