In an industry driven by fierce competition for audience acquisition, streaming companies can rely on a well-thought-out international SEO strategy to lower customer acquisition costs and increase profitability around the globe. No matter how robust your domestic SEO strategy may be, it’s a mistake to assume that simply translating your US-optimized content will meet in-country SEO goals. Here are five SEO considerations to keep in mind when localizing your content for global audiences.

1. BE SMART ABOUT INTERNATIONAL SITE STRUCTURE

Before you start creating localized versions of your website, you’ll need to consider what type of international site structure to put in place. There are pros and cons from both a practical and SEO perspective to the choices you make around this, and it’s a good idea to consider the options up front.

Whether you decide to choose Country Code Top-Level Domains (ccTLDs) or subdirectories with Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs), it’s important that you have a consistent site structure in place.

If Google is the primary search engine in your target markets and you’re targeting different regions with internationalized versions of the same language, it’s also important that hreflang tags are properly implemented. This will ensure a seamless user experience in each locale.

2. DO KEYWORD RESEARCH TO GET RESULTS

Keep in mind that search behaviors and user journeys vary significantly across languages and countries. To increase your chances of local customer acquisition, begin with in-language keyword research tailored to each target market. Partner with trusted in-country experts who can provide strategic insights into the most effective search terms, taking into account local competition, search volume, and the nuances of the user journey.

Go beyond basic keyword targeting by identifying terms that align with each stage of the funnel, from discovery and consideration to conversion, ensuring your content nurtures users and drives local acquisition. Additionally, prioritize retention-focused keywords that cater to existing users’ needs and interests. Develop separate content strategies to maintain loyalty – ultimately reducing churn and keeping your audience engaged. By addressing the full customer lifecycle with localized, user-centric SEO strategies, you’ll maximize your impact and growth in each market.

These local search insights will not only inform your market-specific content strategies, but will also give you business-critical insight into what matters most to your international customers.

3. THINK TAILORED, RELEVANT CONTENT

As you think about your global SEO strategy and where you’re investing your marketing localization budget, make sure you’re strategically localizing and optimizing only the content that’s relevant to each of your global target audiences. It’s much more effective to shift your focus to optimized content that will have the most impact on local organic acquisition and subscriber growth rates. And it’s more budget friendly, too.

Once you’ve identified key pages on your site that have the highest relevance to each market, you can map relevant primary and secondary keywords to each page based on your in-country keyword research effort. Carried out concurrently with translation, this allows you to naturally integrate local keywords without compromising the quality of your content or breaking your marketing budget.

Also keep in mind that, depending on your target markets, it may not be enough to simply translate existing content and plug in localized keywords. If you’re looking to maximize customer lifetime value and reduce acquisition costs, it may be worth investing in the creation of new content that is specific to each region’s local preferences and competitive landscape. Locally relevant content will help you connect with your customers and align with them as they progress in their unique customer journey.

4. CONSIDER THE COMPETITION

Ranking well on Google in the highly competitive US market is already challenging. And the situation is often similar in international markets, depending on your target regions. However, SEO can give you a competitive edge in the streaming industry: strategically engaging with international audiences by understanding what they’re searching for and the terms they’re using to search for it. 

Leveraging insights into local trends, search behaviors, and preferences allows you to tap into markets effectively while reducing customer acquisition costs (CAC) and driving profitability. 

Effective SEO drives high-quality traffic to your website without relying on expensive paid advertising or other costly acquisition methods. For international or niche markets, it allows you to engage audiences by delivering region-specific content, further reducing the cost of acquiring customers.

Though localizing your content and strategy for different regions requires time and effort, it is a valuable investment to grow organic traffic and expand your customer base globally. When crafting your localization and SEO strategy for each market, consider these key factors:

• Competitive landscape
• Familiarity with your brand
• In-market English proficiency
• Sensitivity to translation quality and cultural nuances

5. CONNECT THE DOTS ACROSS TACTICS: SEO STRATEGY + PAID MEDIA

Localizing your SEO strategy is a great way to connect your brand with potential international customers, driving intent, consideration, and acquisition at the local level. However, getting results from SEO can take time to achieve.

Aligning SEO with your in-country paid media efforts (and leveraging insights across tactics) can maximize search opportunities and quickly increase acquisitions while also informing your ongoing SEO and content needs. When choosing a partner, consider how they can support you not just at the tactical level, but holistically across your digital marketing efforts.

FINAL THOUGHT

For streaming companies, localizing content for international audiences is only the beginning. To truly connect, engage, and compete, it’s crucial to align your content and localization efforts with your broader SEO and digital strategy goals. Are you aiming to build brand awareness, drive acquisition, improve customer retention, or achieve sustained international growth? A strategic approach to localization and SEO can help achieve these objectives.

The way you conduct research, select content for localization, and adapt your SEO strategy plays a pivotal role in setting your service apart. Consider how localized content can nurture users through the funnel, from discovery to acquisition, while also driving long-term engagement and retention.

When localizing your content, determine whether your goal is simply to establish an in-country presence or to create a high-performing tool for in-market conversions and scalable global growth. Partnering with experts in marketing localization ensures you make strategic choices that optimize your budget, amplify your SEO impact, and deliver measurable results in a competitive streaming landscape.