Balkans · EU candidate
SEO audit for websites in North Macedonia
North Macedonia has two official languages written in two scripts, a Cyrillic domain of its own and an audience that switches between Cyrillic and Latin letters on the same phone. The SEO choices that matter are about script, language and domain, in that order.
The notes below suit a site aimed at Skopje, Bitola, Ohrid or Tetovo, and describe what the audit looks at on such a site.
North Macedonia at a glance
- Languages and hreflang codes
- Macedonian
mk-MKOfficial language, written in Cyrillic - Albanian
sq-MKSecond official language nationwide since a 2019 law - English
en-MKTourism, IT services and international clients
- Macedonian
- Script
- Macedonian Cyrillic, including ѓ, ќ, ѕ, љ, њ and џ; Albanian is written in Latin.
- Domain
- .mk is the country code, and the Cyrillic .мкд also exists.
- Native name
- Северна Македонија
- Currency
- Macedonian denar (MKD)
- Calling code
+389- Postcode
- 4 digits
e.g. 1000 (Skopje) - EU, EEA and Schengen
- EU candidate country; accession negotiations opened in July 2022 and progress has been slow. Not an EEA or Schengen member.
Market notes for North Macedonia
Cyrillic by default, Latin in the search box
Macedonian is written in Cyrillic, but some users type their queries in Latin letters, especially on phones, so a search can appear as a Latin transliteration of the Cyrillic word. Results for the two forms can differ, so test your priority terms in both and see who appears.
Keep Cyrillic in titles, headings and structured data on Macedonian pages. If a Latin version of a term matters, add a natural mention such as the brand name written both ways, and avoid keyword lists in transliteration.
ѓ, ќ, ѕ: Macedonian is not Serbian Cyrillic
Macedonian Cyrillic has letters that Serbian does not use, such as ѓ, ќ and ѕ, where Serbian uses ђ and ћ. Fonts, spell-checkers and translation tools built for Serbian can mangle Macedonian text, so check titles and snippets after any export or translation step. Language tags should be mk, not sr.
For slugs, use a single transliteration table across the site. A common mapping turns ѓ into gj, ќ into kj, ѕ into dz, љ into lj, њ into nj and џ into dž, but any consistent table works. Alternatively keep Cyrillic slugs, which Google encodes in links; they look long when shared.
Albanian is official nationwide, so plan a real version
A language law that took effect in January 2019 made Albanian an official language across the country, where before it was official only in areas where at least a fifth of the population spoke it. For local businesses, schools, clinics and public-facing services, an Albanian version is no longer a courtesy; it reaches a large part of your potential customers in some regions.
Mark the version sq-MK if it carries Macedonian prices, contacts and addresses. Albanian content from Albania is readable in North Macedonia, but it will not show local delivery, local legal texts or a +389 number, and a thin copy of the Albanian site would not either.
.mk, .мкд and which to put on the business card
The country code is .mk, and an internationalised domain in Cyrillic, .мкд, also exists. Google reads both as country signals. In practice a Latin .mk address is easier to type, quote on the radio or paste into an email, while a Cyrillic domain is a good redirect target for a brand that wants to own both.
If you serve North Macedonia and other markets, a .com with /mk/ and /sq/ folders concentrates links on one domain. If you run two domains with the same pages, give each a self-referencing canonical, or point one at the other with a 301 redirect.
Copy-ready examples for North Macedonia
Both snippets use placeholder data. Replace the domain, name, street, phone number, coordinates and prices with your own before you publish them.
hreflang tags
This set covers 3 versions (mk-MK, sq-MK, en) plus an x-default. Put the same full set in the <head> of every language version, each page listing itself too; Google ignores pairs that do not link back.
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="mk-MK" href="https://example.mk/mk/" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="sq-MK" href="https://example.mk/sq/" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://example.mk/en/" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="x-default" href="https://example.mk/mk/" />LocalBusiness JSON-LD
The postcode follows the North Macedonia format (4 digits) and the telephone starts with +389. Use the most specific business type that fits, and keep every detail identical to your footer, contact page and map listing.
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "ProfessionalService",
"name": "Example Studio Skopje",
"url": "https://example.mk/mk/",
"image": "https://example.mk/images/storefront.jpg",
"telephone": "+389 2 000 0000",
"priceRange": "500-4000 MKD",
"address": {
"@type": "PostalAddress",
"streetAddress": "ул. Пример 1",
"addressLocality": "Скопје",
"postalCode": "1000",
"addressCountry": "MK"
},
"geo": {
"@type": "GeoCoordinates",
"latitude": 41.9981,
"longitude": 21.4254
},
"openingHoursSpecification": [
{
"@type": "OpeningHoursSpecification",
"dayOfWeek": [
"Monday",
"Tuesday",
"Wednesday",
"Thursday",
"Friday"
],
"opens": "09:00",
"closes": "18:00"
}
]
}What the audit looks at
What the audit checks for North Macedonia
UTF-8 and Cyrillic rendering
We check the charset and look for question marks or mixed-up letters in Macedonian titles and descriptions.
hreflang for mk-MK and sq-MK
The audit verifies reciprocal tags between the Macedonian and Albanian versions, valid ISO codes and a self-reference.
Language declaration
We flag Macedonian pages marked with the wrong language code and templates that mix Cyrillic text with a Latin default.
LocalBusiness schema
We validate required properties, the +389 telephone and that the four-digit postcode is stored as text.
Questions about SEO in North Macedonia
Should a North Macedonian site use Cyrillic or Latin URLs?
Either works if you stay consistent. Cyrillic slugs are encoded in links and look long when shared; Latin slugs need a single transliteration table. Keep Cyrillic in titles and headings.
Do I need an Albanian version?
If you serve customers in areas with Albanian speakers, yes. Albanian is an official language nationwide since 2019. Use sq-MK for pages that carry Macedonian prices, contacts and addresses.
Does the .мкд domain help?
It is a valid country-code domain, but a Latin .mk address is easier to use in email and on paper. Redirect the Cyrillic domain to your main site if you own both.
Is North Macedonia in the EU?
No. It is a candidate country and accession negotiations opened in July 2022. It is not in the EEA or Schengen.
Which hreflang code is right for Macedonian?
mk-MK for Macedonian aimed at North Macedonia, or plain mk for Macedonian readers anywhere.
Need a hand with North Macedonia?
If your North Macedonia audit turns up work you would rather hand over, two teams stand behind this tool. Nomor (nomor.tech) is our software development company and Limi Creatives (limicreatives.com) is our marketing company. Send us your report and tell us which market you are working in.
Nomor
Our software development company. Nomor designs and builds the software and websites behind this tool, including the audit engine, the PDF report and the pages you are reading. It is the right place to start for custom development, performance work and technical fixes.
Limi Creatives
Our marketing company. Limi Creatives is a creative agency that runs SEO, paid ads, content, social media and video for brands. It is the right place to start when you want help turning audit findings into traffic and enquiries.