SEO Translation: When We Need

SEO translation is quite a powerful tool in the 21st century for many businesses and organizations. SEO translation supposes translating the website content into the target language, combining it with search engine optimization strategies. The main aim of SEO translation is to ensure that the content will appear at the top of search results on various search engines like Google, Yahoo, etc. SEO translation is not a mere content translation but also rewriting of meta tags and replacing the existing links to make them accessible to the target audience.

SEO translation goes beyond the frameworks of mere translations; it combines the knowledge of language and SEO elements to achieve an outcome that will rank top in local search engines. SEO translation pursues several objectives. The main goal of this type of translation can be to increase the website’s search visibility in the target markets or regions. Attracting foreign visitors to view the webpage is another goal for a high-quality SEO translation by tailoring the content to live up to the preferences and expectations of locals. Finally, SEO translation ensures the clear transition of the brand’s message while keeping it relevant to the target market culture.

SEO translators are supposed to have expert-level knowledge of the target languages and be familiar with the technical peculiarities of search engines, which are important for effective SEO translations. So, not everything boils down to language knowledge in this case, but the proper insights into technical factors.

Hreflang tags

Hreflang tags tell search engines to adapt the content for this or that region. The content will have indexing issues if those tags are not used properly.

URL structure

When translating pages, URLs should be localized since each region or country has its own domain. In this case, relying on Google for indexing is not a good option. While translating URLs, local keywords should be integrated.

CMS and Site Architecture

CMS like Drupal or WordPress should support multiple languages to handle content duplication and maintain proper internal linking for each language.

Localized keyword translation

Direct translation is unacceptable for separate keywords since they differ for each language. Even regional language differences may have an impact on the final keyword translation.

Canonical and duplicate content handling

While doing SEO translations, canonical tags should be approached carefully, and duplicates of the original content should be avoided unless they are identical.

Mobile and page speed optimization

Local CDNs should be targeted and optimized for mobile-first indexing to ensure fast loading across regions. 

Overall, these peculiarities should be considered when translating SEO pages.

Like many other types of translations, SEO translation also prioritizes human involvement in the process for several reasons.

• Cultural nuance and context

Automated tools translate words without paying too much attention to cultural nuances like idioms, local proverbs, and so on, thus leading to the failure of the final translation. At the same time, human involvement may increase the chances of successful translation, ensuring the natural and relatable flow of the content. This challenge requires concrete skills in understanding context clues if you do not have a helping hand from the country for whom you want to translate the text. 

• Keyword translations and adaptation

Direct translation of keywords may not yield the desired outcome since users from different parts of the world behave differently on the Internet. In other words, this or that nation may not use the same keywords to find the same content. Thus, a human translator will make the keywords closer to that country’s online culture, improving search rankings.

• Preserving brand voice and intent

SEO translation is a direct translation of content from one language into another and a tool to clarify the brand message for other audiences. A human translator can understand the underlying message of the brand and translate the content in a way that will effectively transfer the brand’s tone and style into another language; in contrast, machine or automated translators fail to achieve this.

• Avoiding literal mistakes

Automated translators often translate phrases in a way that a reader may not understand or may understand incorrectly. Humans ensure the optimization of cultural elements, maintaining the content’s high quality and readability. 

• Handling technical SEO elements

Only humans have the capability to translate SEO elements in a way that will be harmonized with local search environments. This kind of optimization is done to appear at the top of the rankings. For example, meta titles and ALT texts, when translated properly, are optimized for search engine algorithms and as a result, they are relatable to the local users.

• Having insight into local SEO and Search Engines

It is remarkable that it is close to impossible to achieve a high-quality SEO translation if there is no human involvement. Additionally, the image of a brand can be hurt when automated translations are opted for. 

Each country, or let’s say each continent, has its preference with regard to search engines. For instance, while Yandex is the best choice for Russians, Google is the most widely used search engine in the USA. That said, when a translator resorts to the Internet, it is advantageous to thoroughly know the locals’ preferences.

Several useful SEO translation tools can help achieve the desired results faster and more accurately. Below, you will be introduced to some of them and how they can be used in SEO translation.

DeepL

Recently, AI-assisted tools have become widely used in all aspects of life. DeepL is one tool that can help produce high-quality translations, ensuring the natural flow, which may be a difficult task for other CAT tools. A translation provided by DeepL boasts optimization, which ensures relatability and readability. Nonetheless, it has its weak points, i.e., limitations that initially need to be paid attention to. The first important factor is that, except for SEO optimization and keyword research, human involvement is required. The latter has the goal of aligning the content with the cultural peculiarities of the target audience.

