One of the challenges with keyword research is to truly identify the language of the customer so we can include this language on our Web site and in our search marketing efforts. With international SEO, this challenge is magnified by localization, different languages, and cultures.
Keywords that might be popular in one language may not be in another, even through translation. Even if an experienced translator has translated correctly, it doesn't mean it's always the most popular. For example, more than 20 character combinations can be used for "anti virus" in Mandarin Chinese, with one or two being the most popular by searchers.
Let's dig deeper into keyword research for international SEO. And if you're just joining us, "International SEO 101, Part 1" covered many technical issues about SEO for international sites with some help from Bill Hunt, who posted some updates on the use of the meta tag and hosting issues. Thanks, Bill.
Developing a Keyword Strategy
The overall objective of your keyword strategy is to identify and prioritize a set of keywords that best matches the core objectives of the site you're optimizing. Remember, it's all about understanding and addressing the needs and wants of the local consumer, not about you and your company.
Carefully think through your overall strategy. Take the time to learn all you can about the local consumer. There are a number of steps to reach this objective.
Keyword Research Steps
The main steps for developing your keyword list are similar to keyword research that you might do in your primary language:
- Mine all possible keyword candidates (don't leave anything out at this point).
- Filter and rate keywords by things like business relevance, popularity, competition, etc.
- Narrow this list further through researching keywords and testing them.
- Prioritize your keyword list.
Open your mind to all of the possibilities of keywords that exist. Don't second-guess yourself. Put everything you come up with in the list. You may even use keyword tools to help you expand your list even further.
Once you have a full list, start narrowing the list down. You can do this by rating them based on how popular they are, or how relevant they are to your site's objectives, etc. Then score them and sort to help you see which ones rank higher.
Next, research and test your "short list" to see how they might perform. If you have the budget, a great way to test is to do some short PPC campaigns to see how your keywords perform. Once you have the results, you should then prioritize them. Work the list and set up benchmarks and measurement parameters to check progress.
Keyword Research Tools
There are many keyword-related tools, but there aren't too many for doing language research. You might want to consider ones that have language-specific capabilities, including Google Keyword Suggestion Tool, Google SK Tool, and Keyword Discovery.
Many of the tools are designed to be just for a local market like Baidu for keywords in China. Motoko Hunt has posted about Yahoo Japan's new keyword assist tool, as well as other great tips for localization.
Cultural Considerations
As you conduct your keyword research and develop a campaign, also consider your message and tone. We've all heard of horror stories where someone spoke a different language, and what they intended to say and what was said were two very different things.
Hire localization and language experts to help you when you're researching keywords. They will understand the culture and attitudes better, and can bring you closer to getting the right words that resonate with your target audience.
Different Languages
It's one thing to work with a different language that is somewhat similar using characters that are almost the same. What about Asian, Arabic, Japanese, and others where the symbols are completely different?
From a computer programming perspective, a text language called Unicode was developed as a standard for all languages. The standard Unicode for Web sites is UTF-8, which should be contained in the language meta tags. Browsers and Web servers are able to understand this standard.
Getting the keywords right can be an arduous task, but it will pay dividends if it's done correctly. Skip this part and you might pay the price, especially with dealing with researching keywords in different countries.
Also, translation alone won't get the job done. Don't take this shortcut. Get help from local linguistic experts and filter through local search engines for the best results.
Also, to learn more about international SEO, please read articles by Search Engine Watch Experts Bill Hunt, Andy Atkins-Krüger, and Michael Bonfils.
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Biography
Ron is President/CEO of Symetri Internet Marketing, which provides strategic SEM consulting and training. Ron is actively involved in the SEM community and speaks at conferences and seminars, as well as hosting regional SEM events where he provides participants SEM training and education best practices. Ron also serves on the Board of Directors for SEMPO and is also one of the authors for the SEMPO Institute Fundamentals and Advanced courses.
Article Archives by Ron Jones:
» International SEO 101, Part 2 - October 5, 2009
» International SEO 101, Part 1 - September 28, 2009
» Mobile Search 101, Part 2 - September 21, 2009
» Mobile Search 101, Part 1 - September 14, 2009
» Google Analytics 101, Part 2 - August 31, 2009
» Google Analytics 101, Part 1 - August 24, 2009
» More Articles by Ron Jones
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