Let’ts talk about international SEO for manufacturers.
If you’re a manufacturer, chances are your market isn’t just down the road — it’s scattered across time zones.
You’re shipping copper tubing to Qatar, valves to the Netherlands, or entire systems to clients who speak five different languages and type your product into five different search engines.
You serve a global market.
But is your website doing the same?
That’s where the pain starts.
Because manufacturing websites weren’t built with search engines in mind.
They were built to showcase specs. To impress procurement teams.
To look polished at trade shows.
So when the time comes to scale that same site across borders — to speak to German engineers, Emirati buyers, or French distributors — most companies hit a wall.
Over the past few years, I’ve worked closely with a global manufacturer and supplier of copper pipes, helping them break into new markets through international SEO (you can read the case study here).
Alongside that, I’ve managed international PPC campaigns targeting everything from niche B2B keywords in the UAE to broader brand terms across the continent.
So, yeah — I’ve seen what works. And what absolutely doesn’t.
International SEO is about getting the foundations right. Serving the right language, on the right domain, with the right content — so the buyers you want to reach don’t end up finding your competitors instead.
Let’s break it down.
The manufacturing SEO mistakes that cost your global business
Manufacturing SEO is about showing up in the right market, in the right language, at the exact moment someone’s searching for what you make.
I remember working with a manufacturer who’d been exporting for years. Strong product line.
Trusted by engineers across the globe.
But their website? One English version.
No localisation. No regional landing pages. Just a single site trying to do all the heavy lifting.
They couldn’t figure out why they weren’t getting any traction in Germany — even though they had a distributor on the ground and plenty of interest at trade shows.
Turns out, German buyers were searching in German (shock, I know).
And Google, doing its job, was prioritising German-language pages over an English-only site. Our client wasn’t even in the conversation.
This is one of the most common — and most expensive — mistakes manufacturers make with international SEO. And it’s just the start.
Here are a few more that tend to fly under the radar:
- Using a single .com site for every market. It’s clean. It’s simple. But it tells Google nothing about who you’re targeting where. Without a solid structure—subfolders like
/de/, ccTLDs like.de, or subdomains—you’re asking a search engine to guess. And Google doesn’t guess well.
- Ignoring hreflang tags. Or worse, implementing them wrong. These little pieces of code tell search engines which language and region a page is meant for. Get them right, and you avoid cannibalisation and duplicate content issues. Get them wrong, and your visibility tanks — quietly.
- Relying on machine translation. I get it. Translating 500 product pages into French isn’t cheap. But Google Translate-level content won’t earn you trust — or rankings. Especially in B2B markets where one wrong word can throw off the whole meaning.
- Skipping keyword research in target markets. Just because a term performs in the UK doesn’t mean it’ll do the same in Spain. Search intent shifts. Terminology changes. And if your content doesn’t reflect how people actually search, it’s dead weight.
These aren’t just technical details — they’re missed opportunities.
And in manufacturing, where the sales cycle is long and trust is everything, showing up in the right place at the right time can be the difference between a six-figure deal and a cold lead.
1. Your site's structure: the foundation of international SEO
The structure of your site is the first thing Google looks at when deciding who your content is for.
Mess this up, and you’ll either confuse the algorithm or compete against your own pages in search — both lose-lose.
Here’s how to get it right, without creating a mess you’ll regret scaling later.
Option A: ccTLDs
Here are two examples of ccTLD: yourbrand.fr, yourbrand.de
These are country-code top-level domains — unique websites for each market.
Google loves them for one simple reason: they scream local intent.
Pros:
✅ Clear regional targeting – Google knows exactly who the site is for.
✅ Higher trust – Users are more likely to click .de in Germany or .ae in the UAE.
✅ Can support fully localized branding – Different tone, offers, even visual identity.
Cons:
❌ You’re running separate websites. Each one needs its own SEO strategy, link building, and content calendar.
❌ More dev work. New domain, new hosting, new setup.
❌ Tougher to scale. Every market adds more overhead.
🧠 When to use: If you’re a large manufacturer with in-country teams or distributors managing each region, and you want full control over how the brand is presented in each market, ccTLDs can be a smart move.
But if you’re a mid-sized company trying to expand efficiently — this is often overkill.
Option B: Subdirectories
This is an example of a subdirectory: yourbrand.com/fr/
This is usually the sweet spot.
One site. One domain authority.
Multiple language/market folders.
