Going global with your SEO? Forget copy-pasting your U.S. strategy. From Yandex in Russia to Baidu in China, each market has its own search engines, buyer habits, and cultural differences. The top SEO agencies that succeed are the ones that know how to adapt everything, from keywords to backlinks, for each region. Here’s how they do it.
Why International SEO Feels Like a Different Game
Every country plays by its own rules. In most markets, Google is king but in Russia, Yandex owns 74% of searches, and in China, Baidu commands about half. If you only optimize for Google in English, you’re invisible in huge markets. The best agencies don’t just pick a site structure (ccTLD, subfolder, or subdomain) at random. They match it to the way people search and buy in each region.
Keyword Research Isn’t Just Translation
Direct translation is the rookie move. Even in the same language, search intent changes. Americans shop for “pants.” Brits shop for “trousers.” Australians might search “holiday deals” while Americans type “vacation packages.” These aren’t quirks: they change what ranks and what sells. Top SEO agencies research native search terms, adapt tone and layout, and even change product detail depth. A Japanese product page might triple the detail of its U.S. counterpart, because that’s what local buyers expect.
Technical SEO Still Runs the Show
Global rankings still depend on the boring-but-critical stuff. Hreflang tags tell search engines which language and region each page serves. A wrong tag can wreck rankings. CDNs help pages load faster in faraway markets. Local hosting can shave seconds off load time and boost conversions. The best agencies also flag language variants in XML sitemaps so search engines index the right pages in the right markets.
Local Links Win
Links are still one of Google’s top three ranking factors, but not all links count equally. A backlink from an Italian news site can help an Italian brand more than one from a U.S. blog. Top agencies build local outreach and PR campaigns to get your site relevant authority in that specific market.
Keeping Up With Regional Trends
International SEO isn’t “set it and forget it.” The agencies that win globally monitor search behavior, competitor moves, and market changes. They adjust meta tags, update CTAs, or tweak page layouts to fit local preferences. Sometimes, something as simple as changing a checkout button from “Buy Now” to “Order Today” can move the needle in a new market.
How to Pick the Right International SEO Agency
Lots of agencies say they “do” international SEO. Few can prove they’ve grown traffic in multiple countries with different languages and search engines. The best ones show case studies, run deep technical audits, and have multilingual teams who understand local culture. You’ll find those agencies in our verified list: the ones that actually deliver global growth.