The importance of localization in SEO

What's the key to success in the international markets? How to make sure your website is visible to users in different markets, capture their attention and allow them to convert? It's all possible with a joint effort between SEO and Localization. In this deck, you will find insights on the differences between SEO translation and SEO Localisation, how to integrate Localisation in SEO, the benefits, and practical information on starting.

Slides presented at International Search Summit - September 2021

Transcript

1. Global virtual edition
   International Search Summit
   “The importance of
   localization in SEO”
   Veruska Anconitano
   SEO and Localization Project Manager, Canva
   

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2. A bit about me
   Multilingual SEO and (Localization) Project Manager
   with 20+ years of experience.
   Worked/Works for
   • Amazon
   • Skyscanner
   • eBay
   • Booking.com
   • Groupon
   Currently: SEO and Localization Project Manager
   @Canva
   🇮🇹‍ 🇬🇧🇺🇸🇪🇸🇫🇷🇵🇹🇯🇵🇰🇷‍‍‍‍‍‍‍
   

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3. STATS ARE ALWAYS A PERFECT ICE-BREAKER*
   of searches are
   processed every day
   5.6 billion
   of websites are in
   English
   60%
   billion people are active
   Internet users
   4.66
   worldwide Internet
   users speak Chinese
   19.4%
   worldwide Internet
   users speak Spanish
   7.9%
   worldwide Internet
   users speak English
   26%
   * Statista January 2021
   

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4. English is spoken in 36 countries The problem
   with stats and
   data
   1
   2
   3
   4
   Spanish is spoken in 21 countries
   French is spoken in 29 countries
   German is spoken in 6 countries
   

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5. 1
   3
   None of these
   countries speak the same
   English, German, French,
   Spanish.
   4
   

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6. PISO
   Convey a great number
   of information in an
   effective manner
   APARTAMENTO
   OFFERTA SPECIALE AZIONE
   SPECIAL OFFER APARTMENT
   CAR
   CHAR VOITURE
   CAMPSITE CAMPGROUND
   THE FUNNY PART...
   

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7. Culture and
   Language…
   

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8. Are
   inextricably
   linked
   

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9. Linguistically and culturally
   congruent web contents
   activate shared schemas for
   people who share the same
   culture, and, thus, help them
   to better process contents
   

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10. SEO
    Localization
    Matters
    

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11. New and Qualified Organic
    Traffic
    GAIN
    User experience
    Conversion Rates
    Your Domain Authority
    Your Brand Awareness
    1
    IMPROVE
    2
    INCREASE
    3
    ENHANCE
    4
    BOOST
    5
    The Importance of SEO Localization
    

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12. Experiment, measure, analyze, adjust
    Review existing materials in source language and
    strategize their use
    How to Implement a Fully
    Functioning Local Strategy
    Do Market Research
    Implement a project management process
    Keywords’ research, topic research, insights research –
    Optimize by country, not language
    Create a Local Strategy involving the whole team
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    

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13. Do Market
    Research
    Check existing data
    Define your persona(s)
    and their interests
    Research your audience
    navigation habits
    Research how your audience
    find and search online
    Research competitors and
    define your USP
    Understand the context you
    want to break in
    

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14. Implement a PjM
    Process and
    Structure
    Identify your company’s
    needs
    Create Senior Management Team &
    assign Project Coordinators
    Define roles and responsibilities
    within the project among the
    different stakeholder Identify Training
    Requirements
    Create a Project Organizational
    Chart
    Define goals and assign
    tasks
    

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15. Review existing
    materials in source
    language
    Existing data (user and
    content)
    Evaluate impact of existing items on
    foreigner markets
    Create an SEO Source-Language
    Term base based on the existing
    content Transcreate keywords from
    existing items
    Analyze, Prioritize and discard
    

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16. Create a Local Plan
    Language Guidelines
    Adapted Brand Guidelines
    List of competitors and their
    keywords
    Strategic approach: aggressive,
    passive, etc?
    Goals and results
    

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17. Research
    Your keywords
    Move past the “high volume” keywords,
    focus on real language and real searches
    Forget direct translations of keywords
    Take foreignization into account
    Account for seasonality and get
    familiar with regionalisms and cultural
    don’ts.
    

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18. ORDENADOR COMPUTADORA
    COMPUTER
    DRINK
    BREUVAGE BOISSON
    Optimize by
    country, not
    language
    

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19. T
    ools are helpful!
    

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20. Humans are Essential
    

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21. Do you know that 83% of people declare to leave a website if they don't find a localised
    version or if they find mistakes?
    Humans are soaked up in the culture and are
    able to pick slang, idioms and nuances using
    them to perfectly target the right people in
    the right country with the right content
    Know how to simplify
    By addressing your new potential customers in their own language, organically, the
    messages you convey will be more understandable. Your audience will be more touched
    by your brand and will be able to relate to it.
    Makes your brand unique
    Can fill the gap between a company and its potential customers
    Know nuances, slangs, idioms
    The Human Touch
    Easing up the complexity of the language
    for SEO purposes allows to create content
    that appeal to a specific segment and that
    can rank better.
    

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22. Build a
    culture of
    Ownership!
    

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23. Facilitate the relations between the SEO Team
    and the Localization Team
    01
    06 02
    05 03
    04
    Use a TMS (Translation
    Management System) for
    scalability and productivity
    Create an SEO Source-
    Language Termbase
    Create a Bilingual SEO
    Translation Glossary
    Analyze both SEO and
    Localization’s team
    efforts, results, and
    advancement over time.
    Refine as needed.
    Clean up the Translation Memory
    periodically to ensure consistency and
    implementation of the best SEO
    keywords/phrases
    Train Translators/Vendors on best
    SEO practices to apply daily
    

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24. International SEO is
    everything
    but just translating
    content
    

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25. It's qualified traffic
    SEO is about driving organic
    traffic that’s likely to convert.
    International SEO is about driving
    organic traffic from a specific
    country to get them to spend
    money.
    SEO LOCALIZATION 101
    It's not magic
    International SEO is a
    combination of doing SEO as
    you’re used to, while reflecting
    cultural differences.
    It's all about
    experience
    International SEO is all about
    offering your target audience a
    pleasant experience on your
    site.
    It's empathy
    International SEO requires
    you really have to know your
    target audience.
    

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26. Make your target feel
    at home, and they
    will convert.
    

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27. Veruska
    Anconitano
    Get in touch with me if you
    have questions or suggestions.
    Email Address
    veruska@anconitano.com
    Website
    www.anconitano.com
    Linkedin
    www.linkedin.com/in/veruska-anconitano/
    

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