Guide to Building a Global Website

Keyword Research

Going through the process of developing a website in another language isn’t simply a matter of translating your existing English-language content into that other language. Just as you did market research when creating the content for the original website, you must conduct research into local terminology, idioms and search behaviors in each market that you target. In other words, you must present content in words that the intended audience themselves use. From a search engine marketing (SEM) standpoint, keyword phrases are a crucial aspect of framing campaigns and tracking success; they are after all, the means by which qualified traffic is connected to each market site.

I recommend: Learn more about Keyword Research.

Understanding Your Customer

Consider the diversity in terminology among differing English-speaking countries, for instance. In the U.S., when people talk about finding a hotel room, they are likely to refer to it as “lodging.” Australians, however, would refer to it as “accommodations.” It’s a subtle difference, but one that could mean the difference between capturing and connecting Australian users to your Australian website, instead of the U.S. site where their user experience is less likely to result in a converting behavior. Take the common French phrase “joie de vivre”. Sure, it translates to English. But English-speakers don’t typically say “joy of life” with the same significance that French-speakers attach to the phrase. The truth is there’s no real English-language equivalent to “joie de vivre”. That’s because it’s difficult to apply the idea of translation to concepts.

I recommend: Learn more about Search Engine Marketing.