How To Structure Your Website For International Success

To achieve international success for your website and content in different countries and different languages, your website structure needs to meet the demands of each international market. Whether it’s one country outside the UK or the whole world, there is much more to consider than a simple translation of your English content.

Google and other search engines need multi-language sites to have either different domains, subdomains or subdirectories to make a clear separation between different languages and target locations. And for your international content to succeed, you must genuinely meet the needs of different audiences, cultures and languages.

There are three common ways to structure international website versions. However, each has advantages and disadvantages that make them better suited to certain scenarios than others. Here we look at the options available and which scenarios they are best suited to.

Note that it is possible to target an international audience without a multi-lingual website. For instance, if you only target English-speaking countries such as USA, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa etc. In that case the same principles apply.

 

1. Country-Coded Top Level Domains - ccTLDs

 

Country-coded top-level domain extensions specifically relate to a particular country or geographical location. ccTLDs will only target countries, not the language, so you will still need to have a URL strategy that manages the language on the country-specific domain. Canada is an example where you should consider both English and French-speaking audiences. Using a country-coded domain tells the search engine algorithms that your site is relevant in that market.

The advantages of ccTLDs:

 

• Easy to separate individual website versions.

• You don’t require the use of the “hreflang” tag to target the specific language(s) of the country, as it will be automatically attributed.

• There is a clear geotargeting signal for search engines.

• You build trust in local markets by showing a dedicated location-specific website.

 

The disadvantages of ccTLDs:

 

• Extra costs of individual domain purchases and resources to host and maintain them.
• Domain names may not be available for every target market, country or location.
• Added understanding of the different hosting requirements - some countries have strict hosting regulations.
• It can be challenging to compete against well-established brands when you launch a new ccTLD in a new market.

 

ccTLDs are most suitable for:

 

• Businesses with variations in product catalogues in each country or location.
• Where you need dedicated local outreach with specialised or location-specific content.
• Large organisations seeking to build on an established local market presence.
• Websites with a large budget for digital marketing.

 

 2. Sub-domains

 

A subdomain is part of a larger domain but is distinctive in its own right. Google and other search engines view sub-domains as a separate entity.

The pros of choosing a sub-domain structure:

 

• Easier separation of website versions.
• More straightforward set-up and less initial work and ongoing maintenance than creating separate domains.
• Geotargeting is more straightforward as the subdomain and its subdirectories fall within the same geotarget.

 

The cons of using sub-domains:

 

• URLs alone may not help users recognise the site targeting.
• ccTLDs are automatically geo-targeted based on the domain, and a subdomain can not be adjusted to a different geo-target.
• The authority of the root domain is not automatically passed to the subdomain. You need to build internal links between the two.

 

Subdomains could be suitable for:

 

• Businesses seeking to test the water in a new location without changing their existing website.
• Websites with different content strategies within each location.
• Businesses with different product offerings within each location.

 

3.   Sub-directories

A sub-directory (also sometimes referred to as a subfolder) exists as part of the main website, acting just like a separate section of the website with different content.

Reasons to choose sub-directories:

 

• They are both simple to set up and cheaper to operate than separate domains.
• Maintenance costs are low as the sub-directories are hosted on the same root domain.
• They offer location flexibility by using geotargeting for certain sub-directories or having general language versions of web pages.
• When building authority in new markets, you can inherit the authority of your established website, which can result in higher rankings more quickly in search listings and, therefore, establish trust among your target audience more quickly.

 

When the subdirectory route may not be suitable:

 

• Loading times may be slower through shared servers if you don’t use a Content Delivery Network.
• It can be harder to cater to different technical requirements in different locations/languages.

 

Subdirectories could be suitable for:

 

• Businesses who wish to offer similar products or services in each location.
• Those wishing to expand into new zones without significant investment in time or money.
• Websites with limited SEO budget as sub-directories effectively share the backlink profile of the main website.

 

Other things to consider

To understand which option suits you best, you need to explore your business objectives, marketing budget, resources and expertise. That might be in-house or by enlisting the help of a digital marketing company with particular international SEO expertise to assess and advise on the best course of action. How businesses target an international audience varies enormously. Simply targeting Europe, for instance, requires multiple language versions of your content. Whereas targeting all English-speaking countries worldwide is, in many ways, a simpler proposition.

You will also need to understand your current website audience. Does your website already attract overseas visitors, and, if so, from which countries? Are they actually your target countries and could you start your journey towards becoming an international organisation by building on that existing audience? If you are already monitoring your website data from tools such as Google Search Console and Google Analytics (either directly or via a Google GA4 Add-on), then you will have a head start. You will be able to make data-driven decisions about the best approach for your business.

 

Final thoughts

 

Each option to reaching an international online audience has a different approach requiring differing levels of commitment and resources. By clearly defining your business objectives and analysing existing website data, you can start to develop a clear idea of which website structure best suits your needs.

For an informal chat about how Ditto Digital can help your business website reach an international audience contact us at contact@dittodigital.co.uk or call 01494 530233.