If you’ve decided to expand your business into new countries and regions, mastering multilingual SEO is essential. Not only does it ensure your site is discoverable by the right people, but a well-planned multilingual SEO strategy also gives you the chance to build relationships and resonate with your target audience. Read on to further your understanding of multilingual SEO best practices.
1. Identify Your Target Audience and Market
Before getting bogged down in the details, the first step to mastering multilingual SEO is pinpointing exactly who your target audience is – and understanding how they behave. This means you know who, in your new region, is likely to want your services or product, and how they are likely to behave online. Once they have found you, it’s also important that you conform to their expectations and preferences. This information forms the basis for developing a more tailored approach that speaks to their specific search habits.
2. Target the right keywords
Did you know that different audiences search for different keywords, depending on the country? Language is highly nuanced, dynamic and ever-evolving – and this means search terms are equally influenced by these subtleties.
For example, while téléphone intelligent is the direct French translation of “smartphone”, people in France would, in fact, be more likely to use the English word (le smartphone). Similarly, just as fine settimana is the literal Italian translation of weekend, the English term is widely used as a loanword, especially among younger generations. That’s why extensive keyword research is paramount before starting to translate or create content.
3. Create high-quality content
Speaking of content, make sure it’s good. Your content – whether that’s articles you have translated or brand-new pieces – is your gateway to interacting with your new target audience. It represents a golden opportunity to spark interest in your brand, forge new relationships and, of course, drive sales!
What’s more, high-quality content speaks volumes about the nature of your brand. It’s an ideal channel for you to communicate your company’s values and ethos. Conversely, poorly written content can damage your reputation and turn potential customers away.
4. Prioritise localisation
Let’s say you have a blog on your primary site that has proven popular; surely this one is to translate? Well, that depends. If that content is popular because it resonates with your local audience but is highly specific to that culture or region, then it’s worth thinking twice. Sometimes, content can be translated directly, but often it also needs to be localised. By localising, you can ensure your message resonates and is culturally appropriate for each market.
5. Stay culturally relevant
One of the key components of multilingual SEO best practice is ensuring your website is culturally sensitive and aligns with your target audience’s expectations. This can be highly nuanced and goes beyond simply displaying the local currency or applying the preferred date and time formats. Cultural considerations also include aspects such as ensuring advertising images correspond to local expectations or preferences and removing elements that could be perceived as offensive.
Equally, ensure you use a translator experienced in that particular market. Remember regional variations can impact how content is received, as well as the language itself. Spanish in Latin America, for instance, is considerably more formal than the Spanish used in Spain.
6. Optimise metadata for each language
Titles and meta descriptions are often overlooked but vitally important for multilingual SEO. Each should be optimised for each language – particularly important to bear in mind if you are juggling SEO for multiple countries. These elements are critical for click-through rates and search engine visibility.
For example, a compelling meta description in French should not just be a direct translation of the English version but – as with all content – tailored to include relevant keywords and engage the local audience.
7. Implement hreflang tags correctly
Hreflang tags are essential for multilingual SEO as they inform search engines about the language and geographic targeting of your pages. For example, if you have a page in English targeting the UK and another in French targeting France, the hreflang tag specifies these distinctions, preventing duplicate content issues.
Make sure to:
- Include the hreflang attribute in the <head> section of your website.
- Use the correct ISO codes for language (en for English, fr for French) and region (GB for the UK, FR for France).
- Always link pages back to themselves in the hreflang tag.
If this sounds complicated, consider using a specialist multilingual SEO agency to handle all the aspects of your strategy.
Mastering multilingual SEO can feel like a daunting task, particularly on top of all the other considerations when expanding your business beyond your own country’s borders. However, with the right measures in place and adhering to multilingual SEO best practices, you’ll find that bringing your brand’s message to international audiences is within your reach!
Also Read: How Kherk Roldan Became a Leading Name in the SEO Industry
