1

SEO TranslationA new n iche fo r t rans la to rs

BP20+ Online Translation Event #BP20conf

2

Talking points

1. What is SEO?

2. Opportunities for translators

3. Skills of successful SEO translators

4. The art and science behind optimized

translations

5. Future outlook & getting started

3

About me

E n g l i s h - G e r m a n t r a n s l a t o r & c o p y w r i t e r

ATA c e r t i f i e d E N > D E

S p e c i a l i z i n g i n i n t e g r a t e d m a r k e t i n g c o m m u n i c a t i o n s ( M . S c . )

G r e w u p i n G e r m a n y, i n U S A s i n c e 2 0 0 1

F r e e l a n c e r s i n c e 2 0 0 6

4

What is SEO?

SEO stands for search engine

optimization

Component of search engine marketing

(SEM)

SEO = strategies to elevate a page’s

ranking in the organic (free) search

results

vs. SEA (search engine advertising) =

paid optimization to improve ranking

5

The rise of iSEO

SEO = most efficient and affordable way for companies to boost sales

iSEO allows business growth beyondnational boundaries

Improves visibility & website traffic

Localized content increases

session time

conversion rate

UX

trust

6

iSEOApproaches

Old: Content translation followed by

optimization

New: Translation/transcreation with

simultaneous optimization

Improves readability thanks to natural

integration of keywords

Allows for semantic optimization (using

synonyms, related terms, proof keywords)

Budget-friendly option

7

Opportunitiesfor translators

Growing demand

Lack of qualified SEO

translators

Paid well

Positive future outlook

8

Technical skills

Which search engines are used

in the target market

How to do keyword research

How to perform a SERP

analysis

Factors that impact SEO ranking

What needs to be optimized?

Market share of the most popular search engines used on

desktop computers around the globe from Sept. 2015 to

Sept. 2019.

9

Translation skills

Creativity

Copywriting skills

Basic marketing knowledge

Cultural insight

Excellent understanding and writing

skills (source and target language)

10

The art & scienceof optimizedtranslations

First and foremost: SEO copy must

appeal to human readers

SEO copy must capture attention of

search engines

“A little salt is good for the soup, too

much spoils it!“

SEO copy must be unique

Triple skillset: translator, copywriter, SEO

11

Characteristics of SEO translations

Content adaptation (transcreation) with

keyword integration

Character limitations (Meta elements)

Synonyms rule!

Goal: Motivate reader to take action

Best practices for web writing:

Scannable

Easy to read

Resonating with reader

12

Keywordanalysis

Criteria for choosing keywords:

Relevancy: How likely is it that someone will

search for this keyword to find this content?

Search volume (SV): How many people search

for this keyword each month?

Competition: Are there a lot of websites already

optimized for this keyword?

Trend: Is this keyword seasonal (“Christmas tree

stand“), affected by current events (“face mask”),

or an evergreen (“weight loss tips”)?

Specificity: What’s the most specific search

query with good SV that could lead to your

content?

13

14

15

What getsoptimized?

Copy, esp. first and last paragraph

URL

Meta title

Meta description

ALT text

H1 title

H2 subtitles

Captions

File names

16

Future outlook

The answer: NO!

SEO translations require:

Cultural insight

Context

Creativity

Readability & text quality

C a n m a c h i n e t r a n s l a t i o n r e p l a c eh u m a n S E O t r a n s l a t o r s ?

17

Interested in diving in?

How to learn more about SEO:

MOOCs

Webinars

Podcasts

Blogs u. online articles

Books

How to get clients:

Optimized website

LinkedIn

SEO and international marketing agencies

18

Tools of the trade

Google AdWords Keyword Planner

Ubersuggest

KWFinder

Twinword Ideas

Google Location Changer

Google Trends

Moz Keyword Explorer

SEORCH Ultrasuggest Keyword Tool

Answer the public

19

Questions?marion@imctranslations.com

www.imctranslations.com@IMCTranslations