But, if you hire an expert in the language, they can transcreate that to a similar idiom to get the point across.
It’s like thinking about poetry translation. Meter, rhyme and turns of phrases in Spanish will be different than in English. But someone who’s skilled in both languages can convey the important meaning of a poem beyond just directly translating each word.
The same idea can apply to translating your website.
Localization
It’s also important to have people who know the specific regional languages when possible. Spanish that’s spoken in Spain is different from Spanish that’s spoken in the Dominican Republic, Ecuador or Mexico.
Slang terms, idioms and ways of referring to things can vary wildly (often even in different regions of the same country).
If you have an ecommerce site, making sure product names are localized to the specific region will be vital if you want to capture that search volume.
Think about shoes as an example. What we may call sneakers or tennis shoes in the U.S. are called:
Trainers in Britain.
Runners in Canada.
Sometimes joggers in Australia.
All languages have these country-by-country differences in terminology. Catering to those audiences and how they’re searching is essential for building trust and showing up in the SERPs.
Localization might also mean:
Adjusting the imagery, colors and graphics on your site.
Being aware of country-specific holidays or natural disasters that affect a certain region.
It’s not enough to copy/paste your U.S. SEO strategy and call it a day.
Dig deeper: International SEO: How to avoid common translation and localization pitfalls
Focus on trust to enhance your international SEO strategy
Ultimately, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution for achieving outstanding performance with your international site.
However, by prioritizing trust-building and effective communication with your global audiences, you can create a strategy that centers on what truly matters – your users.
While technical elements like URL structures and hreflang tags are important, they’re only part of the equation.
Success comes from consistently considering the needs and preferences of your international audiences in every decision you make for your site.
By doing so, you’ll be better equipped to meet both user expectations and your business goals.
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