What is an SEO translator?

The translation industry has changed a lot in the last few years. There is a boom in the digital world and Artificial Intelligence, so professionals have adapted to these changes and developed new skills. So the first translators specialising in SEO translation have emerged… but what is an SEO translator? Why should you work with a translator who knows how to create optimised texts for organic search results on Google? If you have a multilingual website, calling an SEO translator will be an excellent choice for your international growth strategy and will help you save money on advertising costs. Let’s see why.

image of a small man figure hidden behind the SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) letters

What does an SEO translator do?

SEO translators translate texts to make them more appealing to search engines like Google. These translation professionals translate website texts, adapting them for the target market. The final text should be culturally relevant and include the right keywords because content that ranks well in Google in the UK will not necessarily rank well in Spain. Therefore, translating is the main part of the process but choosing the right keywords and adapting cultural references is the key to creating an optimised translation and communicating better with your clients. Let’s see an example: Imagine you have a website and sell products online. Your site ranks well on Google and many customers trust it in the UK. You decide to expand your business to the Spanish market and delegate the translation of texts to a professional. Unfortunately, if this person does not take SEO principles into account, the Spanish version of your website may not rank well (that means the Google indexing tool will not like it as much as the UK version). Consequently, international customers will not find your website on Google as easily. Therefore, it is highly recommended to look for an SEO translator (who combines translation + SEO skills). You won’t regret it, as you may have more visibility online and, consequently, increase your sales in the new market.

What skills does an SEO translator have?

An SEO translator has specific skills that, when applied, can improve website ranking in Google results for the target market. Let’s see some of these skills in detail:

Excellent command of their mother tongue

Writing skills are essential. Translators must master the spelling, syntax and typographical rules of the target language. A website translated into poor Spanish won’t be reliable to Internet users and search engines. Don’t forget that we want each page of our website to rank well and please Google search engine, but the first thing we shouldn’t forget is that we write for real people who will read our texts, not for indexing robots or machines. If our text is boring, people won’t read it and will leave our website.

Ability to adapt content writing to the target market

In order to know how to address the audience in a particular country and language, the translator must understand cultural differences and know how to adapt where necessary. Sometimes there are puns or outgoing links to news or websites that are not relevant to the audience in other languages. Do not be afraid to adapt them and, in some cases, remove or replace them with others.

Specific knowledge about websites

To provide a good translation and improve the SEO of a website abroad, we should know where the website traffic is coming from and what visitors do. For example, it may be good to review and adapt the internal links between different website pages. Make sure they work well! In addition, texts should be understandable and accessible: the content is almost as important as its structure and layout. If someone enters a website and leaves quickly, our bounce rate may increase and our SEO ranking may be penalised by the Google Search Engine. This may happen when the content is not relevant to target users.

Ability to translate keywords

In most cases, keywords can’t be translated word by word. It simply doesn’t work. The translator should find an equivalent expression in the target language and check the search trends of Spanish speakers in the target market. Knowing the jargon of that field of expertise and your audience also helps. Will your readers be experts in that field or not? Think about it for a while.

What is the mission of an SEO translation service?

This may sound a little obvious, but if you want to sell your products or services online, you have to be visible. There are two ways of gaining more visibility: paid advertising (SEA) and organic ranking (SEO). Writing and translating with SEO rules in mind is a good strategy in the long term because it helps you invest less in paid Search Engine Advertising. When translating your website, you should not underestimate this. A good SEO translation service creates optimised translations that will rank better on the Google search results for your target market. To succeed, you need to adapt your SEO strategy to a particular language and market. SEO takes some time, but it is worth it.

What type of content should be translated and SEO-optimised?

To make your texts appealing to Google, you should:

  • Translate your homepage, catalogue, blog entries and any other content you want to share internationally;
  • Adapt less-visible elements like Titles, Meta descriptions, URLs or ALT tags.
  • Consider technical issues like browsing experience, image weight and other important aspects of User Experience.

Would you link to learn more? Read more information about the SEO translation service.

Does my company really need SEO translation services?

Any company that wants to be known internationally and enter a new market can ask for an SEO translation service. Many companies offering products or services need to reach customers who feel more comfortable visiting a website available in their target language. In conclusion, finding an SEO translator is a good investment for your company. Thanks to their knowledge of languages and SEO, they will help you launch your website with well-written, optimised texts. If you want to ask for a quote, do not hesitate to contact me.