International SEO

Serve the right language and region version to each searcher while consolidating SEO equity across equivalent content

Goal: Reach global audiences by making your content discoverable and relevant in different languages and regions, while maintaining strong SEO signals through proper technical implementation.

Choosing Your URL Structure

The foundation of international SEO - this decision impacts everything from technical implementation to SEO authority

There are three main URL strategies for international sites. Each has trade-offs in terms of SEO authority, geo-targeting capability, technical complexity, and cost. Choose based on your business needs and resources.

ccTLD

Country Code Top-Level Domain

Examples:

example.co.uk
example.de
example.fr

Strongest geo-targeting

Clear signal to search engines about target country

User trust

Local domains feel more trustworthy to users

Expensive

Must purchase and maintain multiple domains

No shared authority

Each domain starts from zero SEO authority

Complex infrastructure

Multiple hosting, SSL certs, maintenance

Use ccTLD when:

• Large established brand with resources
• Country-specific legal requirements
• Completely different content per country
• Long-term commitment to markets

Subdomain

Language/region on subdomain

Examples:

uk.example.com
de.example.com
fr.example.com

Easier setup

Single domain, DNS configuration only

Flexible hosting

Can host subdomains on different servers/CDNs

Treated as separate sites

Google treats subdomains almost like separate domains

Limited authority sharing

Less link equity transfer than subfolder

Weaker geo-targeting

Must configure in Search Console

Use subdomain when:

• Need separate hosting per region
• Different tech stacks per locale
• Want separation but not ccTLD cost
• Testing international expansion

Subfolder

Language/region in URL path

Examples:

example.com/uk/
example.com/de/
example.com/fr/

Shared authority

All locales benefit from domain authority

Easiest to set up

No DNS changes, just routing

Simple maintenance

Single codebase, hosting, SSL cert

Cost-effective

No additional domain costs

Weaker geo-targeting

Must use hreflang and Search Console

Use subfolder when:

• Limited budget or resources
• Want to leverage existing domain authority
• Shared hosting infrastructure
• Most common choice (recommended for most)

Real-World Examples

ccTLD

Amazon

• amazon.com (US)
• amazon.co.uk (UK)
• amazon.de (Germany)
• amazon.fr (France)

Why: Massive brand with resources, country-specific content, legal requirements

Subfolder

Airbnb

• airbnb.com (Global/EN)
• airbnb.com/fr/ (French)
• airbnb.com/es/ (Spanish)
• airbnb.com/de/ (German)

Why: Leverages strong domain authority, simpler infrastructure, mostly language variations

Subfolder

Spotify

• spotify.com/us/ (US)
• spotify.com/gb/ (UK)
• spotify.com/de/ (Germany)

Why: Content is similar across markets, wants unified brand presence

ccTLD

BBC

• bbc.com (International)
• bbc.co.uk (UK)

Why: Different content and legal/licensing requirements per region

Quick Decision Guide:

• Most sites should use subfolder - easiest, most cost-effective, shares authority
• Use ccTLD only if you have significant resources and country-specific needs
• Subdomain is rarely optimal - consider only for technical separation needs

International SEO Checklist

Choose URL structure: subfolder recommended for most sites
Implement hreflang tags with full reciprocity
Use self-referencing canonicals per locale
Include x-default for fallback language

Localize content, UX, and legal elements (not just translate)
Adapt currency, dates, units, and formatting
Keep internal links within each locale
Test with Google Search Console International Targeting