Localization SEO That Works: Real-World Lessons from 14 Markets

Localizing content effectively can deliver immense value. However, when done incorrectly, it becomes a drain on resources with little return.

To guide you toward success, I reached out to an expert who has mastered the art of localization: Erik Sarissky, Head of International Marketing and Product Localization at Ahrefs.

Erik has achieved remarkable results, quadrupling organic traffic to Ahrefs’ Spanish blog in just 18 months—from 5,400 visits to over 22,000 visits. Alongside managing international marketing initiatives, he oversees localization efforts across 14 languages and continuously evaluates new language opportunities.

One of his most impactful wins? Switching from Continental Portuguese to Brazilian Portuguese, which led to a surge in traffic to localized content and landing pages.

Growth of traffic caused by switching from continental to Brazilian Portuguese.

Intrigued by his success, I asked Erik to share his strategies and insights gained along the way.

Mateusz inviting Erik to the interview.

Classic Erik

Whether you’re expanding into nearby markets or exploring distant regions, this guide will highlight what truly drives results in localization SEO and what’s merely noise.

Understanding the Difference: Translation vs. Transcreation vs. Localization

Translation is a step, but localization is a system. Let’s dive deeper.

Translation involves converting words from one language to another while preserving meaning and structure. Think of it as a human-powered version of Google Translate—accurate but often literal.

Localization goes further by adapting examples, references, idioms, visuals, and even strategies to feel natural in the target market. It’s the difference between being a tourist who memorized a phrasebook and someone deeply immersed in the culture.

Transcreation takes this a step further, focusing on tone, emotion, and intent to ensure the message resonates in a different cultural context. A clever English tagline might require entirely new wording to feel clever in Spanish. It’s less about fidelity and more about impact.

In SEO , these distinctions are critical. You’re not just translating text—you’re aligning with how people search, what they care about, and the problems they’re trying to solve.

“We had solid content in English,” Erik explained, “but there was no clear strategy. We were simply translating everything without considering localization or conducting proper keyword research. Once we addressed this, traffic began to grow.”

And it did. This is why a translation-only approach often fails—it misses the nuances and, consequently, the traffic.

1. Beat Google to Your Own Content—Localize Before It Gets Auto-Translated

Let’s start with a wake-up call: localization is no longer optional because Google might do it for you.

Since early 2025, Google has been increasingly translating English content into local languages and serving it under a Google-owned subdomain (e.g., translate.google.com). These proxy translations appear in AI Overviews, Featured Snippets, and even the regular search results.

Proof of Google translating content without your consent.

The consequence? Users never land on your website. Instead, they view a Google-hosted version of your content, and any clicks or link equity benefit Google, not you.

“If you don’t localize your content, Google might do it for you—and take the traffic.”

To check if Google is auto-translating your pages, you can use Google Search Console and Ahrefs:

In Google Search Console, navigate to Search Appearance → Translated Pages.

How to check if Google translates your content in GSC.

In Ahrefs’ Site Explorer, access the top pages report for translate.google.com and apply a “URL contains” filter using your domain name.

How to check if Google translates your content in Ahrefs.

The solution? Localize your content—even minimally. A 300-word native-language version can often replace Google’s proxy page in the SERPs.

2. Start with the Markets That Matter Most

Attempting to localize for every market simultaneously is a recipe for inefficiency and burnout. Instead, adopt Erik’s approach: prioritize markets based on data-driven insights.

“We make decisions by analyzing billing data, interface language usage, brand searches, GDP, and tech adoption. Indonesia was a surprise—it’s one of our top-performing markets in terms of billing,” Erik explained.

Spanish served as the pilot market. Ahrefs has been highly active in Spanish-speaking regions, organizing meetups and participating in conferences across Spain and Latin America.
Ahrefs’ meetup in Barcelona.

Next came Japan, where Ahrefs already enjoyed significant popularity—arguably more than its competitors. Indonesia emerged as an unexpected success story, earning its place as the next priority. By letting data guide decisions, you can allocate resources smarter and grow faster.

Consider historical demand alongside future potential. Markets with rapidly evolving tech ecosystems or shifting search behaviors—like South Korea’s transition from Naver to Google—may present untapped opportunities.

This brings us to the importance of local keyword research.

