You’re going global with your business, and that’s exciting – but you can’t be translating existing keywords and expecting magic to happen.
International keyword research is a whole different ballgame, and if you aren’t playing by the right rules, you’re missing out on a ton of growth and revenue.
International keyword research is all about identifying and analyzing search terms used by audiences across different countries, languages, and cultures. But it’s not just about finding the keywords. It’s understanding how people think, search, and express their needs in different parts of the world.
Here’s what you need to know about international SEO keyword research and how to crack it.
Why International Keyword Research Matters
Did you know that 76% of consumers prefer to buy products in their native language, according to CSA Research?
When you don’t do your homework, you end up with irrelevant traffic, poor conversion rates, and wasted marketing budgets. If you’re wasting thousands on ads targeting pants in the UK, only to find out they’re actually referred to as trousers, you’re practically invisible to your target audience.
Global e-commerce sales are expected to reach $6.56 trillion in 2025, and this figure continues to grow year after year. Business owners who invest in proper multilingual SEO strategies are positioning themselves to capture a significant share of this growing market.
The benefits are enormous and almost too good to pass up. Here’s what you’re missing out on if you’re not implementing multilingual SEO today:
- Better targeting capabilities: You reach the right people with the right message at the right time.
- Culturally relevant content: Your content feels natural and authentic to local users, building trust and engagement.
- Improved ROI: More precise targeting means better conversion rates and higher returns on your marketing investment.
- Competitive advantage: While your competitors are struggling with generic translations, you’re speaking your audience’s language – literally and figuratively.
How to Conduct International SEO Keywords Research
International keyword research is where the gold pot’s at, but how do you implement it?
Fortunately for you, we’ve made you a step-by-step roadmap to master international SEO keyword research:
Step 1: Identify Target Markets and Languages
If you’re expecting to conquer the digital world overnight, you’re doing it wrong.
Work in phases. Start by identifying 2 to 3 markets where your business has the highest potential. You need to consider factors such as:
- Market size
- Competition level
- Cultural fit
What this means is that you’re going to need to go beyond just major languages like English, Spanish, or French. Consider regional dialects and local variations.
For example, Spanish in Mexico differs significantly from Spanish in Argentina, not just in vocabulary but in search patterns and cultural references.
Step 2: Understand Local Search Behavior
A lot of digital marketing hinges on human psychology and behavior. The day you crack the code, you’ve already won half the game.
Different cultures have completely different search behaviors. Chinese users, for instance, tend to use longer, more descriptive search queries compared to the direct, short keywords popular in Western markets.
You also need to study the society itself. Is it individualistic or collectivist?
For example, when you’re marketing in an individualistic market, consumers want to stand out, stay on top of trends, and are overall more open to taking risks. Collectivist societies, on the other hand, emphasize collaboration, collectivity, and trust – this is where testimonials, for example, would work like a charm.
Step 3: Localize Your Keywords
Here’s where most businesses fall short. Localization doesn’t equal translation. Localization is simply understanding local context, slang, and cultural nuances.
Take the word boot, for instance. In the U.S., it means the trunk of a car in the UK. If you’re selling car accessories and targeting a boot organizer in the US, you’ll get zero relevant traffic. Meanwhile, UK customers searching for a boot organizer are looking for car storage solutions, not shoe racks.
Step 4: Analyze Search Volume, Competition, and Intent
Numbers rarely lie.
But they could be misleading if you don’t understand the context.
A keyword with high search volume in one country might have completely different competition levels and user intent in another.
How do you bypass this? Use a local keyword research tool. You’ll get accurate data, that’s more reliable than global tools that don’t capture local search patterns.
Step 5: Organize Keywords for Each Market
Your next task at hand is creating a separate keyword list for each target market.
Here’s what this includes:
1. Creating Market-Specific Keyword Clusters
Think of keyword clustering like organizing your keywords into themed groups that work together. Instead of creating content for single keywords like “SEO strategy,” cluster it with related terms like “semantic SEO,” “topic clusters,” and “keyword grouping” to dominate search results more effectively.
2. Accounting for Seasonal Variations by Region
Seasonal keywords like summer clothes have high search volume from late May to August, but there’s very little demand for summer clothing in winter. Now imagine managing this across multiple hemispheres – while your Northern Hemisphere markets are searching for winter gear, your Australian customers are looking for beach accessories.
3. Mapping Cultural Events and Local Holidays
Every market has unique cultural moments that drive search behavior. Black Friday has exploded globally, but in some markets, local shopping events like Singles’ Day in China or Boxing Day in Commonwealth countries generate more search volume.
4. Using Spreadsheet Templates for Consistency
Create standardized templates for each market containing:
- Primary keywords with search volumes
- Related long-tail variations
- Seasonal modifiers and timing
- Cultural context notes
- Competition analysis
- Content gap identification
This systematic approach ensures you don’t miss opportunities and can scale your international keyword strategy effectively across multiple markets.
Tools Used for International Keyword Research
The right tools can make or break your international keyword research strategy. Here are some of the best tools out there that you need in your tool kit.
Google Keyword Planner
While Google holds 89.62% of the global search market, it’s not dominant everywhere. Google gets roughly 85.5 billion visits monthly, making it essential for most markets, but it has limitations for non-English regions where local competitors thrive.
SEMrush and Ahrefs
These comprehensive tools offer keyword analysis across multiple countries and languages. They’re particularly valuable for competitive analysis and understanding search trends in different markets, with databases covering over 140 countries.
Baidu Keyword Tool
Baidu keyword tool is practically indispensable for China, especially since Baidu maintains a 56.23% market share. With China accounting for 95% of Baidu’s traffic, this tool is crucial for accessing the world’s largest internet user base – over 1.1 billion people.
Yandex Wordstat
Yandex commands an impressive 73.41% market share in Russia. This makes it absolutely essential for Eastern European expansion, covering regions where Google’s influence is significantly reduced.
Regional Tools
Contrary to popular belief, regional tools matter a lot. In South Korea, Naver dominates local search behavior with unique cultural preferences. These region-specific tools provide insights that global platforms simply can’t match.
Local Market Research Platforms
Don’t overlook specialized tools for specific regions. Country-specific SEO platforms understand local search patterns, cultural nuances, and seasonal trends that international alternatives often miss entirely.
At the end of the day, it’s all about using multiple tools to get the complete picture. What Google Keyword Planner shows for Germany might differ significantly from what local German SEO tools reveal about actual user behavior. This is why you should never rely solely on a single tool.
Are You Ready to Expand Globally?
If you’re serious about expanding your business globally, international keyword research needs to be on your radar.
The global market opportunity is enormous, with e-commerce sales continuing to grow year after year.
But success requires more than good intentions.
It requires systematic research, cultural understanding, and the right tools to uncover opportunities that your competitors are missing.
The businesses that will dominate international markets are those that understand this fundamental truth: global success starts with local understanding. And that understanding begins with knowing exactly what your international customers are searching for.
International SEO and global branding require expertise, cultural knowledge, and the right approach for each market.
Can you do this all on your own? Sure.
Should you? No. Not when you’ve got EC Innovations to help out. We specialize in helping businesses navigate the complexities of international keyword research and multilingual SEO strategies.
Our team understands that successful global expansion isn’t about translation. It’s about transformation. We help you adapt your digital presence for each target market, so your content resonates with local audiences while maintaining your brand’s core message.
Contact us today to learn how our international SEO and localization services can help you reach global audiences effectively and drive real results in your target markets.
