Multilingual Online Marketing

5 QUICK TIPS FOR MULTILINGUAL ONLINE MARKETING

It’s tempting to believe that, as in the business world, English serves as the universal language of the internet. It is the most commonly used language online but even so, it accounts for only just over a quarter of all usage according to <a href=”http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats7.htm“>Internet World Stats</a>. To truly tap into the global marketing potential of the World Wide Web you have to go multilingual and the following quick tips will help you do just that.

Employ a translator for text and keywords

You can translate your content using a translation widget such as Google Translate or by inline translation code, but automatic translation is prone to mistakes. A native-speaking translator from your target market will help avoid mistakes, retain nuance and meaning and can supply cultural references that would not otherwise translate. This is even more important when it comes to SEO keywords, as literal translations often don’t work, with colloquialisms, abbreviations or synonyms being used instead.

There’s less competition for keywords in some languages

An unavoidable problem with keywords is that the most effective are also the most widely used by your competitors. This is the same in any language but, as mentioned, English is still the most widely used language online and there will be less competition for the best keywords in other languages. Use these but put a little extra effort into identifying narrower ‘long-tail’ key search terms as well.

Research keywords in the most popular ‘in-country’ search engine

Google is the most widely used search engine worldwide but in some markets other search engines rule the roost – in China it’s Baidu, while Yandex is the most commonly used search engine in Russia. The basics of keyword research are the same but search engines all have their own algorithms and quirks so, while you should never neglect Google, you should also use the keyword research tools of whichever search engines are dominant in that market.

Invest in PPC to test keywords

Using keywords in a test ‘pay-per-click’ (PCC) campaign is a good way to check the conversion rates of particular keywords as opposed to which ones will merely direct traffic your way. There’s a tendency to rely on gut feelings when it comes to keywords but thorough research is essential, especially when dealing with an unfamiliar language or market.

Go social in the popular local social networks

Social networking is an increasingly important part of online marketing. Ensuring your content is of high quality – and for localized sites this means good quality translation – will increase your chances of being referred to on sites like Digg and StumbleUpon. You should also research the most popular social networking sites in your target market and focus efforts on these, as well as the localized versions of big hitters like Facebook. The South Korean Cyworld, for example, boasts more than 24 million registered members, making it a huge potential resource if you’re aiming for that particular market.

Good luck with your online marketing endeavours!

Microbiography

Christian Arno is founder of Lingo24, an international language services company. Specializing in website localization and optimization, Lingo24 has clients in over sixty countries and is on course for a turnover of $7m USD in 2010.

Written by Joanne on October 5th, 2010 with no comments.
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