3. Don’t Assume—Always Conduct Local Keyword Research

What works in English may not resonate in Spanish, Japanese, or German. Localization SEO hinges on understanding local intent.

“We evaluate traffic potential, business potential, and assign priorities. Then we decide whether it’s worth adapting existing content or creating something entirely new,” Erik emphasized.
Here’s how Erik approaches this process.

Using Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer, you can assess traffic potential for over 200 countries individually. Traffic potential refers to the total organic traffic that the #1 ranking page for your target keyword receives from all the keywords it ranks for.

How to check local search volume in Ahrefs.

Skipping this step risks targeting irrelevant keywords or competing in spaces where success is unlikely.

To streamline the process, start with your native language, compile a list of keywords, and use AI to generate relevant translations along with SEO metrics within the tool.

How to translate keywords in Ahrefs.

Here’s an example of how this method clarifies the correct translation instantly.

Sample results of translating keywords in Ahrefs.

Erik then applies Ahrefs’ business potential framework to prioritize keywords. Every marketing idea is scored from 0 to 3 based on how essential the product is to solving the problem.

4. Don’t Translate Everything—Localize Strategically

“If you’re translating everything indiscriminately, you’re wasting time,” Erik said bluntly. The smarter strategy is to identify what deserves translation and when creating original content is a better investment.

For instance, Erik’s team begins by directly translating data studies, as this is the most efficient approach. They then develop supplementary micro-studies within these translated pieces to add local relevance.

“We’ve established a workflow to determine which articles to translate and when to write new ones. Sometimes, translations don’t make sense—it’s better to craft entirely new articles based on local keyword research.”

Before diving into localization, take a step back and map your goals. Consider factors like content age, market relevance, and search demand. Prioritize pieces that will perform, not just those recently published.

A good starting point is to analyze the traffic and backlinks a piece of content generates. Simply plug the URL into Ahrefs’ Site Explorer and review the numbers in the Overview report.
How to check organic traffic and backlinks.

To identify top-performing pages, head to the Top Pages report (you can filter by country) and the Best by Links report.

How to find the best content by traffic and links.

5. Create Culturally Relevant Content That Earns Trust (and Links Will Follow)

If localized content feels like a clumsy translation, it won’t resonate. To truly connect, it must feel as though it was written by someone immersed in the target market.

“When I took over the Spanish blog, we began incorporating more examples from the Spanish market and developed our case studies,” Erik shared.

The takeaway? Use local case studies, adapt examples to regional norms, and reference platforms your audience uses.

Here’s an example of Erik’s success in localizing a guide to affiliate marketing by leveraging local examples:

Erik’s results of localizing content.

Below is another example of how they created an entirely new article about marketing book recommendations by asking Spanish speakers for their favorites instead of translating the English version.

Example of localized content with local examples.

Example of localized social media content with local examples.

The results speak for themselves:

Localized content ranking #1.

Erik’s team has also begun applying this approach in Japan. Here’s an example of a case study featuring a Japanese agency’s success with Ahrefs:

Local case study on Ahrefs’ Japanese blog.

However, content relevance isn’t solely about using local examples—it’s also about voice and perspective. According to Erik:

“One day, AI will handle much of this, but what will matter most is opinionated content crafted by local authors.”

Featuring local authors not only enhances authenticity but also amplifies social reach.

A local author sharing his work on social media amplifying the post published on Ahrefs blog.

And here’s the bonus: content like this naturally attracts backlinks.

“We don’t follow a specific link-building strategy. Those local links come organically, and Site Explorer shows steady growth.”

When your content feels tailored to the local audience—not merely translated—it builds trust. That trust translates into shares, mentions, and backlinks. Investing in quality and cultural connection pays off, as evidenced below.

6. Refresh Localized Content to Boost Traffic

Erik shared a compelling case study demonstrating how republishing articles can restore or even enhance search performance, especially when rankings plateau or decline over time.

Search engines favor fresh content, and updates signal that your material remains relevant.

