International Search Engine Optimization. Which Language?

If you want to sell your products and services internationally or globally, a multilingual website is a prerequisite to giving your company the means to achieving that goal. Global advertisement on your company means putting a number of multilingual elements on your site so that foreign visitors can engage with the content and make a better purchasing decision.

Statically speaking, there are over 6.7 billion people in the world in which 365 million speak English as their native language and another 365 million approximately speak English as their second tongue and the typical amount of languages supported by an average multilingual website in 2007 was 20 and it has jumped to 48 in 2008. So why this huge jump? Simply put, more people are getting online.   So what elements do you need consider when localizing and optimizing your website into a new, or multiple, foreign languages?

International SEO (search engine optimization) is the process of enhancing the accessibility and thus increase the effectiveness of a website as a sales tool in different languages. By optimizing a site you are tailoring it’s design for multiple foreign search engines with the intend to be positioned on the first page of local search results.

It goes without saying, you must have performed a thorough offline market assessment before entering the market. The internet does remove many of the barriers to entry. So this is most effective when you are certain that the market you are entering is ready for your products/service.

Now you are sure of your market – the important elements you need to consider when choosing languages for your site:

1. Make-out a list of buddying markets where language support can surely enhance your company. Sweden, Korea, Denmark, Netherlands and Norway have seen the most relative usage increase since 2008. Research domestic competition at home and within the target market(s).
2. Take a good look and observe European countries, particularly the rapidly developing CEE countries were buying online trends are increasing. There are some tough logistical issues when developing multiple languages at once, it’s worth looking at testing several foreign landing pages first to determine response rates. You have to device a language plan that is most suitable for your company.
3. Take into consideration China with over a billion strong population and India. With over 81 million internet user and 20 official languages. A number of companies think that English is the market’s second language. But in reality, most Indians buy products through the internet in their native language. English is an official language, but by choosing Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu as well as Urdu support you localize and increase your response rates.
4. If you are only able to support a small variety of languages, establish the 6 common: Chinese (preferably simplified), Spanish (Spain), Japanese, French, Italian and German. These are certainly established markets, where internet users are more responsive to purchasing online, if your message is localized.
5. Take into consideration the language requirements in the U.S. market. Giving support for local Asian and Spanish languages helps achieve the increase of customer fulfillment in many U.S. companies.
6. The most important aspect to consider allowing any multilingual content of your website is the proper “internationalization” and globally enabling the contents of its pages.
7. Now that you have chosen a market and several languages. Carry out keyword research using a local and native speaking professional. Create landing pages if testing the market or translate the entire site. Then embark on a multilingual SEO campaign to build up backlinks.
8. Also keep an eye your home and local languge competition and the current widely-used language trends used in your industry.

Multilingual SEO contains quite a lot of stages and fundamentals but, chosing the right market for your product/service, language and keywords if fulfilled correctly, can present a solid foundation for expanding and popularizing your online presence in international marketplace.

Contact us today for a review of your website’s international potential.