The Search Marketing Advisor Newsletter Article:
August 2005, Volume 4, Issue 8

Going Global: It’s More Than Just Translation

by Abbey Reider, Search Marketing Specialist, iProspect

and Jennifer MacLean, Algorithmic Search Analyst, iProspect

You have a website. It’s in English. But lately you’re thinking of branching out, going global. That means websites that are probably not in English, or perhaps English for non-U.S. markets. But having websites targeted to different language groups has a number of benefits. Websites in localized languages enable you to reach out to potential customers in other countries in their local language. Most importantly, in-market websites allow U.S. based companies to tap into new markets they may have previously been unable to reach. Whether the strategy is to build brand awareness, drive qualified converting traffic or reinforce brand loyalty. a localized website allows for customization of information that differs by country, providing market-specific measurements, currency, and ordering information.

Going through the process of developing a website in another language isn’t simply a matter of translating your existing English-language content into that other language. Just as you did market research when creating the content for the original website, you must conduct research into local terminology, idioms and search behaviors in each market you set out to target. In other words, you must present content in words that the intended audience themselves use. From a search engine marketing (SEM) standpoint, keyword phrases are a crucial aspect of framing campaigns and tracking success; they are after all, the means by which qualified traffic is connected to each market site.

Consider the diversity in terminology among differing English-speaking countries, for instance. In the U.S., when we talk about finding a hotel room, we’re likely to refer to it as “lodging.” Australians, however, would refer to it as “accommodations.” It’s a subtle difference, but one that could mean the difference between capturing and connecting Australian users to your Australian website, instead of the U.S. site where their user experience is less likely to result in a converting behavior.

Take the common French phrase “joie de vivre”. Sure, it translates to English. But English-speakers don’t typically say “joy of life” with the same significance that French-speakers attach to the phrase. The truth is there’s no real English-language equivalent to “joie de vivre”. That’s because it’s difficult to apply the idea of translation to concepts.

It’s not enough to conduct keyword phrase research in English and assume that translating the words into the appropriate language will truly capture the language and search patterns of each intended market. You must choose the best keyword phrase to target directly from the lexicon of the speakers of that language and their demonstrated search behaviors. In this way, your language-specific websites will truly speak to your target audience in each country market. And your website will be able to answer when that target audience conducts a query related to your site.

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The Search Marketing Advisor Newsletter Article: August 2005, Volume 4, Issue 8

Going Global: It’s More Than Just Translation

The Search Marketing Advisor Newsletter Article:
August 2005, Volume 4, Issue 8