International expansion is a key part of the growth strategy for many companies, but it can be difficult to determine the best way to approach new markets. The rise in popularity of machine translation has made it easier to begin translating your website into multiple languages and launching local versions of your domain name. It became a big part of global SEO localization strategies.
But with this easy route also comes increased risk: machine translations are far from perfect. When expanding internationally, you need to consider many other things that are not as obvious as just setting up new servers or changing domains.
SEO Localization Means More Than Translation
One of the most important aspects of local SEO is understanding what your audience wants, not just in language but also content and location. In other words, it’s about providing relevant information and services specific to your target market.
For example, if you are an eCommerce site trying to rank for keywords like “shoes” or “handbags” then it’s important that you know whether or not people search for these terms using singular or plural nouns. If someone searches “shoes online shopping” they will likely expect to see products sold on Shopify or similar sites where they can browse different styles of shoes without having them shipped directly from the manufacturer (which would increase costs).
On the other hand, if someone searches “online shoes shopping, ” they likely want their results filtered by price so they can find a pair within their budget range.
The same goes with other industries such as hotels and restaurants, If people are looking at booking reservations online, then those results should be localized based on where those businesses are located geographically so visitors get accurate pricing information when comparing them side-by-side against competitors’ offerings.”
What Does It Mean to Translate a Website?
When you translate a website, you are translating it into the local language. This means that if you are trying to attract customers from France, you would want to translate your website into French.
This is the simplest way to localize a website—as opposed to other methods, such as creating different versions of your website for each country (which we will discuss below).
To further explain this concept, let’s look at an example: Company X has decided that they need their new English-language site translated into Spanish so they can target Spanish-speaking customers who visit their online store from Mexico City or Buenos Aires.
In order for that translation process to be successful, the translator needs an understanding of both languages (English and Spanish) in order not only to understand what content needs translating but also to ensure that correct grammatical structure is maintained throughout; otherwise, it may come across incorrectly on screen or even sound awkward when spoken aloud by someone speaking with thick accents like mine!
How Do You Localize Content for Search?
In the process of SEO localization, you’ll want to customize the content to the needs of your local market, using local language and terminology.
You can make sure that you write your content in a way that is relevant to the local market by:
- Including references to national holidays and traditions, especially if they are unique to that region. For example, people who live in France might be interested in knowing more about Bastille Day (July 14), which celebrates French independence from England.
- Using sources from within their country when possible, including information from an interview with a politician or other notable figure within the community. Suppose you have access to these kinds of resources for your target audience. In that case, this will help them feel more connected with you as an organization and encourage them to visit your site or connect with you on social media platforms where information like this might be shared.
Getting Your Keyword Research Right in Local Markets
Keyword research has always been an important aspect of search engine optimization (SEO). The more relevant a keyword is to your business and its content, the higher you’ll rank in search results. However, as search engines become better at understanding human language, keywords are becoming more important than ever.
As globalization continues to increase, so does the number of non-English consumers who want their native language content on the web. If you’ve got an English website with Spanish-language content, for example, do you think that users will find it if all they get from Google is a bunch of English websites? No way!
Suppose you’re going international with your SEO localization strategy. In that case, your keyword research must consider local search trends, industry jargon, and cultural norms—making sure every page on your site uses localized keywords wherever possible.
Linguistic and Cultural Considerations You Need to Be Aware Of
In addition to the linguistic and cultural considerations you need to be aware of, there are also business considerations you must consider.
- Consideration of local search engines: If you don’t know about the local search engine in your target market, it’s very possible that your competitors could be receiving more traffic than they are because they know how to optimize their sites for that search engine. In this case, it may be wise to consider adjusting your SEO strategy to optimize for those engines.
- Consideration of local SEO: While some SEOs might prefer a global approach (i.e., one that targets multiple countries), others prefer an approach that focuses on individual countries. This means looking at what country-specific elements can help improve rankings for certain pages on their website or blog posts — an example would be adding certain keywords (or phrases) only when writing content relevant specifically with those audiences in mind (i.e., using different words/phrases when talking about cities/places vs. industries). This practice makes sense since each nation has its unique culture/language; thus, speaking directly into those cultures’ needs helps ensure people stay engaged with what we’re saying while reading through our material.”
Considering Machinelanguage Translation When Expanding Locally
It’s important to consider machinelanguage translation when expanding your business locally. Machinelanguage translation is a machine translation that uses computers to translate text from one natural language to another. You can use it for translating large amounts of text, such as websites and apps, as well as other documents or even spoken conversations.
Machinelanguage translation is useful because it can quickly produce accurate translations in real time and at a low cost. This makes it ideal for working with local partners who need foreign-language content translated quickly into their language before publishing it online in order to reach new audiences abroad.
Conclusion
SEO localization is a key part of SEO strategy for any business, and it’s important to know how this works. If you’re planning to expand internationally or have already done so, you need to consider language translation when it comes time for your website content. This goes beyond simply translating content from one language into another; it involves both linguistic and cultural factors.
