Artificial intelligence has disrupted yet another aspect of business: international SEO. As a European entrepreneur working across borders, I’ve seen firsthand how these changes can make or break an expansion strategy. AI's geo-identification technology, which is supposed to pinpoint where users are and provide the most relevant results, is often failing. The fallout isn't just technical; it's reshaping market opportunities, eroding brand trust, and forcing businesses to rethink localization efforts.
The Cracks in AI's Geo-Identification
Geo-identification was once straightforward. Tools like hreflang tags, IP-based targeting, and localized content ensured users saw information tailored to their location. But now, large language models (LLMs) such as those powering Google Search or Bing are blending results based on their priorities, not yours. Instead of prioritizing local content, they often elevate globally dominant pages, typically in English.
Here’s an example. If a user in Denmark searches for “lokale leverandører af teknologiske komponenter,” the AI might deliver results featuring large U.S. suppliers, even if these companies don’t operate in Denmark. This creates frustration for users and eliminates opportunities for local businesses, which could have provided more relevant answers.
Why This Shift Is Happening
AI wasn’t designed with local nuances as a priority. It aims to synthesize global knowledge, not differentiate markets. These are the main reasons why mistakes happen:
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Overreliance on English Content
English dominates the internet and serves as a "safe choice" for algorithms. Even if your website uses hreflang tags to indicate specific language or region, global English pages are often treated as a priority. -
Simplified Connections
AI-driven systems are excellent at generalizations but often miss the subtle distinctions between regional markets. For example, Spanish content for Argentina might appear in Mexico’s search results, despite clear economic and cultural differences. -
Outdated SEO Practices
Many companies haven’t updated their SEO strategies to account for how AI processes content. Old tactics like targeting country-code domains (.fr or .de) may no longer guarantee visibility.
Why This Matters for Entrepreneurs
Smaller businesses operating in local or niche markets will feel the impact most. If your company relies heavily on regional authority, being known as the go-to supplier, consultant, or specialist in a particular area, the loss of visibility can cut directly into your bottom line. And worse, global giants with better content strategies might siphon your leads because they appear more trustworthy.
For me, localization was always my strength. My startup CADChain operates in multiple European countries and handles highly regulated sectors like intellectual property for CAD files. If my marketing materials use global examples, I risk alienating the local prospects who demand jurisdiction-specific answers to their challenges. Staying hyper-relevant isn’t optional anymore.
How to Adapt International SEO for the AI Era
Dealing with this shift will require adjustments across your content, technical SEO, and strategy. Here’s how you can protect and grow your business:
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Update Content with Regional Context
Include location-specific data explicitly. If you’re in biotech and serving Dutch markets, mention compliance with Netherland-specific certifications or local supplier partnerships. AI needs to "read" these regional clues. -
Leverage Schema Markup
Use structured data (like areaServed) to clarify which geographic audience your content is for. While it's no silver bullet, it enhances machine recognition. -
Review Canonical Tags
Be careful about global pages you mark as canonical. AI-driven systems treat canonicals as the last word, potentially overriding localized variations of sites. -
Spot-Check AI Answers
Run queries in search engines’ AI modes to see if and how your content features. Test searches in multiple languages and from different markets to catch mismatches. -
Invest in Local Backlinks
Strong local authority boosts trustworthiness. Get backlinks from market-specific websites to signal relevance to that region.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Some business owners I work with unknowingly sabotage their efforts. These are the most frequent errors:
- Ignoring Translations: AI is forcing simplified assumptions. If you aren’t offering localized content in native languages, you’ve already lost credibility.
- Betting Only on Global Keywords: Overgeneralized SEO tactics fail to capture nuanced local markets. Balance global and regional keyword strategies.
- Skipping Technical SEO Updates: Features like structured data evolve continuously. Neglecting these changes leaves your site unprepared for AI search.
A Personal Observation
When I discuss these issues with founders in different industries, they often think their brand reputation will shield them. In reality, the most findable companies win, not necessarily the best ones. Visibility is as much a battle for accurate geo-positioning now as it is about branding or user engagement.
What’s Next for Business Owners?
Moving forward, we need a long-term system to counter this drift. One solution I’m exploring is quarterly “AI search audits.” They go beyond tracking search rankings to evaluate whether regional users get the right messages. You can even measure whether hreflang tags are being overridden or links cited by AI engines represent your business correctly.
I’d also recommend staying informed by checking insights like those shared by Motoko Hunt on Search Engine Journal. Her overview of geo-identification failures outlines technical tips in detail.
Takeaways for the Savvy Entrepreneur
AI geo-identification failures expose a gap most aren’t ready for. To compete, local businesses must send clear digital signals about their market boundaries. In practical terms, this means tailoring content, mastering structured data, and staying vigilant about how search engines feature your brand.
Adapting doesn’t require overhauling everything, but it does mean thinking critically about how you represent your business across regions. If you don't manage this now, larger competitors, with their global reach and resources, will move in.
It’s no longer just about being seen. It’s about being seen correctly. Doing so protects not only your rankings but also the trust that drives success in cross-border markets.
FAQ on AI’s Geo-Identification Failures Impacting International SEO
1. How has AI disrupted international SEO?
AI has challenged traditional SEO methods like hreflang tags and IP targeting by prioritizing globally dominant content over localized results, often favoring English pages regardless of market. Learn more about how AI disrupts SEO
2. Why does AI prioritize English content in global searches?
AI systems are trained on massive datasets where English dominates, leading to it being treated as the default language for synthesized content. Uncover why AI prioritizes English content
3. Can business owners rely on hreflang tags for localization anymore?
No, hreflang tags are now “advisory” rather than definitive in AI-driven search, potentially overridden by global canonical pages. See the hreflang limitations in AI era
4. What risks do businesses face with AI-driven SEO changes?
Local businesses risk losing visibility, brand trust, and revenue as their content is overshadowed by global competitors. Understand the risks of AI geo-identification failures
5. How do large language models (LLMs) undermine geographic signals?
LLMs blend data across markets without recognizing local distinctions, often overriding regional markers like ccTLDs and structured data. Learn how LLMs fail geographic targeting
6. How can businesses adapt their SEO strategies to combat AI disruptions?
Businesses should update their content to include explicit regional context, leverage structured data like areaServed, and invest in local backlinks to strengthen authority. Discover SEO strategies for the AI era
7. Why are canonical tags critical in AI-driven search?
AI systems see canonical tags as the primary “truth,” potentially disregarding localized versions of websites unless carefully managed. Understand the impact of canonical tags
8. What is “geo-legibility” and why is it important?
Geo-legibility refers to making your content machine-readable as belonging to a specific market, ensuring AI correctly aligns it with regional searches. Explore the importance of geo-legibility
9. Are structured data tools still valuable for localization?
Yes, tools like schema markup enhance recognition of geographic intent, but their current effectiveness in AI search engines may vary. Learn about structured data in SEO
10. How can businesses monitor AI's impact on their markets?
Conduct quarterly AI audits to test regional visibility, track whether local signals are correctly interpreted, and adjust content strategy accordingly. Learn how to conduct AI audits
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta Bonenkamp's expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
- Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
- She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
- Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
- Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
- She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
- Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
- Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
- She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
- Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.