Multilingual SEO: How to leverage search for international expansion

Search remains the most reliable way to connect with high-intent buyers across borders. According to 2024 industry benchmarks, organic search drives 33 percent of overall website traffic, with paid search contributing another strong share. Together, they account for how most people discover businesses online. But when you expand into new countries, you’re competing for attention in unfamiliar search landscapes. The rules, keywords, and user behavior all shift. Translation alone won’t cut it. You need a multilingual SEO strategy that works in each market you’re targeting. 

Here’s what makes this critical: 58.5 percent of Google searches now end without a click. Users get their answers directly from search results through featured snippets, knowledge panels, and AI overviews. Your international SEO strategy can’t just drive traffic. You need to win “position zero” in local markets, so your brand appears as the authoritative answer users see immediately, even when they don’t click through. 

Multilingual SEO services combine local keyword research, technical implementation, content optimization, and link building for each region. Instead of treating your English site as a template, you build a network of localized, search-friendly experiences tailored to how people actually search in their language. 

This article walks you through the benefits of multilingual SEO services, why you need a defined strategy, and a practical five-step process to improve visibility in your priority markets. 

The Benefits of Multilingual SEO Services 

The core benefit of multilingual SEO services is simple. You make it easier for people to find you in their own language, on the search engines they already use. That alone can unlock new, high-intent traffic. Research shows that 76% of consumers prefer to buy products with information in their own language. 

Effective multilingual SEO services can help you: 

• Reach new audiences in priority markets with queries that match how local buyers actually search. 
• Improve engagement and conversion rates by aligning content, terminology, and examples with local expectations. 
• Generate an ROI of nearly 750% by building a sustainable organic engine that outperforms paid media in the long run. 
• Strengthen your brand by showing that you invest in localized experiences instead of forcing users to work through a single language site.

For global marketing teams, multilingual SEO is also a way to create repeatable processes. Once you have a framework for one language or region, it’s much easier to apply it to the next market you enter as part of your broader multilingual marketing effort. 

Why Develop a Multilingual SEO Strategy 

Many organizations start with translation only. They clone the English site, translate the copy, and hope search engines will surface the new pages. That approach can work in a limited way, but it often leaves significant opportunity on the table. This is especially important when you consider that 49.2% of all websites are in English, yet English speakers represent a smaller proportion of global internet users. 

Without a clear SEO localization strategies, you may run into issues such as: 

• Duplicate or very similar content that competes with itself in search results. 
• Keywords that are translated literally instead of reflecting how local users actually search. 
• Confusing URL structures that mix languages or don’t clearly map to countries and regions. 
• Incomplete or incorrect hreflang implementation, which can make it harder for search engines to serve the right version of a page. 

A documented strategy gives you shared standards for how to select markets, structure URLs, prioritize content, and measure success. It also helps you align internal teams, agencies, and localization partners. 

Implementing a Multilingual SEO Strategy: 5 Steps for Success 

There’s no single blueprint that fits every organization. However, most successful multilingual SEO programs follow a similar sequence. The five steps below provide a practical starting point that you can adapt to your business as part of your overall content strategy. 

Step 1: Identify Key Target Markets for Search Visibility 

Begin by clarifying which markets matter most from both a business and an SEO perspective. Look at current traffic and revenue by country, as well as strategic priorities for your sales and marketing teams. 

Useful inputs include: 

• Analytics data that shows where visitors and conversions already come from. 
• Market research on the demand for your products and services in different regions. 
• Search volume for core topics in the languages you’re considering. 
• Competitive presence in each market, including which search engines dominate. For example, Google holds over 90% of the global market share in most regions, but other search engines might show more growth in other key markets. 

From there, define a shortlist of priority markets and languages. Be specific. For example, decide whether you need Spanish for Spain, Spanish for Latin America, or separate experiences for both. This clarity will guide your URL structure, content plan, and hreflang implementation. 

Step 2: Conduct Keyword Research for Each Target Language 

Keyword research should never be a straight translation exercise. People in different markets may use different terms, abbreviations, and query patterns, even when they’re searching for the same solutions. 

For each target language: 

• Start with your core topics and map them to local equivalents. 
• Use local keyword tools and SEO tools to identify high-value queries. 
• Consider brand terms, generic terms, and long-tail queries that reflect real questions and use cases. 
• Pay attention to search intent. A query that looks similar across languages may indicate different expectations for content. 

Whenever possible, involve native speakers or subject matter experts who understand both the target language and your industry. Their input will help you avoid awkward phrasing and missed opportunities. 

Step 3: Optimize URL Structure for Each Locale 

Your URL structure should make it easy for users and search engines to understand which language and market a page is for. It should also be consistent across your site. 

Common approaches include: 

• Country-specific top-level domains, such as example.fr or example.de. 
• Subdomains, such as fr.example.com. 
• Subfolders, such as example.com/fr or example.com/de. 

Each option has pros and cons. The best choice depends on your existing domain strategy, technical constraints, and the number of markets you plan to support. What matters most is that you choose a clear pattern and apply it consistently. 

Within that framework, avoid mixing multiple languages on a single page. Give each localized version its own dedicated URL. Keep slugs concise, readable, and aligned with your target keywords where appropriate. 

Step 4: Use Hreflang to Target Languages and Locations 

Hreflang is an HTML attribute that tells search engines which language and regional version of a page they should show to users. When implemented correctly, it can reduce duplicate content issues and improve the likelihood that the right version appears in the right market. 

To use hreflang effectively: 

• Create a complete map of all localized versions of each page. 
• Add hreflang attributes that reference every alternate version, including the original. 
• Ensure that the annotations are reciprocal and consistent across pages. 
• Use the ISO 639-1 language code format for accurate language and region targeting. 
• Keep your hreflang implementation in sync with sitemaps and any future changes to URL structure. 

Hreflang can be implemented in the HTML of each page, in HTTP headers, or in XML sitemaps. Many organizations choose sitemaps because they’re easier to manage at scale. Regardless of the method, accuracy and consistency are critical. 

Step 5: Build Backlinks in the Target Language 

Backlinks remain an important signal of authority for search engines. For multilingual SEO, the strongest signals often come from sites that are relevant to the language and market you’re targeting. 

To build quality backlinks in your target language: 

• Identify local industry publications, directories, and communities that your buyers trust. 
• Partner with regional teams or agencies to run digital PR campaigns that generate coverage and links. 
• Contribute useful content, such as guest articles or localized resources, that earns links over time. 
• Maintain a consistent brand voice while adapting examples, data, and references to each market. 

Link building is a long-term effort. When it’s aligned with high-quality localized content and sound technical foundations, it can significantly improve your visibility in each market. 

Reach New Markets With Acclaro’s Multilingual SEO Services 

Multilingual SEO plays a central role in successful localization strategy for international expansion. It connects your language strategy, content strategy, and technical SEO so that each market has a solid foundation for growth. 

If you want guidance, Acclaro can help you prioritize markets, localize content, and align technical SEO with your broader localization program. Get started with Acclaro to discuss your goals and roadmap for multilingual SEO services.