"Why Search – and SEO – Is Important: The Pillars of International Growth"

"Why Search – and SEO – Is Important: The Pillars of International Growth"

In today's digital age, search has become an integral part of our everyday lives. Whether we're looking for information, trying to solve a problem, or simply trying to accomplish a task, search engines have become our go-to tool. This is why search engine optimization (SEO) is crucial for businesses who want to succeed in the online world.

Bill Gates famously said in 2009 that "the future of search is verbs." What he meant by this is that search is no longer just about keywords. It's about providing the right content to the right user at the right time to help them accomplish their task. Users are on a journey, from the inception of their task to its completion, and most of these journeys start with a search.

When it comes to international growth, there are certain pillars that businesses need to consider. Just as a company must establish product/market fit before it can grow efficiently at home, it must achieve product/culture fit before it can grow abroad. This means understanding the local culture, preferences, and habits of the target market.

Customer accessibility is another crucial factor. Companies must make their product accessible to customers by adapting its performance, pricing, and payment methods to meet local needs. Internet speeds in many international markets are slower than in the US and Europe, so optimizing website and mobile app performance is critical for ensuring that customers can use the product as intended.

Additionally, understanding local market payment needs is essential for achieving widespread customer adoption. Often, seemingly inferior products win out over more advanced alternatives in certain markets because they are more accessible to customers. It's important to remember that each country has its own unique culture and habits, and underestimating local competitors can be a costly mistake.

To effectively expand internationally, companies should follow a 4-phase framework for internationalization:

• 1. Local Availability in English: Make the product available with no changes.

• 2. Language-Level Localization: Localize the language of the product.

• 3. Content-Level Localization: Invest in local content tailored to local users.

• 4. Feature-Level Localization: Invest in local features to meet market-specific needs.

Measuring progress toward product/culture fit can be done by measuring customer retention and looking for accelerating organic growth. A flattened retention curve or smile curve may indicate a lack of product/culture fit.

One example of a company that successfully scaled internationally is Pinterest. They relied heavily on content to expand into new markets. By taking advantage of their visual medium, they were able to enter countries even before investing in language-level or content-level localization. This shows the power of providing accessible content to users, regardless of language barriers.

In conclusion, search and SEO are crucial for businesses in today's digital world. Whether it's optimizing content for search engines or expanding internationally, understanding the user's journey and providing the right content at the right time is key. To succeed in international markets, companies must achieve product/culture fit, ensure customer accessibility, and differentiate themselves from local competitors. By following a phased framework for internationalization and continuously measuring progress, businesses can set themselves up for success in the global market.

Actionable Advice:

• 1. Conduct thorough market research and understand the local culture and preferences before expanding internationally.

• 2. Optimize website and mobile app performance to accommodate slower internet speeds in international markets.

• 3. Adapt pricing and payment methods to meet the needs of customers with less disposable income in certain markets.