What to focus on when republishing:

• Update outdated information: Review stats, examples, screenshots, and links. Ensuring everything is current demonstrates to Google (and users) that the article remains trustworthy and valuable.
• Improve internal linking: Use Ahrefs’ internal link opportunities feature to connect your updated article to relevant content across your site. This distributes link equity and enhances crawlability.
• Leverage “People Also Ask”: Check Google’s “People Also Ask” section to identify common related questions and incorporate answers into your article. This makes it more comprehensive and aligned with search intent.
• Enhance with visuals and data: Add infographics, charts, or updated statistics to support your points. This boosts engagement and can improve dwell time and backlink potential.

7. Automate—but Don’t Overtrust the AI (Yet)

AI can accelerate the basics, but it often falters on nuances. Human oversight remains essential to refine the details.

Erik implemented an AI pre-translation system leveraging an established glossary, prompts, and translation memory, as AI has the ability to learn and self-improve over time.

He added:

“The [Spanish] Blog is managed by humans for now, but we’re also experimenting with AI pulling articles, translating them, and uploading them to blogs.”

Start by automating tasks where it adds the most value—bulk translations, glossary management, and repetitive processes. However, always reserve space for human quality assurance (QA).

Editors are crucial to catch layout glitches, broken links, mistranslations, or cultural mismatches that AI might overlook. Establish clear feedback loops between translators, reviewers, and content owners to ensure quality improves with every iteration.

This principle applies to all forms of content localization, including product user interfaces (UI). For instance, Erik’s team encountered a humorous mistranslation in Ahrefs’ interface that persisted for some time. Instead of “don’t compare,” it read “don’t buy.”

Funny translation glitch Erik’s team found in Ahrefs’ UI.

The text said “don’t buy” instead of “don’t compare.”

8. Maintain Consistent Voice and Terminology Across Languages

Style guides and glossaries may not be the most exciting tools, but they are your strongest defense against inconsistency.

“Glossary, style guide, standard operating procedures (SOPs)—these are how we ensure consistency.”

This is also an excellent opportunity to think strategically about decisions like whether to translate product names and original concepts.

To uphold quality across languages, document everything meticulously. Create a shared glossary of key terms, define tone and formatting rules, and develop an editorial style guide that translators and local writers can rely on. Erik shared examples of both documents used at Ahrefs.

Ahrefs localization glossary.

Ahrefs localization style guide.

9. Sync Updates Across Language Versions

Ensuring every localized version aligns with the source content can be a significant challenge. Fortunately, there’s a solution.

Erik discovered a clever use case for the Content Changes feature in Ahrefs’ Site Explorer (available in the Overview report). If updates to the English blog result in increased traffic, he can identify exactly what changed and replicate those adjustments in localized versions.

Erik’s hack for keeping up with the English blog.

10. Build on a Strong Technical Foundation

Behind every successful localization SEO strategy lies a robust technical foundation. This includes correctly implementing hreflang tags , adjusting internal linking structures, and ensuring localized media files enhance rather than disrupt the user experience.

Choose your URL structure wisely: Subfolders like “example.com/fr/” are generally better for SEO because they consolidate domain authority in one place. Country-code top-level domains (ccTLDs), such as “example.fr,” may feel more local and trustworthy to users in that country but split your SEO efforts across multiple domains, making it harder to rank globally.

Avoid redirecting users by IP: Automatically sending visitors to a localized version of your site based on their IP can confuse Googlebot, which primarily crawls from the U.S. As a result, your localized content might not even get indexed. Instead, provide a language or region switcher so users can select their preferred version without being forced.

Consider using a CDN: A content delivery network (CDN) serves your website from servers closer to the user, reducing loading times—a critical factor for international audiences. Faster websites deliver better user experiences, which Google values, so this small infrastructure change can yield significant performance improvements.

Implement hreflang tags properly: The hreflang tag informs Google which version of your content is intended for which language or region. If misconfigured, Google may serve the wrong version in search results. Ahrefs’ Site Audit tool helps identify issues by visually mapping your hreflang structure and flagging broken links between language versions.

Final Thoughts

The most effective strategies stem from experience—especially mistakes.

“I wouldn’t redo anything, because if I hadn’t tried, I wouldn’t know. Basically, FAFO (Fail And Fix Often).”

Don’t strive for perfection from day one. Test. Learn. Adapt. Each market will teach you something new. Track what works, double down on successes, and abandon approaches that don’t yield results.

Have questions or comments? Share them below—we’d love to hear from you!