Posted on August 9th, 2010While many countries across the globe speak the English language, the extent of understanding may still be low. Since there are a limited number of online customers for each language, it’s important to fluently portray the product or service in their native tongue.
It’s a fact that the majority of consumers will not purchase a product from a website if they’re unable to understand the goods in their native language. Consequently it’s important to offer the world’s most used languages on a website. The top languages by number of speakers include:
- English
- Spanish
- Mandarin Chinese
- Hindi/Urdu
- Arabic
Keyword targeting with these languages can prove to be quite difficult since they are all in different language families. To optimize for global traffic, there are a few tips that can assist internet marketers. These include:
- Use human translators
- Mimic other local sites
- Carefully select keywords
- Test those keywords
Utilizing human translators to convert or check the content for accuracy is vital for targeting different countries. Although there are automated translation services available, sentences may not flow properly with awkward sentence structure and grammar.
By mimicking other sites local to that country, it can give you a feel for the native culture. Also, selecting localized top level domains for each country will create a comfortable environment for those buyers and instill confidence. For multi-country sites, it’s advantageous to model the website after well-established global sites like Amazon.
Additionally, keyword selection is crucial so that the proper clientele is attracted. This entails well-researched words for each target market. Although there is often an overlap between languages with popular keywords, the actual dictionary translation may be different. Also, entering distinctive phrases into local search engines can help add to your keyword repertoire.
Finally, test these keyword selections in pay-per-click advertising campaigns by setting a small monthly budget and viewing which keywords brought the most click-throughs. This is a good indication of what customers will be searching for so that your websites can be optimized for those searches.
There are many aspects to search engine optimization and internet marketing. Targeting global customers adds more requirements to the mix. By following the above tips, you can easily create a well optimized website that’s appealing to the global community. Translators, following local sites and the proper selection and testing of keywords can result in a profitable global business that relates to many customers across worldwide.