Articles · Local SEO · Updated July 2026
Your customers search in English and Spanish. Here's how to show up on Google and Google Maps for both — from your Business Profile to bilingual keywords.
Your customers search in two languages. A retiree in Boquete googles "dentist near me" in English; a local googles "dentista en Boquete". If your online presence only speaks one language, you're invisible to half your market. Local SEO for an expat business means winning both searches.
For "near me" searches, Google shows the map pack before any website. Claim your Google Business Profile, pick the correct category, add real photos, your hours, and your WhatsApp. Write your business description in both languages. This single free profile usually matters more than your website for local searches.
💡 TD Solutions tip: Reviews are the ranking currency of the map pack. Ask every happy customer for a Google review — in whichever language they speak. A steady trickle of genuine reviews beats a one-time burst.
Google cross-checks your profile against your website: same name, same phone, same address (what SEOs call NAP consistency). Your site should name your area naturally — the town you serve, the neighborhoods, how to find you — and carry the languages your customers actually use. That's exactly how we build sites for expat businesses in Panama.
Don't machine-translate your pages. Search behavior differs by language: English speakers search "boquete coffee tour", locals search "tour de café boquete". Build each language version around what that audience actually types — and connect the two versions with hreflang tags so Google shows the right one to the right person.
It's free and it tells you exactly which searches show your business, in which position, and which ones get clicks. Check it monthly: it's how you know whether your English pages are pulling their weight — and which new page to build next.
💡 TD Solutions tip: Local SEO compounds slowly — expect real movement in 3–6 months. The Google Business Profile, though, can start producing calls within weeks.
Want your business found in both languages?
We set up local SEO for expat businesses across Panama — profile, website and bilingual keywords. Free diagnosis, in English.
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