Case study: the international editorial SEO content strategy of Groupe SEB

By Antoine Pourron, International SEO Manager at Groupe SEB

With its 33 brands, its presence in 150 countries and over 200 websites, Groupe SEB is a major player in the small household appliances sector. However, this international reach comes with a strategic challenge: developing an effective SEO approach in a decentralized environment. This case study highlights the challenges encountered and the solutions implemented to build a coherent and high-performing international strategy.

SEO: a key growth lever for Groupe SEB

For a company the size of Groupe SEB, being visible on the web is an absolute necessity. SEO plays a central role in this goal, particularly through an ambitious editorial content strategy. However, despite the importance of this lever, SEO content production remained limited: fewer than 100 pieces of content were produced in 2023, a figure far below the needs given the number of websites. In response to this situation, the group set ambitious goals: to reach 1,200 editorial pieces per year by 2025.

SEO awareness: a long-term effort

Initial observation: the level of SEO maturity varied significantly from one market to another, which could hinder the development of online visibility and pose an obstacle to fully capitalizing on the potential of the group’s many markets and brands.

To address this challenge, several actions were implemented:

• Regular SEO webinars: these educational sessions, organized every month and a half, cover practical topics such as using Google Search Console or the latest Google algorithm updates.
• Detailed guidelines: practical documents were created to standardize and simplify the writing of title tags, the creation of optimized pages, and other technical aspects.
• SEO advanced community: an internal community dedicated to the most mature markets was established to test new ideas and accelerate skill development in collaboration with the central team.

A hybrid strategy: centralization and local adaptation

In a diverse group like Groupe SEB, a one-size-fits-all strategy is not suitable for all markets. The chosen approach relies on a hybrid organization, combining a global vision with local adaptation:

• Setting clear objectives: targeting high-potential, non-branded queries through a combination of massive yet high-quality content production.
• Centralized analysis: the central team identifies key topics by conducting semantic analyses of the main markets.
  
• Local adaptation: structured briefs are provided to local teams, along with localization kits to ensure efficient implementation.

The importance of localization kits

These kits provide a structured foundation to ensure effective and consistent content implementation. They include:

• A list of article titles in English, along with their translations,
• Specific guidelines adapted to each content piece,
• A selection of images and/or videos to be integrated,
• Clear instructions on the use of SEO tools such as Semji,
• A detailed guide explaining the steps for integrating content into the back office.

This approach allows for the centralization of essential resources, maximization of content standardization across different markets, and facilitation of local SEO strategy adaptation.

AI-powered content production

To tackle the challenge of producing a high volume of content without compromising quality, artificial intelligence was integrated into the process. Thanks to verification procedures, content generated in Polish and Italian by the French teams was validated at 98% by local teams after human proofreading.

Although AI helps improve productivity, human adjustments and validation remain essential to meet user expectations and search engine requirements. A simple SEO-optimized text is not enough; adding rich and valuable content (comparison tables, videos, images, FAQs, etc.) is also a mandatory step to maximize performance.

Conclusion: a strategy designed for both global and local results

The success of an international SEO strategy relies on a deep understanding of search intent, user behavior, and market-specific competitive dynamics. By combining a structured organization and powerful tools, Groupe SEB is implementing a robust strategy that balances global consistency with local relevance.

Want to learn more? Explore other case studies and discover how solutions like Semji can optimize your content creation.