Multilingual SEO tip: choose the right keywords

Not all keywords are created equal, especially if a firm is trying to reach key market areas through multilingual SEO.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is part of the challenge brands have to deal with when marketing to a global audience. Without an effective way to pull in potential customers toward your website, it’s only a matter of time until company sales start heading into a nosedive. So, before you even think of expanding your business to a much broader geographic scale, you must already have a comprehensive strategy to reach the right people and increase web traffic.

Website localization is the key, but because it’s such a broad concept, many companies find it hard to figure out where to start. Indeed, there are too many aspects involved, such as language translation, building a multicultural web team, and the nitty-gritty of web development. But we’ll start with the most basic one: identifying the right keywords.

Much of your SEO success depends on how good your keywords are. Since they act as “tags” that identify a piece of web content, knowing the right keywords is the first step in connecting with your target market. Here are four things you must consider in this process.

1.     Direct translations don’t work.

For many businesses, online marketing is usually biased toward the English language since it’s largely seen as the universal tongue. However, multilingual web strategies are a completely different story. All keywords and phrases must be carefully selected based on the context of your target sector—their language, culture, and the topics they’re interested in. Simply put, directly translating English terms won’t work. You have to intimately know your target audience and understand what clicks for them.

2.     Familiarize yourself with the local lingo.

In global marketing, it’s crucial to understand what your target audience thinks about certain things and how they research online. Their native language, including popular expressions and culture-specific lingo, would surely come into play vis-a-vis their web surfing habits.

3.     What makes good content for your target audience?

Your web optimization strategies, no matter how well-planned, are nothing if you can’t back them up with good web content. However, remember that what you usually produce may be completely different from what your target audience expects you to deliver. Also, be careful of possibly offensive messages and carefully consider the format and tone that your content must take.

4.     Lastly, seek help from local SEO experts.

For optimum results, your online marketing team must be composed of professionals who know the smallest details about how the Internet works as well as how your target customers use it. Someone native to the area you’re hoping to reach can help you create strategies that reflect the preferences and habits of your audience.