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Multi-market · Ongoing retainer

International SEO

Hreflang architecture, ccTLD strategy, and local-market keyword research across 12+ language markets. We build search presence that compounds in each market independently — not a copy-paste of your English strategy with a translation layer on top.

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748%

Median 3-year ROI on strategy-led SEO engagements.

Source · Firstpagesage, 2023

−55%

Lower cost per lead versus paid search — once organic compounds.

Source · 400-company benchmark, 2024

18mo

Average engagement length — because strategy compounds quarterly.

Source · Internal · 2025

What we cover

Most international SEO failures come from treating it as a translation problem. It is an architecture problem first — the wrong URL structure, a single hreflang error, or a mis-targeted ccTLD can silently route the wrong content to the wrong market for months before anyone notices.

URL architecture and geo-targeting strategy

ccTLD vs. subdomain vs. subdirectory — scoped to your domain authority, team capacity, and target markets. Each structure evaluated against crawl budget, link equity, and signal clarity for Googlebot.

Hreflang implementation and audit

Complete hreflang tag set generated, validated, and delivered as a developer-ready implementation brief. Existing hreflang audited for return-tag errors, missing x-default, and self-referencing issues that cause search engines to ignore the entire tag set.

Per-market keyword research

Native-language keyword research for each target market — not translated English keywords. Search behaviour, intent signals, and SERP composition differ significantly between markets; we research each one independently.

Localisation brief and content architecture

Editorial briefs written for each market that go beyond translation — local competitor landscape, preferred content formats, E-E-A-T signals specific to that jurisdiction, and a cluster map tied to local search demand.

Multi-market reporting dashboard

GSC segmented by country, rankings tracked per-market with local search engines included (Baidu, Yandex where relevant), and a monthly organic revenue attribution broken down by market.

How a multi-market engagement runs

Month 1

Architecture and audit

Current geo-targeting signals reviewed, hreflang audited, URL structure decision made. Market prioritisation matrix built — we rank target markets by search demand, competitive gap, and revenue potential before a single brief is written.

Months 2–3

Research and localisation

Per-market keyword research completed, content cluster maps built, and localisation briefs delivered to your translation team or ours. Technical implementation brief handed to your dev team.

Month 4 onwards

Execution and compounding

Content published market by market, hreflang live, and per-market rankings tracked weekly. New markets added on a rolling basis as earlier markets reach organic stability.

Who this is for

Good fit

SaaS companies expanding from one English-speaking market into Europe or APAC
E-commerce brands launching localised storefronts in 2+ new countries
Businesses with existing translated content that is not ranking because of hreflang errors
Enterprises that have acquired foreign-language domains and need to consolidate or operate them independently

Poor fit

Companies not yet profitable in their home market
Teams that want machine-translated content published at scale without human editorial review
Businesses targeting a single additional language market with fewer than 20 pages to localise

Pricing

Scoped by market count. No cookie-cutter packages.

Every international engagement is quoted individually. The table below shows indicative ranges — final scope depends on target markets, content volume, and whether you have an existing translated site.

Tier	Target markets	Cadence	From (monthly)
Two-market Focused expansion	1 additional language market	Bi-weekly	$2,800	Book
Regional Most common	3–5 markets, same language family	Weekly	$5,500	Book
Global Full programme	6+ markets, mixed language families	Weekly + embedded	Custom	Book

Questions

What teams ask before going multi-market.

International SEO has more moving parts than any other engagement. These are the questions worth resolving upfront.

ccTLD, subdomain, or subdirectory — which should we use?

It depends on your domain authority and team capacity. ccTLDs give the strongest geo-targeting signal but require building authority independently for each domain. Subdirectories are easiest to manage and consolidate link equity, but geo-targeting signals are weaker. We make a formal recommendation as part of the month-1 architecture review — not before we have seen your GSC data and current link profile.

We have existing translated pages but they are not ranking. Why?

The most common cause is hreflang errors — specifically missing return tags or incorrect language-region codes — that cause Google to ignore the entire tag set and serve the wrong language version. The second most common cause is that the translated content is a direct translation of English copy rather than locally researched content. We audit both in month 1.

Do you provide translation?

We write localisation briefs and can manage a network of native-language editors, but we do not offer raw translation services. If you need translation, we can recommend vetted partners in your target languages and oversee the editorial quality against our briefs.

How do you handle markets like China or Russia where Google is not dominant?

For Baidu-primary markets we adjust technical recommendations to Baidu crawling behaviour, ICP licensing requirements, and hosting considerations. For Yandex markets we include Yandex Webmaster data in the reporting dashboard. Both require a separate scoping conversation.

How long before we see rankings in new markets?

New markets typically follow a 3-6 month ramp, similar to a new site in a single-market engagement. Markets where you have an existing translated presence that we are fixing — hreflang, content quality — often see movement faster, sometimes within 4-8 weeks of technical corrections going live.

What clients say

Real results. Real words.

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I worked with Roman for over a year now on SEO related topics. He is an expert in the field, communicates clearly and works efficiently. I can most highly recommend him and look forward to working with him in the future.

Leo Fankhänel

Roman is a seasoned professional in web analytics and search engine optimization. Hands-on, straight to the point, no bullshit. Roman knows Google Analytics inside-out and produces insights after spending a few hours exploring it. His analytical mindset combined with project management skills and experience in modern web technologies were the key to success in our collaboration. I can recommend Roman as the most friendly and customer-oriented SEO consultant I have ever met.

Zahhar Kirillov

Roman's expertise in SEO is amazing. Very systematic, efficient and — most importantly — delivers results. Pleasure to work with.

Mark Kofman

Roman joined the Merj team as an SEO Consultant. He has an inquisitive mind and enjoys the challenging nature of technical auditing. Roman has helped create a number of processes that have supported the consulting team. He is a team player, helping others meet their goals as well as balancing his own deadlines.

Ryan Siddle

Roman is a knowledgeable and experienced technical SEO, with an eye for inventive and creative solutions to tricky problems. He has an intuitive knack for software, scripting and coding that make him a real asset to work with. He is a great colleague to bounce ideas off and is always game for trying something new.

David Hellowell

With years and years of SEO experience under his belt, Roman is truly an expert in technical SEO. One of his most valuable skills is not the deep familiarity with highly specific technical details itself, but Roman's ability to evaluate the importance of various tech issues based on overall business needs and goals. It was truly a pleasure to work with and learn from Roman.

Martins Groza

I have enjoyed working with Roman for a while now, and I can confidently say he has exceptional knowledge and skills in SEO. If you need help with SEO, Roman is the person to talk to.

Eimantas Aukštikalnis

There is not a single thing regarding SEO that Roman would not be familiar with. With vast experience and know-how, Roman will be up to the challenge of solving even the most difficult SEO issues, no matter the size of the website. A person who is truly interested in SEO, rather than just doing it for money.

Janis Sarmulis

Roman's mastery of Technical SEO is truly impressive. We collaborated on several projects, and I was genuinely blown away — the outcome exceeded all expectations. His work ethic is outstanding, making it a true pleasure to work alongside him.

Evelina Adomaityte

I have worked with SeoBro Agency. Roman is doing great work to help scale businesses through SEO. Very reliable service.

M. Meraj Kaleem

Roman is a great expert, skilled with many different tools. His knowledge is broad and deep at the same time. For each issue, he had a particular software to research and inspect — what makes him stand out in the sea of SEO experts.

Slobodan Ljubic

Next step

30 minutes on a call. No pitch deck. We'll tell you if we're a fit.

Come with your domain, top three competitors, and your revenue goal for the year. You leave with a diagnosis and a realistic 12-month outlook.

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