International keyword research is keyword research done separately for each market a company targets. Buyers in different countries use different terms, even in the same language, and translating keywords directly often produces phrases nobody searches. The work involves native-language research, checking local results pages, and adjusting for local competitors, search engines and buying habits.
Why translation fails
A direct translation can be grammatically correct and still miss how people search. Some markets use English loanwords for software categories; others use a local term. Spelling and vocabulary differ between countries that share a language, such as US and UK English or Spanish across Spain and Latin America. Local regulations and competitors also shape what people look for.
- English loanwords vs local terms for the category
- Regional vocabulary and spelling
- Local competitors and review sites
- Country-specific regulations and integrations
- Different dominant search engines in some countries
A practical process
Start with the English keyword universe as a map of topics, not phrases. Have a native speaker who knows the market propose how each topic would be searched. Validate with keyword tools set to the country and language, autocomplete from that location, and local results pages. Then prioritize separately for each market, because value and difficulty differ.
Connecting research to site structure
Research decides whether a market needs localized pages at all. If it does, those pages need a URL structure Google can understand, such as subdirectories per locale, and hreflang annotations linking equivalent pages. Google's guidance on multi-regional and multilingual sites covers the structural options.
Example
Two Spanish-speaking markets
Imagine Thornbury, a fictional expense management tool, expands into Spain and Mexico. Research shows that the common term for expense reports differs between the two countries, and the main local competitors are different too.
Thornbury builds separate keyword lists and, for its main pages, separate localized versions linked with hreflang.
Common mistakes
Machine-translating the keyword list
Translated keywords often miss local phrasing and can target terms with no demand.
Treating a language as a market
Countries that share a language can search very differently. Research each target country.
Questions
Not always. If search behavior, pricing and offerings are the same, one language version may serve several countries. Localize where the research shows real differences.
