Single region SEO is slowly falling by the wayside and more companies are trying to go global with their SEO efforts. SEO is already an enigma for many and global SEO can seem like a nightmare, especially if you’re not well versed in SEO yourself. Here are four tips for multilingual and multi-regional SEO.
Avoid Multiple Sites with Redirects
Setting up multiple websites, each in a different language is a common method of trying to serve every major language your customers use. However, this can create problems. If you are using the geolocation of the visitor as a basis for determining the site to present to them, and they actually speak a different language, you create problems for the customer.
One solution is having a general appealing home page that relies more on the branding of your product and company logo than the words of the text to communicate the fact that they’ve landed on your home page. Give customers the ability to choose the language they see from a universally understandable drop-down menu or a row of links prominently shown on the page.
Invest in High-Quality Translation
There are several reasons to invest in the high-quality translation of your content. First, the difference between good translation and mediocre translation can make a radical difference in how well your sales copy converts customers. Second, customers who cannot understand poor quality translations will take their business elsewhere. Do not expect customers to rely on third-party services like Google Translate since this may alter the meaning of website policies and contract terms and mangle sales copy. For example, consider working with an SEO DUBAI firm if you want something translated into colloquial Arabic instead of hoping that JavaScript translation script makes sense — especially when you’re sharing the critical details about products on your website.
The Price Is Right
E-commerce sites have found that presenting product prices in someone’s native currency increases the odds they will buy. If you properly calculate taxes and shipping costs and communicate this clearly in the early stage of the shopping funnel, they are less likely to abandon the purchase than if they are surprised by the total bill at the end. Don’t forget to give customers multiple ways to pay for products and services, including methods that are common in their country and not requiring them to pay through a service not available where they live.
Understand Which Social Media Sites Matter
While Facebook dominates the West, it isn’t the biggest social network for many nations. For example, Qzone is the most popular social media site for the Chinese, while Linkedln has made inroads in several African nations. If you are going to build social media sharing buttons into your marketing content, ensure that it includes links to the social media platforms your customers in those regions are using. If you want to market to those populations, set up social media profiles on those sites and share content that is in those languages, or in the case of videos, translated subtitles. And don’t try to create content on social media for a market that blocks that site.
These international SEO tips should help you tailor your site to a global audience. If you manage to follow the tips in this article, you should be able to improve your visibility in global searches.