Google Translate

If you are looking for a free CAT tool, Google Translate may be a good option since it offers free, quick, and basic translations. Although it cannot be compared to professional translation tools, the content translated by this machine can be used for the pre-translation stage and initial understanding. However, like DeepL, Google Translate does not offer SEO keyword optimization.

SEMrush and Ahrefs

These two can be easily used for keyword translation and SEO content optimization. It may help to identify local keywords accurately, thus increasing the chances of ranking high on search engines.

Wordfast

Thanks to its translation memory feature and terminology databases, Wordfast is an irreplaceable CAT tool for SEO translation. It supports multiple file formats to localize different websites. Moreover, it helps with the accurate translation of SEO keywords and phrases, ensuring consistency across the translation.

Both SEO translators and CAT tools have their distinct roles in the whole process of SEO translation. To better understand the importance of each, it is recommended to touch upon their roles separately.

Role of SEO translators

Here, we believe that a high-quality SEO translation is possible when there is a smart combination of language skills and SEO knowledge. In this context, the main function of human translators is to ensure culturally relevant content that is also interesting and insightful for the local audience. How does this happen? First and foremost, SEO translators start with localizing keywords, taking into account the target audience’s search behavior. For example, if the content has the word “cookie” and it should be adapted for a British-speaking audience, the best option will be to use “biscuit”. What is more, the content needs to be relatable for the target readers, which includes the adaptation of cultural elements, tone, etc.

CAT tools (Computer-Assisted Translation Tools)

Thanks to the development of the Internet, many software programs can effectively translate this or that content since CAT tools offer such irreplaceable features as terminology management, translation memory, and automated quality checks. SDL Trados Studio, MemoQ, WordFast, and Smartcat are bright examples of such popular applications. If managed effectively, those tools can help with keyword translation, faster translation without sacrificing quality, managing SEO-specific terms consistently, and working with various web formats.

Both humans and CAT tools are necessary to achieve a good result. While SEO translators may help to make content meaningful and relevant to a specific audience, CAT tools boost productivity and maintain consistency. The combination of both can only ensure accurate translation of SEO content.

SEO translators encounter several challenges while translating SEO content and ensuring its high quality. Keyword translation and localization are the most common problems for even top-notch SEO translators. Direct translation of keywords will not make them relevant for the target audience: those keywords should be researched and adapted carefully to ensure their effectiveness. Another challenge is to maintain brand voice and style while translating SEO content. Literal translations will not make a long-lasting impression on the target audience since they lack emotional appeal.

Handling character limits for meta titles and descriptions is also a mind-numbing task for many translators, so they must be familiar with all required SEO elements; making the SEO content relevant to the target culture is another important function of SEO translators.

Text and Context in Translation

Text and context in translation are very important. When you translate any piece of a sentence from another language, you should take into account some differences between using the same word in different contexts.

SEO translation and localization involve the translation and adaptation of the website content so that it will remain effective for search engines commonly used by the target market. Compared to word-by-word translation, which focuses on merely converting words, SEO translation requires in-depth knowledge and understanding of how keywords and other SEO elements work in the market of origin and the target market. A translator should thoroughly understand what local users search for and how they behave on online platforms. 

Localization ensures that there is a tight bond between the translated content and the target market. To put it short, specific-to-language words such as idioms, units of measurement, titles, etc. should be adapted in a way that the result can be satisfactory for the locals. Keep in mind, a marketing strategy that works well for Americans may not make any sense for Asian people, so it should be translated in a way that will resonate similarly.

The advent and fast development of AI tools assume that SEO translations will depend on hyper-localization in the future, so cross-cultural communication, local algorithms, and digital behavior make it unique and relatable for each audience. Although there are some fears that AI will replace human involvement in SEO translations, it is less likely in the near future, since modern AI tools are not sufficiently developed to transfer cultural nuances from one language to another.

GoPeak.io handled some management of SEO translations, and during the work, we faced challenges like cultural differences in phrases. Hoiensyaalt not to hurt the  SEO of the website, and to be more efficient, we handled the idea by partnering with some of the natives. This prevents mistakes and keeps the text relevant in all languages.