SEO in Moldova

Moldova is a southern European country located between Romania and Ukraine that emerged after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The economy of this republic is still based on agriculture and the GDP growth rate is unstable. On the one hand, this shows that there is still a lot of catching up to do in relation to Western countries, but on the other, it offers opportunities to blaze a way in a so far undeveloped market.

The population of Moldova in recent years is approximately 3.5 million. 76.1% of them have access to the Internet, and 98% of towns and cities are connected via a fibre-optic cables. The market potential here has been discovered by Russian internet giant Wildberries, which established itself in Moldova in 2021 with its multi-branch e-commerce, offering clothing, footwear, electronics, cosmetics, perfumes, books and many other products.

When it comes to internet use, Moldovans mostly do so via mobile devices (data as of April 2022):

• Mobile (53.96%),
• Desktop (45.07%),
• Tablet (0.97%).

Since the majority connect to the web via smartphones, let’s have a look at their use of social media. At the beginning of 2022, there were 1.87 million social media users in Moldova, which translates into 46.5% of the total population. Which platform do they use the most? Let’s see (data as of April 2022):

• Facebook (94.36%),
• Pinterest (1.87%),
• YouTube (1.19%),
• Instagram (1.13%),
• Twitter (0.73%),
• VKontakte (0.36%).

Without the slightest exaggeration, it can be said that Facebook has taken over the social market in Moldova. If you want to develop your business in this part of Europe, you must have an active company profile on the platform created by Mark Zuckerberg.

E-commerce market in Moldova

Moldovans made $277 million worth of online purchases in 2020. Nearly 40% of all residents pay bills or buy products online. This figure, as well as analysts’ estimates, predict that e-commerce should start to develop dynamically in this republic in the coming years. The potential is especially noticeable on the B2B market, but m-commerce should also be taken into account due to Moldovans’ fondness for mobile devices (including browsing the web via them).

Moldovans are open to foreign products and international suppliers. Among the most popular global e-commerce providers in Moldova are AliExpress, Amazon and ASOS. Price comparison websites have also been set up online and food delivery services have been launched. Step by step, this market is maturing and inviting new participants. This is evidenced by the presence of most local companies, both on the web and in social media.

The diversity of products that Moldovans are interested in online is quite large. This may indicate that they do not limit themselves to any single category in terms of online shopping. They want to buy, they just need technological availability and attractive offers.

Importantly, with the spread of Internet access, Moldovan e-commerce is developing. The need for such direction was highlighted by the coronavirus pandemic, when online banking systems were in demand, together with online payments. So far, most orders have been paid on delivery or by traditional bank transfer. However, there is a growing demand for credit cards, PayPal or just online banking, which are the pillars of an efficient e-commerce market.

The Moldovan authorities also recognise the need to develop e-commerce and have promised citizens to streamline procedures and implement technologies to help them do so. It is also worth mentioning that as smartphone use becomes more widespread, wired and mobile internet access is expanding, and some operators are seriously considering upgrading their infrastructure to 5G.

Why should you start promoting your business in Moldova?

E-commerce in Moldova is in its infancy. However, according to analysts of this market, it should develop in the next years. We are already seeing the first signs of this, related to the spread of Internet access and the introduction of online payments. Whoever is the first to develop a place for themselves on the web in a given sector will be a trailblazer and will win the trust of consumers awaiting such offerings. Bringing your business to Moldova is certainly an unconventional move, but in hindsight, it may turn out to be a great idea! Fortune favours the bold!

Link building in Moldova

In order to present your offer on the Moldovan market, you should first provide the Moldovans with an understandable language version of your website. This basic language should be Romanian, spoken by around 2.7 million of Moldova’s inhabitants. This is an essential element for further steps, already taken together with our Takumi 匠. After analysing the offer and potential, they will prepare the best catalogue of keywords, optimise the site for search engine algorithms and user preferences. All of this in order for the website to be displayed as high as possible on the list of search results and, consequently, to increase traffic and revenue.

SEO activities should of course be supported by high-quality link building. One should also not forget about diversification of redirections, which should come not only from popular and valuable websites within the framework of shared, interesting articles, but also from posts on thematic forums and Facebook, which are popular in Moldova.