International SEO consultant: markets, languages and hreflang
I help you sell in more countries without breaking what already ranks at home. First we check demand, language and tech. Then we move in small steps.
I'm David Gutiérrez Maroto, in SEO and SEM since 2013, mostly with online stores selling across several markets. If your multilingual site feels stuck, we'll find out why.
What international SEO is and what I do
International SEO makes Google show the right version of your site in each country and language. No mixed-up versions, and no losing what already works at home.
I keep it simple: what to open, what to close, what to fix first. In a project I usually cover:
- Market and language research based on real demand, not hunches.
- Site structure: ccTLD, subdomain or subfolder, whichever suits your case.
- Language tags and canonicals, so every version points to the right place.
- Local fit: currency, formats and how people actually search in each country.
- Useful content written for readers in each place.
- Links and mentions from sites in each country, nothing shady.
- GA4 and Looker views split by country.
- Google Ads and Shopping to give a new market a push at the start.
If your base is shaky, begin with an SEO audit. Better to fix home before copying its mistakes abroad.
Choosing markets by search demand
Opening a country because someone suggested it in a meeting gets expensive fast. I check first whether people search for what you sell, and which words they use.
A typical case: you translate everything into English and wait for UK sales, but UK buyers use different terms for the same product.
So we work like this:
- A short list of two or three markets, never ten at once.
- Local keyword research for each country, including local synonyms.
- Real intent: are people learning, comparing or buying?
- A clear call: enter now, wait, or test on a small scale.
I'd rather tell you "not yet" than sell you smoke.
Subfolder, subdomain or ccTLD: how to choose
This decision stays with you for years, and changing it late hurts. In plain words:
- ccTLD, like .fr or .it: one domain per country. It sends a clear local signal, but each domain is more work.
- Subdomain, like fr.yoursite.com: a strong split, useful when every country runs on its own.
- Subfolder, like yoursite.com/fr/: everything under one domain. It's the simplest way to start and test.
Before we pick, I look at how many markets you want in the next twelve months, who will keep each version alive, the legal side (returns, taxes, shipping) and how you could merge or split later without losing traffic.
When in doubt, start with subfolders and prove the demand. I look at this with shops from my ecommerce consultant work.
Hreflang, cannibalization and technical setup
Hreflang is a small tag that tells Google which version to show in each language and country. When it fails, Google picks one itself, and it's often the wrong one.
The fight between your own versions is called cannibalization: several pages chase the same search and none of them wins.
What I check first
- Tags that point one way with no return link, which Google ignores.
- Versions with no link back between language pairs.
- Canonicals pointing at another language, which wipes the signal.
- One sitemap mixing every language.
The technical base that has to hold
- Canonicals, which tell Google which URL counts as the main one.
- A clean sitemap per language, so Google reads it fast.
- Geotargeting in Search Console, where it still applies.
First a map of your versions, then clear rules per language and country. If AI answers cite your brand in several languages, we look at your wording too. More on that in my SEO for AI work.
How I work on international SEO: four steps
You know what I touch, when and why, all in writing.
- 1Diagnosis by country. I review traffic, versions, language and Search Console, and you get a short list of the big blocks.
- 2Setup and priorities. We choose ccTLD, subdomain or subfolder and set the two or three markets to start with.
- 3Build with your team. I write clear notes for your developer and writers and review staging before anything goes live.
- 4Follow-up by market. A simple GA4 and Looker view per country, a monthly meeting, and we cut whatever doesn't move.
I get things wrong sometimes, like everyone. The difference is that I tell you early.
International SEO consultant or agency: an honest comparison
Both can work. It's a matter of fit and timing.
| Point | With me | With a typical agency |
|---|---|---|
| Contact | You talk to me every time | You talk to a manager |
| Focus | Few projects, I go deep | Many accounts, fast pace |
| Tech | I open code and Search Console with you | Tech goes to another team |
| Content and links | Small, clear asks per country | Fixed monthly packs |
| Reporting | A simple view per market | Long reports |
If you want a big team and weekly meetings, go with an agency. If you want straight talk, we'll get along.
When to hire an international SEO consultant
You call me when money is on the table. Not to be in many languages, but to sell. Usually:
- You plan to open new regions and need to pick where to start.
- Your store runs in several languages but sales abroad stay flat.
- You're nervous about a migration, like merging domains or splitting versions.
- Your team translates, but leads don't come.
I'm not your person if you want a trick to rank first in a week, or if you can't keep texts and stock fresh in every country.
Most of this doesn't need a giant global consultancy. It needs a few clear moves, in the right order.
International SEO experience
I learned international SEO the slow way, market by market, with stores on PrestaShop and WordPress and a lot of MySQL.
- At Heymondo, SEO and SEM for travel insurance in Spain, Italy, France and Portugal.
- At IDFinance (Moneyman), SEO for Mexico, Spain, Brazil, Poland and Georgia.
- At ChovA, finding clients for architecture studios with SEO and SEM.
- SelfPackaging, Grupo Brownie and Mopec, where I was head of ecommerce.
Day to day I use local keyword research for each country (never a copy of the Spanish list), content with E-E-A-T in mind, CRO and A/B tests, local link building, Google Ads and Shopping, Meta Ads and email when they fit, and GA4 and Looker with automated reports.
I've lived in Andorra since 2022, I invest in startups, and since 2026 I use AI agents for marketing tasks.
Frequently asked questions about international SEO
What does an international SEO consultant do?
They study demand by market and language, choose the setup, and fix tags, cannibalization and local content. After that they track each country and trim whatever doesn't work.
Subfolder, subdomain or ccTLD for a multilingual site?
It depends on your team and your plans. Subfolders suit most starts. A ccTLD makes sense when one country earns its own site and team.
Do I need hreflang?
If you have versions that share a language or look alike, yes. The tag tells Google which page fits each reader. I check it both ways, because Google ignores tags with no return link.
Is translating my site enough to rank in another country?
No. Translation is only step one. Then come local words, currency and buying habits, and a plain translation rarely fixes multilingual SEO.
How long does international SEO take?
Slowly at first, then steadier. Technical fixes can show up in weeks, while new markets often take months. It depends on the competition and how fast your team ships.
How much does an international SEO consultant cost?
It depends on the markets and languages, the state of your site, whether you translate or truly localize, and the pace you can keep. After seeing your site and goals I send a fixed quote.
Is SEO dead now with AI?
No. People still search in every language, and AI answers draw on the same pages. In several markets it even gets more important, because each version has to be clear about who it's for.
Notes on international SEO and SEO audits
Let us talk
Tell me your case with a short form. I read it myself and I reply.