Game plan for launching in five new international markets with limited resources

Summary

Voices of Search Podcast Summary

Episode Title: Game Plan for Launching in Five New International Markets with Limited Resources
Release Date: July 17, 2025
Host: Tyson Stockton
Guest: Sebastian Egger
Guest Company: SEOC

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Introduction

In this episode of the Voices of Search, hosted by Tyson Stockton, the focus is on strategizing the expansion of a website into five new international markets while operating with limited resources. The discussion features insights from Sebastian Egger, an experienced SEO professional from SEOC, providing actionable strategies tailored for resource-constrained environments.

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Prioritizing Markets Based on Total Addressable Market (TAM)

Sebastian Egger kicks off the conversation by emphasizing the importance of prioritizing markets based on their Total Addressable Market (TAM). He states:

“[00:54] Sam: ...prioritization of market by total addressable volume and aligning it to the TAM total addressable market.”

This approach ensures that efforts are concentrated on markets with the highest potential return on investment, optimizing the limited resources available.

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Content Repurposing and Localization

One of the key strategies discussed is the repurposing and localization of existing content. Sebastian highlights the efficiency of this method:

“[00:54] Sam: ...understand how much of your content you already have that you can simply localize and repurpose for other markets, that's still low. A lot lower effort than creating something NET new.”

By leveraging existing content, businesses can save time and resources while still providing relevant and authoritative information to new markets. This method not only reduces workload but also aids in building domain authority across multiple regions.

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Building a Solid Technical SEO Foundation

The conversation shifts to the technical aspects of SEO, particularly the structuring of websites using subfolders versus subdomains or country code top-level domains (ccTLDs). Sebastian advises:

“[01:54] Sam: ...make sure that you use subfolders. Don't shoot yourself in the foot and go with a subdomain or cctld. Google moving away from that shows that.”

Using subfolders (e.g., example.com/us/) is recommended over subdomains or ccTLDs as Google is favoring this structure for better SEO performance. This ensures consistent authority and easier management across different markets.

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Adapting Strategy Based on Existing Domain Structure

A pivotal moment in the discussion occurs when Sebastian is asked whether the same strategy applies if a company is not using a .com domain, such as a .fr domain expanding into the US. Sebastian responds thoughtfully:

“[02:56] Sam: ...if you're JP, you'll never be able to rank in the US.com even if you have all your tags.”

He emphasizes that the authority of the original domain plays a crucial role in international SEO:

“[02:56] Sam: ...I would most likely run to risk what I would do. If that's what you're doing. I would run the risk of 100%.com and thinking later migrating your fr.fr to fr within.com depending on the authority that you're building.”

This suggests a phased approach where businesses might initially consolidate under a .com domain to build authority before potentially migrating localized domains based on growth and SEO performance.

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Leveraging AI with Human Oversight

Given the constraint of limited resources, Sebastian advocates for the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to streamline processes:

“[03:00] Sam: ...use AI 100% use it but with the human element in the end.”

While AI can handle repetitive and data-driven tasks, the human element remains essential for ensuring quality, strategic oversight, and nuanced decision-making.

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Phased Approach to International Expansion

Summarizing his strategy, Sebastian outlines a phased approach:

“[03:25] Sebastian Egger: Yeah. So it's like do a phased approach, basically. That makes sense.”

This method allows businesses to incrementally expand into new markets, assessing performance and adjusting strategies as needed, thereby managing risks and optimizing resource allocation effectively.

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Conclusion

The episode concludes with Tyson Stockton thanking Sebastian Egger for his valuable insights. Listeners are encouraged to connect with Sebastian on LinkedIn or visit his company’s website for more information. The episode wraps up with a reminder to subscribe for daily SEO content and strategies.

