SEO translation:
from content adaptation to performance
Translating your website is a crucial step in expanding your business internationally. However, without effective search engine optimisation (SEO), it is difficult to reach your international audience.
Website translation goes hand in hand with SEO translation. If you want to drive high-quality traffic to your website and boost your conversion rate, this should also be taken into account as part of your overall SEO strategy when entering new markets.
> Check out our guide to successfully translating your website!
In this article, we’ll share all our best practices for multilingual SEO that you should always bear in mind to boost your international search engine rankings.
What is SEO translation?
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) refers to the range of techniques used to improve a website’s ranking on search engine results pages, or SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages).
With this in mind, SEO translation requires the analysis and adaptation of content in order to improve your visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs) and, consequently, the accessibility of your website on an international scale.
SEO translation as part of your overall SEO strategy
Effective SEO requires effort in every language! Before you even start translating your website, we recommend that you carefully define a multilingual content strategy.
This strategy requires a thorough understanding of your target markets:
- What are your target audience’s search intentions?
- What kind of content interests them most?
With a well-thought-out multilingual content strategy, you’ll be able to dominate all search engines!
And if you haven’t set out a strategy from the start, don’t panic! We’re going to share all our best tips and tricks for SEO-optimised translations, whether or not you have a defined multilingual content strategy.
Choosing the right keywords
Start by identifying the key terms and phrases specific to each target market.
SEO translation is not just about translating your keywords. If you simply translate the keywords from your own language, there is a strong likelihood that they will not match your target audience’s search intent.
By selecting the most relevant translations for your keywords, you can generate high-quality traffic and sales opportunities.
Search engines also take the language of the content into account. Depending on your target market, the search engine you use may not necessarily be Google. Some countries prefer to use their local search engine:
- South Korea: Naver.
- Japanese Yahoo! Japan.
- China: Baidu.
- Russian Yandex.
- Czech Republic: List.
If your target audience uses Google as their primary search engine, you can use Google Analytics and Google Search Console to identify the most viewed pages by country and adapt your multilingual content strategy by prioritising the translation of these pages.
For keyword research, use free tools such as Google Trends and Google Keyword Planner. You can carry out a more in-depth analysis using tools specifically designed for SEO, such as SEMrush or Semji.
Create high-quality content
Selecting keywords will enable you to adapt existing content or create brand-new content that meets the expectations of your target audience.
For this new content, you can use generative AI and have it reviewed (proofreading, factual and cultural verification, and editorial refinement) by specialists in the target languages.
Translating your existing content word for word into different languages is counterproductive. Careful adaptation to the linguistic and cultural characteristics of each target market is essential for engaging your international prospects and customers.
The content must not only be understandable but also relevant for your target audience. Content that appeals to your French customers may not necessarily appeal to your Chinese customers, for obvious cultural reasons.
If you have video content, do consider adding subtitles to improve your ranking on search engine results pages.
Optimise meta tags and slugs
Meta tags (meta title and meta description) help search engines understand the content of your web pages. When translating your website, make sure these tags are properly optimised for SEO by including local keywords.
Similarly, make sure your URL slugs contain your keywords.
Using local keywords in your meta tags and URLs can help you rank higher for your target keywords.
Generate high-quality internal links and backlinks
Other important aspects for your international SEO translation: internal linking and backlinking !
Internal linking involves inserting hyperlinks between pages on the same website. Please ensure you update both internal and external links to improve the user experience on your website. There’s nothing more frustrating for a user than 404 ‘page not found’ errors!
Similarly, secure reliable and relevant international backlinks. The aim of backlinking is to establish your credibility and improve your website’s local domain authority, thereby boosting your visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs).
Using hreflang attributes
The hreflang attribute helps to tell search engine crawlers which language version to display based on the user’s location and search query.
It takes the form of HTML code:
< link rel=“alternate” hreflang= “code_de_la_langue” href=“adresse_de_votre_page” / >.
It can be included either in the header of your HTML page, in the HTTP header, or in your website’s XML sitemap. The language code must comply with the country code standards defined by the ISO 639-1 standard.
If you are targeting a country with regional variations, you must use the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 codes:
< link rel=“alternate” hreflang=“en-US” href=“https://www.europatrad.eu/en-us” / >
< link rel=“alternate” hreflang=“en-GB” href=“https://www.europatrad.eu/en-gb” / >
- The first code, “en-US”, refers to the English version for US users.
- The second code, “en-GB”, indicates the English version for UK users.
In summary
An effective SEO strategy must be thought through holistically. By tailoring your website and content to each individual market, you can ensure greater visibility for your business and boost your chances of securing international conversions.
EuropaTrad, an SEO translation agency based in Lyon, is here to support you every step of the way: from translating your website to optimising its SEO.