Whether you are a web design or graphic design professional outsourcing their services to would-be clients or are in the process of optimizing your own website’s SEO, content localization can be a worthwhile investment to look into. According to Shutterstock, 71% of marketing decision-makers increased their sales in target markets due to content localization, with 80% of consumers more likely to do business with companies which provide a personalized, location-based experience to their users.

Whether you work on an eCommerce platform as a web developer or host your own website focused on photography, blogging or direct sales, localizing your content will effectively broaden the scope of your potential audience across the globe. However, approaching the process of content localization without the proper tools and know-how can have the opposite effect on your SEO ranking and audience engagement. With that in mind, let’s take a look at how you can optimize your search engine ranking through content localization, as well as several noteworthy benefits of doing so going forward.

The Benefits of Optimized SEO Ranking

Let’s talk about why SEO is important in today’s digital age before we discuss the ways in which localization can help your website. Search Engine Optimization (SEO for short) represents a set of algorithms governed by Google. SEO is used by online search engines such as Yahoo, Bing and aforementioned Google to determine the quality, relevance and accessibility of any page on the web according to individual search queries. In laymen’s terms, if someone searches for “WordPress web development”, their search engine will display the most relevant results on the first page of Search Engine Results Page (or SERP).

What does this have to do with content localization? We’ve mentioned before that the majority of customers prefer using services and online storefronts with localized UX which caters to their preferences. In addition, the “content relevance” part of SEO holds localization in high regard, since it allows people from different backgrounds and regions to use said content efficiently.

In conjunction with content writing tools such as Evernote and Readable, using a dedicated localization platform such as The Word Point will allow you to quickly elevate your SEO and lead generation rates. Additionally, several benefits of optimized SEO ranking of your content include but are not limited to:

• Better industry positioning and brand awareness
• Higher local SEO ranking for international site visitors
• Higher odds of converting visitors into clients/customers
• Decreased advertisement costs and increased ROI over time

Content Localization Tips for Better SEO Ranking

1. Choose your Target Languages

In terms of content localization in different industries and niches, it’s best not to stretch yourself too thinly. Choose the languages which are likely to bring more traffic and relevant leads to your website rather than try to offer a dozen languages with partial or poorly implemented localization.

Languages such as Spanish, German and French are always bound to be more popular than choices such as Greek, Swedish or Polish to name a few. Settle for a set number of languages and ensure that every content piece is fully localized in those languages to boost your SEO and chances at converting visitors into followers or customers.

1. Create Content with Localization in Mind

   In order to make the content localization process as simple and straightforward as possible, you should approach the initial content production cycle with that goal in mind. For example, if you write niche blog posts about graphic design or programming assignment help on your website, specific terminology and lingo are bound to creep in.

   That being the case, you should aim to write short, simple sentences throughout your content without reliance on complex themes and vocabulary. This will allow your content to be approachable even by non-native speakers of localized languages, further improving both your SEO ranking and accessibility across the board.

2. Standardize your Font Use

   Given the online nature of localized content and SEO, your font use will play a major optimization role in regards to ranking and accessibility. Fonts that work well with English and other Latin-based alphabets often perform poorly with Asian or Balkan languages due to the differences in their phonetic structure.

   Platforms such as Google Fonts are widely regarded as a safe choice when it comes to different alphabets and language structures, so using their services for your web development needs is more than welcome. Standardize your selection of fonts so that it is both visually appealing and functional with different language choices available on your site.

3. Multilingual Keyword Optimization

   Keyword optimization represents one of the pillars of global SEO. As such, optimizing your keyword selection for every language featured on the website is of utmost importance for higher search engine ranking.

   To do so properly, you can refer to platforms such as Google AdWords and SEM Rush which will allow you to quickly gleam which keywords are trending in which language in terms of popularity. Whether you’re approaching web development as a web designer or your own business’ CEO, multilingual SEO will allow you to reach relevant leads much more effectively.

4. Alt-Text & Subtitles for Multimedia

   While written content lies at the center of each successful website out there, multimedia such as images, videos and animations also add to a site’s value. Even if you are a graphic designer or content editor yourself, you should resort to alt-text content and subtitles for your multimedia.

   This will ensure that people without insight into your native language can still gleam relevant information from infographics or video materials. After all, hosting multiple versions of large-sized images, video files and animation on your server might have an adverse effect on its SEO ranking and performance respectively, making alt-text content a safer overall choice.

5. Localize Site UI & Navigation

   Website UI and its navigation should be available to visitors from different regions in a variety of languages to further improve the site’s SEO ranking. As a web developer, you should aim to localize your client’s UI and navigation elements in addition to making sure that they can post localized content in different languages.

   Elements such as header, footer and pages such as About Us and Contact Us should all be translated into the languages featured in the storefront/blog pages. As a result, more people will flock to the website looking for services/products to buy, as it will effectively increase the business’ local brand advocacy and word of mouth.

6. Leave the Door Open (Conclusion)

   When it comes to content localization, trends change over time alongside customer expectations and SEO itself. With that in mind, you should always leave room for additional web design or development additions to the websites you work on in terms of more language options, adjusted UI elements, etc. Never call it quits when it comes to looking for new ways to cater to a global audience via content localization and the businesses you work for, as well as your own website, will grow in influence.