SEO & AI Search Optimisation
International SEO
International SEO sets up a website so the right page shows to the right people in each country it serves. Stryx Collective plans the structure, hreflang tags and local content for sites that sell into more than one market, and this website is structured the same way, with market pages for South Africa and the Cayman Islands.
When you need it
- You sell to customers in more than one country, and they search differently
- Prices, currencies, laws or services differ between markets
- Your site already gets traffic from abroad, but the wrong pages show up
- You are about to launch in a new country
If you serve one country, ordinary SEO is what you need.
The decisions that matter
- Structure Country folders on one domain (such as /za/ and /ky/), subdomains, or separate country domains. One domain with folders usually keeps authority in one place and is the simplest to run.
- Hreflang Tags that tell search engines which version of a page is meant for which country and language, so a South African searcher sees the South African page and a Cayman searcher sees the Cayman one.
- Local content Country pages that say something specific to that market: prices in the local currency, local regulations, local examples and the questions people there ask. A copy with the country name swapped in is not enough.
- Local search Google Business Profile and local listings where you have a presence in the country.
- Shared content Content that does not change between markets lives once, and each country page links to it.
This site as an example
This website serves clients worldwide, with market pages for South Africa and the Cayman Islands. Each service has one global page, and the market page for each country adds what is specific to it, such as local pricing and questions. It is built on a headless stack, but the same approach works on WordPress.
Common mistakes
- Redirecting visitors automatically by location, which can stop search engines seeing the other versions
- Hreflang tags that do not point back to each other, so search engines ignore them
- Machine-translated or duplicated pages with nothing local in them
- A country version with no links to it, so it is never found
How it fits with other work
International SEO is set up at the structure level, usually during a build or redesign, and then supported by local content and links in each market as part of ongoing SEO.
How it works
How international SEO runs
- 01
Markets
Which countries and languages, and how they differ for your business.
- 02
Structure
Folders, subdomains or domains, and how content is shared.
- 03
Set-up
Hreflang tags, sitemaps and country targeting.
- 04
Local content
Country pages with something specific to say.
- 05
Measure
Visibility and enquiries tracked by country.
What you get
Everything that's included
- A recommendation on site structure for your markets
- Hreflang set up and tested
- A plan for local content in each market
- Reporting by country
Some of the 80+ businesses we work with
Questions
Questions about International SEO
Can't see yours? Ask Ryan directly and you'll get a straight answer, usually the same day.
Ask on WhatsAppWhat is hreflang?
A tag that tells search engines which version of a page is meant for which country or language, so the right one shows in each market.
Should I use country folders or separate domains?
Folders on one domain, such as /za/ and /ky/, are usually simplest and keep authority in one place. Separate domains can make sense when markets run as separate businesses.
Do I need different content for each country?
Pages for each market should say something specific to it, such as local pricing, regulations or examples. Identical pages with a different country name add little.
Should I redirect visitors by country automatically?
Usually not. Automatic redirects can stop search engines from seeing the other versions. A clear country switcher is safer.
Do you work with businesses outside South Africa?
Yes. Stryx works remotely with clients in South Africa, the Cayman Islands and further afield.
Start a project
Be the business they find first
Tell Ryan what you sell and who buys it. You'll get a straight answer on what's holding your website back and what to fix first. There's no obligation to go ahead.
More enquiries you can trace. You'll see which search, page or ad brought in each call, booking and form.
Higher in search results. On Google, in the map results and in AI answers, for the searches your customers make.
One person to talk to. Ryan answers on WhatsApp and sends a plain-language report on results every month.