Pros:
✅ Centralised domain authority. All your backlinks and SEO signals stay under one roof.
✅ Easier to manage and scale. One CMS, one dev team, one SEO strategy.
✅ Faster to launch. Spin up new regions without rebuilding from scratch.
Cons:
❌ You need to get hreflang right. Otherwise, pages might cannibalise each other.
❌ Limited branding flexibility. If you want vastly different positioning or visuals per region, this can be restrictive.
🧠 When to use: If you’re expanding steadily into multiple markets but want to keep things lean and maintain momentum, this is the most efficient route.
It’s what I’ve used successfully with manufacturers targeting everything from Germany to the Middle East.
With solid tagging, proper localisation, and smart keyword research, subfolders perform really well.
Option C: Subdomains
Subdomains sit somewhere in the middle.
This is what they look like: fr.yourbrand.com
They’re technically tied to your main site — but Google often treats them as separate entities.
Pros:
✅ More flexibility than subdirectories. Useful if different teams manage content for each region.
✅ Some separation for analytics or brand messaging.
✅ Can be helpful when integrating with third-party systems or microsites.
Cons:
❌ Google may treat each subdomain as its own site. Which means you’re splitting SEO power unless you do a ton of internal linking and cross-domain work.
❌ Confuses reporting and crawlers if not properly configured.
🧠 When to use: Only if your CMS forces you into it (some enterprise systems do), or if your technical setup makes it the path of least resistance. Otherwise, avoid it.
My go to recommendation:
Unless you’re a multinational giant with the budget and team to handle multiple SEO strategies at once, go with subdirectories.
They’re:
Cleaner
Easier to maintain
Better for building long-term authority
Side note: If you go this route, be consistent.
Don’t mix /de/, de.yourbrand.com, and yourbrand.de across different regions.
Pick one system and build around it — Google rewards clarity.
2. Translation vs. localisation: speak the language of the buyer
Translating your website word-for-word is not enough.
Buyers in different markets don’t just speak different languages — they use different terminology, have different expectations, and search differently.
🔁 Translation = language swap
This is the basic level. You’re converting existing content from one language to another, often using tools like Google
Translate or basic translators. It’s fast and cheap—but risky.
Risks:
- Literal translations that don’t reflect how buyers search.
- Misused technical terminology that damages trust.
- Cultural mismatches that reduce engagement or cause confusion.
🌍 Localisation = market adaptation
This is what you actually need for international SEO.
Localisation takes language, search habits, user expectations, and market-specific information into account.
It ensures your content isn’t just readable — it’s relevant.
What does good localisation look like in manufacturing international SEO?
Step 1: localised keyword research
Before you write or translate anything, research keywords in the target market.
How to do it:
- Use Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Keyword Planner with language and location targeting.
- Research competitor pages in each market — look at their headings, meta descriptions, and anchor text.
- Compare keyword volumes and search intent across regions.
Pro tip: Don’t trust direct translations of keywords — run them through a tool first, then verify with native speakers.
Step 2: industry-specific localisation by native speakers
Work with translators or writers who understand both the language and the technical vocabulary of your industry.
Why this matters:
- Manufacturing content often includes precision specs, materials, and standards. Errors in terminology can result in lost trust or compliance issues.
- A general translator might mistranslate something as simple as “threaded connector,” turning it into a meaningless phrase in another language.
Slide over to the next section for more practical tips for localisation.
3. Create region-specific landing pages
One of the reasons I love international SEO is simple — it scales beautifully.
Let’s say you’ve created a product page for 15mm copper pipe in English.
That same page can be rebuilt for German, French, Spanish, or Arabic-speaking buyers with minimal rework.
The demand is there. The infrastructure is reusable. And with the right localisation, each page can rank in its own regional search engine — pulling in qualified leads while you sleep.
But here’s the key: you can’t just translate the same page and expect it to work everywhere.
Regional landing pages need to speak the language — literally and contextually — of each market.
Here’s how to do it properly.
🔧Step-by-step: how to build region-specific landing pages
1. Decide your URL structure (use subdirectories)
Use /fr/ , /de/, /ae/, etc. instead of subdomains or separate ccTLDs.
Why:
- It’s easier to manage in one CMS.
- SEO signals (like backlinks) are consolidated under a single domain.
Not to mention, you can scale faster without managing multiple websites:
Example:
- example.com/copper-pipe/ → UK version
- example.com/fr/tube-cuivre-15mm/ → French version
- example.com/de/kupferrohr-15mm/ → German version
🛠 Implementation tip: In WordPress or any CMS with multilingual support, use tools like WPML, Polylang, or Weglot to manage subdirectories properly.
