Localization of Websites / SEO-Compliant Translations

You want a multi-lingual company website because it is intended for customers and business partners around the world. But it’s not only the language that is different. Your website should also be in line with the customs of the respective country when it comes to images or the direction in which a text is read. Good visibility in search engines such as Google is equally important. When localizing your content, we use search engine optimization (SEO) in order to ensure that you can be found by new customers all over the world. These are the essential factors involved in the localization of a website:

1. The quality of the translation

If you entrust us with the translation of your texts, you won’t have to lose sleep over the quality. We only work with native speakers. Our translators are both linguistically and technically qualified and know the special terms your industry uses both in the original and in the target language. Any differences of thinking that exist in different linguistic cultures are therefore directly taken into account during the translation process.

If your texts are already translated and our job is to take care of the localization, the first step we take is to check the quality of the translation for you.

2. The quirks, subtleties and traps

Good translations of texts are indispensable for the localization of websites, but they are not everything. Certain linguistic features are also decisive. The word "Handy", for example, is only used in Germany. Americans say "cell phone", while the British say "mobile phone". Only in Germany does the term "body bag" mean a shoulder bag. In English-speaking countries, this is a bag for transporting dead bodies. The same goes for the term "public viewing", which is a lot of fun for us in Germany. In America it means the lying in state of a dead body.

3. The cultural differences

In order to communicate profitably with customers and business partners from different cultural backgrounds, we not only adapt the language to the cultural realities of the respective country, but also the content and design of your website.

In Arab countries, for example, text is read from right to left. We therefore arrange explanatory image sequences accordingly. Colours and symbols can also have very different meanings from one country to the next. In Germany, for example, white is the colour of a bride, while in Japan and Korea it is the colour of mourning.

We will use whatever is best to achieve your goals. From time to time we may recommend that you use culturally neutral texts, graphics and symbols to avoid misunderstandings.

4. The nitty-gritty

A word says more than a flag. While national flags look pretty when navigating the language selection of international websites, they are still imprecise, because in many countries, such as Switzerland, more than one language is spoken. That’s why we think it is better to use the proper name of the language as a link or button text: Deutsch , Italiano, Français. Because pretty is nice, but accurate is better.

5. Form and law

The formal aspects and legal requirements of the different languages and countries are also decisive for the international success of your website. Be it address format, currency or unit of measure - we know all the local standards and adapt your contents accordingly and precisely so they will be understood and work exactly where they are meant to be understood and work.

6. The plan, overview and groundwork

Planning thoroughly is good, but perfect preparation is better. To ensure that the localization of your website is as successful as you hope it to be, we place great emphasis on careful preparation. Please send us an overview of all files you want us to localize, including graphics and multimedia files. A detailed description of your website’s structure and the technical features of the files are also helpful to us. If you don’t have an overview and the information, we will help you put it together.

7. Time is of the essence

It is well worth your while to be quick in localizing your website. All the more so, the more intensely your customers interact with your business, the more they buy from you online and download files from your website. Are you using a content management system that constantly updates your contents? Then this is all the more important. We localize your website both quickly and systematically, so that any changes can be quickly conveyed in the respective language.

8. The optimal technology

In order to ensure that your website functions reliably in all languages; we use 8-bit Unicode encoding. This format integrates a great variety of fonts. In addition, we mark individual XHTML / HTML or XML files with language tags to allow better access to foreign language content. We also translate link texts. And we avoid duplicate content in single-language website versions - for example for Germany, Austria and Switzerland - because this can very quickly lead to lower rankings in search engines.

9. SEO Translations

We use search engine optimization when translating your website and advertising texts! It goes without saying that when targeting new markets, you also want to achieve excellent visibility when it comes to search engine rankings. In order to meet this requirement, we have put together a team of specialist SEO translators for every language. When working on your website content and advertising texts, these translators also ensure that potential customers are able to find your company.

In order to do so, specialist translators with SEO expertise research the optimal keywords and adwords in your chosen language. They also analyse your target market and the local search behaviour of your target audience. Alongside Google, our translators also consider other important search engines when analysing keywords, for example Baidu for the Chinese market or Yandex for the Russian market. All relevant search terms are then incorporated into your texts in accordance with specific criteria. When using these terms, we place a particularly strong focus on ensuring that your texts also remain appealing, creative and tailored to suit your target audience.

As you would expect, our SEO-optimized translations are produced by an expert in your specialised field and proofread by a second independent SEO translator. You can therefore make the most of the usual high quality of Lingua-World's specialist translators in your field – including SEO! If you have already commissioned an agency to handle the search engine optimization of your German website, we can, of course, work in close cooperation with your partner in order to effectively extend your reach in new markets!

Localization request