SEO translation is one of the core services I offer, because it’s an essential part of any international marketing strategy. If you’re looking to go global, or expand into a new foreign market, then your marketing strategy will need to include multilingual keyword research, local market research, and translation and localisation services.
In this essential guide, we’ll cover:
- What SEO translation actually is
- Why you need it
- SEO translation vs SEO localisation
- Best practices to follow
- Who you should hire
- Whether or not machine translation has a role to play in international SEO
What is SEO translation?
SEO translation is an umbrella term for all services to do with translating texts with search engine optimisation (SEO) in mind.
This could be converting an SEO text into another one, or carrying out keyword research for a foreign market which is then used to make new content.
It’s a key part of any multilingual marketing strategy where brands are hoping to reach consumers searching in a different language.
Why you need SEO translation
Just as your original content needs to adhere to SEO best practices to be seen, your translated content needs to be search engine-optimised in order to show up on search engines and social explore pages.
SEO translation ensures that the translated text is targeting keywords that are being used by the foreign language customer. These keywords won’t necessarily be the direct translations of keywords used in the original text.
It involves carrying out target market research to ensure that the translation is relevant to the target market’s context and search intent as well as using the language (and specific keywords) that the target audience puts into search.
How does SEO translation differ from normal translation?
Whilst traditional translation will convert one text into another language, SEO translation will do that as well as following SEO best practices. SEO translators will localise keywords, which means they might not be a direct translation.
SEO translation vs SEO localisation
Effective SEO translation involves assessment of the target market and their search habits to produce content that resonates with the target audience.
This means translating content – and keywords – in a way that might not always be literal. Instead, the translator will make decisions that improve the chances of the content ranking in the target audience. This might look like changing the angle of the text, re-structuring the content, or removing or adding sections that aren’t/are relevant to the target market.
SEO translation is therefore really SEO localisation. An SEO translator will not just translate, but localise content. So, if you see SEO localisation services advertised, SEO translation will be part of that process.
Best practices for SEO translation
Multilingual keyword research
Translating keywords literally will negate any of your SEO efforts. Instead, an SEO translator should carry out keyword research in their target language to find the best keyword that offers an equivalent meaning and search result.
SEO optimisation of content
An effective SEO translation will include all SEO elements of your content, from the main body text to image titles and metatags.
A fully integrated process
For best results, SEO translators will integrate SEO throughout their process. Acknowledging SEO best practices from the start will ensure keywords aren’t stuffed into a text; instead, the text will be built around them in a way that’s most helpful to the reader.
Who should you hire for SEO translation services?
SEO translators will be trained in both translation and SEO, and translate into their native language.
Freelance translators will often be cheaper than hiring an agency, although only able to take a smaller volume of work.
Be wary of anyone promising to translate a long keyword list at a quick turnaround and without any additional context – this will likely result in a word-for-word keyword translation that will not get you the results you’re looking for. The best results come from a fully-integrated translation process.
If you’re a French- or Spanish- speaking brand in need of SEO translation services, get in touch today.
Machine translation and SEO
Optimising texts for search engines requires a deep understanding of the target market’s culture. You need to know what the target audience is searching, and then create content that provides them with what they’re looking for.
For this reason, machine translation does not work well for SEO texts. Machine translation fails to acknowledge any cultural context surrounding language, which results in literal translations that don’t always make sense.
With search engines looking for quality, helpful content, non-sensical and inaccurate machine translations will do nothing but damage your website (and brands!) reputation.
A native speaker, embedded in the target culture, needs to translate SEO texts to ensure that the content – and targeted keywords – are specifically tailored to the new audience.
To conclude…
SEO translation is a key part of any international or multilingual marketing strategy where the desire is to have content shown on search engines.
It requires target market research, deep cultural understanding and translation and SEO skills.
For best results, SEO translation will be implemented from the start of the translation process, allowing translators to tweak content to best appeal to the target market and follow SEO best practices. This could look like changing the angle of a text to target a slightly different keyword, re-arranging the structure of a text or webpage, or removing parts of the content that wouldn’t land with the target audience.
When SEO translation best practices are followed, translated content is of high-quality, relevant to the target culture, and helpful, acknowledging users’ search intent – all qualities rewarded by search engines.
If you’re a French or Spanish brand looking for an SEO translator to work with you on upcoming project, see how we can work together here.