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Key Takeaways

1. Market Prioritization: Focus on markets with the highest Total Addressable Market (TAM) to maximize ROI with limited resources.
2. Content Repurposing: Localize and repurpose existing content to save time and build authority in new markets.
3. Technical SEO: Utilize subfolders for different regions to maintain consistent domain authority and improve SEO performance.
4. Domain Strategy: Consider the authority of your existing domain when expanding; a phased approach may involve consolidating under a .com before localizing.
5. AI Integration: Use AI tools to optimize processes while maintaining human oversight for quality and strategic adjustments.
6. Phased Expansion: Implement a step-by-step approach to entering new markets, allowing for flexibility and risk management.

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Notable Quotes:

• “[00:54] Sam: ...prioritization of market by total addressable volume and aligning it to the TAM total addressable market.”

• “[00:54] Sam: ...understand how much of your content you already have that you can simply localize and repurpose for other markets, that's still low.”

• “[01:54] Sam: ...make sure that you use subfolders. Don't shoot yourself in the foot and go with a subdomain or cctld. Google moving away from that shows that.”

• “[03:00] Sam: ...use AI 100% use it but with the human element in the end.”

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This comprehensive discussion provides a strategic roadmap for businesses aiming to expand internationally without overstretching their resources, blending practical SEO tactics with strategic planning.

Transcript

[Tyson Stockton]

The Voices of Search Podcast is a proud member of the I Hear Everything Podcast Network. Looking to launch or scale your podcast, I Hear Everything delivers podcast production, growth and monetization solutions that transform your words into profit. Ready to give your brand a voice? Then visit iheareverything.com welcome to the Voices of Search Podcast. A member of the I Hear Everything Podcast Network, ready to expedite your company's organic growth efforts. Sit back, relax, and get ready for your daily dose of search engine optimization wisdom. Here's today's host of the Voices of Search Podcast, Tyson Stockton.

[Sebastian Egger]

Next one is game plan. You're the SEO Director and you're responsible for launching a website in five new markets with limited resources. What's your game plan?

[Sam]

Okay, so going back to I guess what we first talked about would be the prioritization of market by total addressable volume and aligning it to the TAM total addressable market. So number one, prioritization. Once you've prioritized that, know which content to repurpose. Going back to what we just talked about before, understand how much of your content you already have that you can simply localize and repurpose for other markets, that's still low. A lot lower effort than creating something NET new. And like we talked about, there is a lot of authority building that can happen doing it that way. So super efficient too. So repurposing number two and then number three is the technical foundation making sure that you use subfolders. Don't shoot yourself in the foot and go with a subdomain or cctld. Google moving away from that shows that. So I hope that's the end of that conversation forever. I know teams of some companies are still going on different domains, but anyways and then if you have limiting resources, well I mean use AI 100% use it but with the human element in the end.

[Sebastian Egger]

Follow up question on that. Would your answer be the same for folders if the company's not on a.com already? So let's say the company is on an FR, they've been a French company and then they're expanding into the US market. Would you still have like folders within the FR site for then English content?

[Sam]

Well that's a very very interesting question or I need a second to think.

[Sebastian Egger]

About that because I'm with you on the folders but I feel like that's in a dot com scenario or like some universal one where I feel some smaller markets could be like, you know, like how many Australians would click on an IT domain?

[Sam]

They wouldn't they wouldn't in Japan like you want. Or I should say, if you're JP, you'll never be able to rank in the US.com even if you have all your tags. And why? Because your authority is centered in Japan. So I would most likely run to risk what I would do. If that's what you're doing. I would run the risk of 100%.com and thinking later migrating your fr.fr to fr within.com depending on the authority that you're building. But that's what I would do.

[Sebastian Egger]

Yeah. So it's like do a phased approach, basically. That makes sense.

[Sam]

Yeah, that's exactly right. Yeah.

[Sebastian Egger]

Well, that's going to wrap up this episode of the Voice of Search podcast. Thanks again, Sebastian Egger, for joining us. Be sure to check out his information in our show notes. You can connect with him on LinkedIn or go on over and check out his company's [e-mail] if you haven't subscribed yet and you'd like a daily feed of content and SEO content, be sure to hit that like button in your podcast app or on YouTube and we'll be back in the following day. So with that, that's all from the Voice of Search. Thanks for checking it out and we'll see in the next episod.

[Sam]

Sam.