Editing Search engine optimization (section)

== International markets and SEO ==
Optimization techniques are highly tuned to the dominant search engines in the target market.
The search engines' market shares vary from market to market, as does competition.
In 2003, [[Danny Sullivan (technologist)|Danny Sullivan]] stated that [[Google]] represented about 75% of all searches.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2003-08-25-google_x.htm|title=The search engine that could|newspaper=USA Today|access-date=May 15, 2007|date=August 26, 2003|first1=Jefferson|last1=Graham|archive-date=May 17, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070517051318/http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2003-08-25-google_x.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> In markets outside the United States, Google's share is often larger, and data showed Google was the dominant search engine worldwide as of 2007.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2066064/Stats-Show-Google-Dominates-the-International-Search-Landscape | author=Greg Jarboe | title=Stats Show Google Dominates the International Search Landscape | publisher=[[Search Engine Watch]] | date=February 22, 2007 | access-date=May 15, 2007 | archive-date=May 23, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110523154641/http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2066064/Stats-Show-Google-Dominates-the-International-Search-Landscape | url-status=live }}</ref> As of 2006, Google had an 85–90% market share in Germany.<ref name="grehan-1">{{cite web|url=http://www.clickz.com/clickz/column/1702507/search-engine-optimizing-europe|title=Search Engine Optimizing for Europe|author=Mike Grehan|date=April 3, 2006|access-date=May 14, 2007|publisher=Click|archive-date=November 6, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101106014727/http://www.clickz.com/clickz/column/1702507/search-engine-optimizing-europe|url-status=live}}</ref> While there were hundreds of SEO firms in the US at that time, there were only about five in Germany.<ref name="grehan-1" />  As of March 2024, Google still had a significant market share of 89.85% in Germany.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Germany search engine market share 2024 |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/445974/search-engines-market-share-of-desktop-and-mobile-search-germany/#statisticContainer |access-date=2025-01-06 |website=Statista |language=en}}</ref> As of June 2008, the market share of Google in the UK was close to 90% according to [[Hitwise]].<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/blog/2008/jun/10/googleukclosesinon90mark | author=Jack Schofield | title=Google UK closes in on 90% market share | newspaper=[[The Guardian|Guardian]] | date=June 10, 2008 | access-date=June 10, 2008 | location=London | archive-date=December 17, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131217023045/http://www.theguardian.com/technology/blog/2008/jun/10/googleukclosesinon90mark | url-status=live }}</ref>{{Obsolete source|date=December 2024}} As of March 2024, Google's market share in the UK was 93.61%.<ref>{{Cite web |title=UK search engines market share 2024 |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/280269/market-share-held-by-search-engines-in-the-united-kingdom/ |access-date=2025-01-06 |website=Statista |language=en}}</ref>

Successful search engine optimization (SEO) for international markets requires more than just translating web pages. It may also involve registering a domain name with a [[Country code top-level domain|country-code top-level domain]] (ccTLD) or a relevant [[top-level domain]] (TLD) for the target market, choosing web hosting with a local IP address or server, and using a [[Content delivery network|Content Delivery Network]] (CDN) to improve website speed and performance globally.  It is also important to understand the local culture so that the content feels relevant to the audience. This includes conducting keyword research for each market, using hreflang tags to target the right languages, and building local backlinks. However, the core SEO principles—such as creating high-quality content, improving user experience, and building links—remain the same, regardless of language or region.<ref name="grehan-1" /> 

Regional search engines have a strong presence in specific markets:

* China: [[Baidu]] leads the market, controlling about 70 to 80% market share.<ref>{{Cite web |title=China search engines market share 2024 |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/253340/market-share-of-search-engines-in-china-pageviews/ |access-date=2025-01-06 |website=Statista |language=en}}</ref>
* South Korea: Since the end of 2021, [[Naver]], a domestic web portal, has gained prominence in the country.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=cycles |first1=This text provides general information Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct Due to varying update |last2=Text |first2=Statistics Can Display More up-to-Date Data Than Referenced in the |title=Topic: Search engines in South Korea |url=https://www.statista.com/topics/10655/search-engines-in-south-korea/#topicOverview |access-date=2025-01-06 |website=Statista |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=South Korea: main service used to search for information 2024 |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/1115944/south-korea-main-service-used-to-search-for-information/ |access-date=2025-01-06 |website=Statista |language=en}}</ref>
* Russia: [[Yandex]] is the leading search engine in Russia. As of December 2023, it accounted for at least 63.8% of the market share.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Most popular search engines in Russia 2023 |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/1094920/leading-search-engines-by-visits-share-russia/ |access-date=2025-01-06 |website=Statista |language=en}}</ref>

=== The Evolution of International SEO ===
By the early 2000s, businesses recognized that the web and search engines could help them reach global audiences. As a result, the need for multilingual SEO emerged.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Arora |first1=Sanjog |last2=Hemrajani |first2=Naveen |date=September 2023 |title=A REVIEW ON: MULTILINGUAL SEARCH TECHNIQUE |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/382274152 |journal=International Journal of Applied Engineering & Technology |volume=5 |issue=3 |pages=760–770 |via=ResearchGate}}</ref> In the early years of international SEO development, simple translation was seen as sufficient. However, over time, it became clear that localization and transcreation—adapting content to local language, culture, and emotional resonance—were far more effective than basic translation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=SEO Starter Guide: The Basics {{!}} Google Search Central {{!}} Documentation |url=https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/seo-starter-guide |access-date=2025-01-13 |website=Google for Developers |language=en}}</ref>