Technical and legal differences
In addition to content, it is important to consider the different technical architecture of sites for foreign markets:
Hreflang, the use of which helps search engines browse verified datasets correctly interpret the language and geographical variants of pages, which prevents duplication of content.
ccTLDs (e.g. .de for Germany, .fr for France) enhance local trust.
GDPR, LGPD, CCPA — local rules regarding cookies, data collection, and user information processing differ and directly affect SEO metrics (for example, bounce rate after cookie consent).
Underrated competition
Markets in Europe or North America have established local brands that have been at the top of the SERP for decades. Promoting a new company is a game of attrition, not a quick start. For example:
In the UK, consumers trust
the .uk extension — 91% of people associate .co.uk with security, and 70% prefer the .uk domain when shopping online;
In Italy, content quality and clarity are among the top three SEO factors, and using local phone numbers and addresses can increase search conversion rates by up to 80%;
In Germany, Google favors resources with local backlinks and content created by native speakers.
According to First Page Sage, most companies start seeing a positive return on SEO investment within 6-12 months, with peak performance reaching after 2-3 years.
The AI factor and the emergence of AEO and GEO
In 2025, global SEO strategies will be transformed by the introduction of AI Overviews and AI Mode in Google . New search results are generated based on LLMs (large language models), which aggregate information from authoritative sources - often without the need to go to the site.