2. Localise each page for search intent
Don’t just translate the English page. Rebuild it using:
- Local keyword research (see step 1 from the localisation section)
- Market-specific value propositions
- Cultural/industry expectations
Best practice: For every page, adjust the H1, H2s, product descriptions, and CTAs to match with how users in that region think and buy.
3. Adapt on-page elements
Element | How to adapt |
Images | Show region-specific environments or usage scenarios (e.g. desert applications in UAE, indoor HVAC in Germany). |
CTAs | Use culturally appropriate language (e.g. “Request a Quote” vs. “Jetzt Angebot anfordern”). |
Forms | Match phone formats, country codes, and privacy/legal disclaimers (e.g. GDPR for EU users). |
Contact details | Add regional phone numbers, distributor contact details, or office locations. |
Certifications | List only those relevant to the region — e.g. CE for Europe, ANSI for the US, SASO for Saudi Arabia. |
4. Link to each regional page from the global navigation
Make sure users and search engines can access localised pages easily.
Options:
- Use a language/country selector in the header.
- Add internal links from relevant global pages (e.g. category hubs).
- Include localised pages in your XML sitemap.
4. Localise technical documents, PDFs and downloads
In manufacturing, your website is just the start.
The real buying decisions? They usually begin when someone downloads a spec sheet, a technical manual, or a product catalogue.
If those documents aren’t localised — if the datasheet is still in UK English when the buyer is in Germany, or if it lists measurements in millimetres when your US client needs inches — you’re creating unnecessary friction.
Localising your downloadable assets is essential. It builds trust, removes barriers, and ensures consistency across every touchpoint.
🔧 What to localise beyond translation
Translate the full content — not just the file name
- Ensure the entire document — headings, tables, diagrams, notes — is in the target language.
- Avoid leaving small sections untranslated (e.g. notes, disclaimers, footnotes).
- Recreate the layout in the translated language — text expansion in languages like German or French may affect design.
Example: If your original PDF says:
“15mm copper pipe, WRAS approved, supplied in 3m lengths”
Your German version should read:
“15 mm Kupferrohr, WRAS-zertifiziert, geliefert in 3-m-Längen”
— not a half-translated or awkward version.
Convert units of measurement
Match the standard used in the target region:
- UK/EU: millimetres, bar, °C
- USA: inches, PSI, °F
- Middle East: may vary—offer dual units where appropriate
Pro tip: Use icons or side-by-side conversions where needed to serve international teams working in mixed units.
Update compliance and certification references
Each region has its own preferred standards.
Market | Common certifications |
EU | CE, RoHS, REACH, DIN |
USA | UL, ANSI, ASTM |
Middle East | SASO, G-Mark |
Global | ISO 9001, ISO 14001 |
Replace or supplement UK/EU-focused certifications with those your target region recognises and trusts.
Update compliance and certification references
Update:
- Phone numbers (with correct dialling codes)
- Email addresses (regional if possible)
- Postal addresses or distributor locations
- Legal disclaimers to reflect local laws (e.g. GDPR in the EU, or country-specific sales terms)
Tip: Use separate footers for each regional version to avoid confusion or irrelevant contact points.
Create country/language-specific versions of all key documents
Prioritise:
- Product datasheets
- Installation guides
- Operation and maintenance manuals
- Warranty documents
- Certificates of conformity
- Product catalogues
🛠 Tools to help with multilingual document production
Tool | Use case |
Adobe InDesign | Design and layout for translated PDFs using language packs. Ideal for brochures, manuals, and catalogues. |
Lokalise / Smartling / Crowdin | Collaborative translation platforms—good for managing translation across teams and keeping content aligned. |
DeepL / Trados | For first-draft translations (DeepL) or full-scale translation management (Trados). Combine with native editor for best results. |
Canva Pro (multilingual templates) | Good for smaller assets or social-ready PDFs — just watch for font and spacing issues with longer translations. |
Here’s a quick summary:
Task | Localised? |
Full translation of document text | ✅ |
Units converted for target market | ✅ |
Local contact and distributor info | ✅ |
Market-relevant certifications listed | ✅ |
Country/language-specific file versions | ✅ |
And that’s how you do international SEO for your manufacturing firm.
That’s all he wrote, folks.
Until next time, peace.