Websites, Stores and Search
Generative engine optimization: how to get cited by AI search
What generative engine optimization really is, what the research shows, and a step-by-step plan to get your pages cited by AI search.
SEO
International SEO Setup
Your website set up so search engines show the right language or country version to the right people.
When a site serves several countries or languages, search engines can easily show the wrong version. A German visitor lands on the US page, or two versions compete for the same search. International SEO Setup fixes the structure for up to three markets. We plan URLs, add and validate hreflang tags, update sitemaps and build a keyword map from each market's own searches.
- Hreflang tags set and validated for up to three markets
- URL structure and targeting planned for each market
- A keyword map built from each market's own searches
$2,925
15–25 working days
What it is
International SEO Setup is a one-time project that prepares your website for up to 3 languages or countries. We plan the URL structure, add hreflang tags to in-scope pages, update sitemaps for each market and build a keyword map from each market's own searches. Everything is validated in Search Console.
Why businesses buy it
Expanding abroad usually starts with translation, and the search setup gets left until something goes wrong. By then visitors see the wrong currency or language, and market versions compete with each other. Hreflang is easy to get subtly wrong, and plugins often leave errors nobody checks. This setup plans the structure properly, tags each version, validates the result and gives you keyword maps based on how each market really searches. Rankings in each country still depend on content and competition, so the setup prepares the ground rather than promising positions.
Problems this solves
Google shows the wrong language version to searchers abroad
We add hreflang tags to in-scope pages for up to three languages or countries. The tags are validated and checked in Search Console so each market sees its own version.
Your URL structure mixes markets in a confusing way
A market and URL structure plan sets out how each language or country is organized on your site. Your team gets one clear pattern to follow for future pages.
Keywords translated word for word miss what locals search
We build a keyword map from each market's own searches, not a translation of your home keywords. Each market gets the terms its buyers actually type.
Search engines cannot find every page for each market
Sitemaps are updated for each market so search engines can reach every in-scope page. A setup report and a written handover report explain what changed.
A good fit if
You sell into more than one country or language, and search engines show the wrong version to visitors.
You already have translated or localized pages, or a firm plan to add them.
Your site runs on a platform such as WordPress, Shopify or Webflow, and we can be given admin access.
You want keywords chosen from what people in each market actually search for, not a direct translation.
Not the right fit if
You need your pages translated first. Translation is not included, so arrange it before ordering or alongside a new website build.
You want ongoing SEO work in each market every month. See Growth SEO after the setup.
You are targeting more than three markets. Add the Extra Market add-on for each one beyond three.
Your main problem is technical errors on a single-language site. See Technical SEO Fix Sprint.
How it works
- We review your markets, current URLs and translated pages, then agree a URL structure for each market.
- Hreflang tags are added to in-scope pages so each market version points to its alternatives correctly.
- Sitemaps are updated so search engines find every market version.
- We research what people search for in each market and build a separate keyword map for each.
- Tags are validated and checked in Search Console, then explained in a written handover report.
What you provide within 72 hours
Your portal lists these the moment you order. Delivery starts the working day after everything is in and your access is checked.
- Admin access to your website, added as a user you can remove later.
- Access to Google Search Console, shared by invite.
- Translated or localized pages for each market, or a clear plan for when they will exist.
- Your priority markets and the products or services that matter most in each.
The 72-hour rule. Send everything on your checklist, including access, within 72 hours of ordering so your build starts on time.
Timeline
Start
Order placed. Access, markets and translated pages are due within 72 hours.
Week 1
Market and URL structure plan agreed with you.
Weeks 1–2
Hreflang tags added and sitemaps updated for each market.
Weeks 2–3
Keyword research and a keyword map for each market.
Final days
Validation, Search Console checks and a written handover report.
After delivery
14 days of support for questions about the setup.
| Option | Delivery time | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | 15–25 working days | $2,925 |
What you receive at handover
- A market and URL structure plan
- Hreflang tags on in-scope pages for up to 3 markets
- Sitemaps updated for each market
- A keyword map for each market
- A hreflang validation report
- A setup report and a written handover report (translating pages is not included)
Expected benefits and how to measure them
- Helps searchers in each market land on the page meant for them
- Can make your content easier to find in markets you already serve
- Gives your team a clear structure for adding market pages later
- Clicks by country
- Filter Search Console performance by country and compare each market's clicks before and after setup.
- Hreflang errors
- Compare errors in the validation report at setup with a fresh check a month later.
- Impressions per market
- Track impressions for each language folder or domain in Search Console month by month.
Before you start: Export three months of Search Console data filtered by country for each target market. Note which language pages already exist.
These are things to track, not promised results. Outcomes depend on your data, your team and your market.
Running costs
There are no running costs for the setup itself. If your site uses a paid translation plugin or app, or you pay for translation, those costs are yours and are billed by that provider. We do not require you to buy one.
Ask about running costsCustom requirements
Add a note at checkout if you need something specific. If it fits within the Scope Card it is simply included. If it goes beyond it, you get a written Change Quote within two working days, and that work starts only once you accept it, with its time added to your delivery date.
Request a custom versionKeep it running
This is a one-time setup, so there is no ongoing fee. The setup report and keyword maps are yours. When you add new pages in any market, they need matching hreflang tags, which the report explains. If you add another country later, the Extra Market add-on extends the same setup.
How this compares
| Do it yourself | Hire a traditional agency | Upmark Labs | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Your developer's time plus a translation plugin | Often quoted as a larger international project | One fixed price shown before you buy |
| Hreflang | Plugin defaults, often left unchecked | Agreed in a proposal | Set up and validated for up to three markets |
| Keywords | Usually translated word for word | Varies | A separate map from each market's own searches |
| Handover | You work it out yourself | Depends on the team | A setup report and a written handover report |
Questions about this product
What does hreflang actually do?
It tells search engines which version of a page suits which language or country. Without it, a visitor in Germany might see your US page, or two versions might compete against each other. Hreflang links the versions together, so search engines can show the right one. It does not translate anything or move rankings by itself.
Do you translate my website as part of the setup?
No. Translation is not included, and we need translated or localized pages for each market to set the tags correctly. If your pages are not ready, tell us your plan and timing at checkout. We can set up the structure first, but tags only work properly once each market's pages exist.
Should I use separate domains, subfolders or subdomains for each country?
It depends on your platform, budget and plans. Subfolders are often simplest to manage, while country domains send a stronger local signal but cost more to run. We review your current setup and recommend one structure in the plan, explaining the trade-offs. Changing an existing structure can mean redirects, which we flag before any work starts.
Will International SEO Setup get me ranking in new countries?
It cannot promise that. The setup makes sure search engines understand which pages belong to which market, which removes a common barrier. Rankings in each country still depend on your content, local competition and links. The keyword maps show where to focus, and ongoing work can follow if you want it.
Can I add a fourth country later?
Yes. The Extra Market add-on covers one more language or country, with hreflang tags, a sitemap update, a keyword map and validation alongside your existing markets. You can order it with the setup or later. You still need translated or localized pages for the new market before the tags can go live.
What happens after the international setup is delivered?
You keep the structure plan, keyword maps and validation report, and get 14 days of support for questions. The report explains how to tag new pages so the setup stays correct. If you want ongoing SEO in your markets, Growth SEO or Ecommerce SEO can build on it each month.
Guides on this topic
All guides Show each market the right page
Order International SEO Setup to get hreflang, market targeting and a keyword map in place for up to three languages or countries.
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