International expansion fails when queries, pages and language do not match. This playbook shows how we win qualified demand across countries with clear keyword mapping, clean hreflang, and country landing pages that convert.

Goals and KPIs

• Increase qualified leads per country (contact/quote forms)
• Grow impressions and CTR per locale in GSC
• Reduce CAC by replacing some paid with organic in proven markets

Step 1 — Country keyword mapping

• Build a sheet per market with: primary service queries, modifiers (industry, framework), intent tags.
• Map one keyword cluster → one page per locale to prevent cannibalization.
• Example clusters: “website localization services”, “hreflang implementation”, “multilingual seo agency”.

Step 2 — Information architecture

• Locale routing: subfolders recommended (example.com/de/).
• Country pages per service (not just a generic /de/). Keep URL slugs localized.
• Use a shared design system with locale-aware currency, dates and measurements.

Step 3 — Hreflang and canonicals (no mistakes)

• Self-canonical on every localized URL.
• Complete hreflang matrix (en-us, es-es, de-de, x-default) across all versions.
• Avoid parameterized language (?lang=es) for SEO pages.

Step 4 — Localized copy that converts

• Translate + adapt offers, proof, pricing ranges and examples to each market.
• Add local social proof and compliance notes where relevant.
• Align headings with the mapped keywords; add FAQ schema when possible.

Step 5 — Measure and iterate per locale

• GA4: track conversions per locale/page, form completion and drop-off.
• GSC: impressions/clicks by country and query; watch for cannibalization.
• Ship tests: headlines, CTAs, offer order, local proof, and form length.

Common pitfalls

• Machine-only translation on sales pages without human QA.
• Missing hreflang or wrong ISO codes.
• Duplicating English offers/pricing without local relevance.

Related and next steps

• CRO for multilingual landing pages → /blog/CRO_with_Heatmaps_From_Insight_to_More_Qualified_B2B_Leads
• Technical i18n setup and tooling → /blog/Streamlined_and_Effective

Ready to scale internationally? Start with a focused audit and a 90‑day plan.

• Get a free assessment → /freequote
• Talk to an engineer → /meet
• Start localization → /contact