International Keyword Research
International keyword research is the process of finding the words and phrases people actually use to search in each country and language you target. It goes beyond translating an existing keyword list, because search terms, volumes and intent often differ from one market to another.
Why translated keywords are not enough
A keyword that works well in English may have no direct equivalent elsewhere, or the literal translation may be a phrase nobody uses. Even within one language, words vary: British searchers look for “holidays” and “mobile phones”, while American searchers look for “vacations” and “cell phones”. Search behaviour also changes with local habits, seasons and competitors. Standard keyword research principles still apply, but they need to be repeated for every market.
What to look at in each market
- Local terms and synonyms: the everyday words locals use, including slang and abbreviations.
- Search volume: search volume estimates for the specific country, not a global figure.
- Search intent: whether a query is informational or commercial can vary between countries.
- Competition: the sites ranking locally may be very different from those in your home market.
- Seasonality: holidays, weather and shopping events differ by country, so check seasonality for each one.
- Search engines: Google dominates most markets, but not all, so check which engines matter where you are going.
A step-by-step process
- Start with your core topics and seed terms in your own language.
- Work with a native speaker to list the natural local equivalents, not literal translations.
- Run those terms through keyword tools set to the target country and language.
- Look at the live search results in that country to confirm intent and see which page types rank.
- Check local competitors’ sites for terms you have missed.
- Use search suggestions, related searches and People Also Ask boxes in the local language.
- Group terms into topics and map them to pages, a process known as keyword mapping.
Tools that help
Most major SEO platforms let you choose a country database, and Google Keyword Planner can filter by location and language. Google Trends is useful for comparing interest across countries over time. Search Console shows which queries already bring impressions from each country, which is often the most reliable starting point. Remember that every tool’s volumes are estimates, and smaller markets can show zero volume for terms that still bring valuable traffic.
Common mistakes
- Translating keywords with a tool and never checking real search behaviour.
- Using global search volumes instead of country-level figures.
- Assuming one Spanish, French or English keyword set suits every country that speaks the language.
- Ignoring local competitors and checking only the brands you compete with at home.
- Skipping native speaker review, so subtle meaning differences are missed and pages target the wrong intent.
The output feeds directly into localisation decisions for each page.
Key Takeaways
- International keyword research finds real search terms for each market.
- Literal translations often miss the phrases locals actually use.
- Check volume, intent, competition and seasonality country by country.
- Native speakers and local search results are essential checks.
- Search Console country data is a reliable starting point.
Related Terms
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