Why it doesn't pay to launch offerings in various foreign markets without investing in International SEOthat takes into account adapting content to the needs of the target audience?
Taking care of search engine visibility is part of a strategy to build brand recognition and attract customers. The SEO process includes not only SEO activities, but also content strategy. If you want to position your site abroad, you will learn about, among other things, from this article:
- The importance of optimizing text in different languages,
- The differences between translation and localization,
- The impact of content localization on international SEO efforts.
Why translate a website into the local language?
Do you know the importance to potential customers, of translating the content on your website? According to the results of a study CSA Research, which was conducted on 4 continents (Asia, Europe, North America and South America), in 29 countries and among 8709 consumers:
- 76% will choose a product described in their native language - if they have a choice between two similar ones,
- 40% don't want to buy from sites with content in a language foreign to them,
- 65% prefer content in their language, even if it is of low quality.
This means that the availability of content in the native language influences purchasing decisions - it can discourage or help action.
However, preparing several language versions of the site by translating the text is not enough. If foreign positioning domains is to be effective, and you want to reach customers and build recognition for your company, content translation and localization will be necessary.
Localization of content on the website - how is it different from translation?
Localization is the adaptation of a product or service to a particular region.
It includes adjusting the sorting function to local alphabetical order, as well as the graphics, design and layout of the content so that it displays correctly. In addition, it involves changing date, address or currency formats. It includes converting content to suit the needs of the target audience. Translation is part of this process (definition The Globalization and Localization Association).
Location includes:
- The language of the region (e.g., differences in British and American English),
- Cultural context (e.g., holidays, symbols),
- The country's social norms,
- purchasing preferences,
- REGULATIONS.
This involves adapting colors, characters and symbols to the specifics of the country and language. And not, as is the case with translation, which only involves changing the text.
What's more, adapting content to the market helps maintain a consistent brand message that, without it, can be disrupted by cultural differences. The importance of this approach is evidenced by how many companies are adapting in their marketing efforts:
- images (48%),
- specific brand terminology (47%),
- tone of voice brand (36%),
- SEO strategies for all markets (41%) and some (40%).
The data comes from the report Global Trends in Marketing Localization 2023, Unbabel.
Localization of content in international SEO
Positioning websites for non-Polish markets is a process that involves technical aspects of SEO such as the use of the hreflang tag, the choice of URL structure, but also SEO auditing or adjusting analytical tools. As in the case of positioning for the Polish market, in increasing visibility in search results in another country, relevant keywords, content optimization and backlink building are important.
Keyword research
Keyword analysis is essential in the process of positioning a site abroad. The potential and relevance of keywords and phrases, even if they relate to the same products and services, can vary from country to country. An example of a word in the same language is the word "vacation." A British person will say: "holiday", while an American will use the word "vacation".
By studying words in foreign markets, we will select those that match the search intentions of users from the target group. The most common intent categories are:
- informational, i.e. seeking information on a particular topic, such as what is local positioning,
- Transactional, denoting a willingness to buy or take advantage of an offer, such as English-Polish translation of a price list,
- Navigational, i.e., the desire to get to a specific page, e.g., Google privacy policy,
- Commercial, so research before buying, such as SEO agency reviews.
We will also learn the phrases of the local competition and the words to get high positions in the search results.
This information will help to develop text topics of interest to potential customers located at different points in the purchase path and to choose the format of the content.
- The beginning of the path (Top of the Funnel) - at this point in the sales funnel users learn about the company, so the goal will be to build brand awareness. The better matched the keywords to the search intent (informational) at the initial stage of brand familiarization, the greater the chance that the user will consider a purchase in the future. Here, for example, guide articles, website offerings will work well.
- Middle of the Funnel (Middle of the Funnel) - users are familiar with the brand, but need more reasons (e.g., reviews, statements) by which it becomes one of the options.
- The last stage (Bottom of the Funnel) - at this stage users are ready to buy, but still need arguments (e.g. reviews, case studies) to make a final decision.
Why is content that matches the intent and stages of the sales funnel, valuable for SEO in the local market? Because they engage users, making them spend more time on the website. What's more, if they are interesting, users are more likely to share them, and the site will get an external link. In view of this, when conducting SEO activities abroad, it is worth working with translators and native speakers.
Read more about optimizing ToFu, MoFu, BoFu for SEO. In the article you will find a table that will help you choose the type of intent for the funnel stage.
External linking
Links are one of the most important ranking factors. High-quality links local from other sites will support the domain's authority and build its credibility. Valuable content that conforms to local standards and communication in the country will facilitate link acquisition.
Optimization for various search engines
International SEO takes into account the popularity of search engines in different regions.
For example, in the United States, more than 7% of users use Bing. Considering the population of the US (333 million in 2022), this gives a sizable number of potential users. In China, on the other hand, it's hard to look for Google among the most used search engines (source). Baidu is in first place (52% of search engine market share, July 2024), followed by Bing (25.5%).
Tag hreflang
The hreflang attribute added to the HTML code informs the search engine (Google and Yandex) about the different language versions of the root domain content, which it then displays to users in the results. Hreflang can be placed in the HTML code, in HTTP headers or in the site map.
In what cases is it worth pointing out to Google alternative versions of a page? Such situations are, for example, a page translated in its entirety into several languages, or pages with minor regional differences occurring in the same language.
The impact of location on foreign positioning
Localization of content in positioning itself abroad will help:
- Building visibility in search results, which will translate into brand recognition.
- Increase brand reach among language speakers.
- Improve conversions by making users more likely to buy from sites in a language they know.
- Achieve better results with marketing campaigns that address the motivations, choices and needs of consumers in a given market.
The impact of marketing text localization on business goals, marketers confirm. They observe benefits in the form of:
- Revenue growth (84%)
- Improved brand recognition (86%)
- More new customers (85%)
- Customer retention (79%)
The referenced data comes from the aforementioned Unbabel report.
Summary
A company's global expansion, with brand recognition, conversions and revenue at stake, among other things, can take place when the company is visible in a search engine. Successful SEO for foreign markets should include both technical SEO optimization and content activities.
Content translation is an integral part of foreign SEO for different countries and part of the localization process. Adapting content to the specific region where you want to attract and retain customers and compete with unique brand values should become an essential part of your international SEO strategy.
