Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Optimizing Your Multi-Lingual Sites

Once you have achieved much success in your home country, marketing to other countries is something that you should consider. The Internet contains millions of sites that are all in English, but there are billions of people around the world that speak a different language. Developing online content for a multilingual web site presents a whole new challenge for any business looking to expand globally.

Needing a multilingual site usually means you have to double or even triple your Search Engine Optimization efforts. Optimizing your foreign language web site is pretty much the same as optimizing your English one; you just do it in a different language.

The biggest concern when translating your site to another language is the actual translation. Search Engine Optimization is usually the same as it is in English. Not translating content correctly can cost you as much as not having a foreign language site at all.

Below are some guidelines that should be considered when planning the SEO process:

Translate existing web content – It is best to hire someone who is an expert in the chosen language.
Apply all of the same SEO Rules – Just because the language has changed does not mean search engines or crawlers are any different.
Translate keywords – You may not be able to translate some words, so you’ll need to choose new keywords.
Include proper link – Links both to and from your English site to your foreign language site should be included.
Make language options available – Be sure to make language options clear so your foreign visitors will not miss it.

About CODANK Web Design

CODANK is a top rated Web Design and Internet Marketing firm located in Charlotte, NC. We are dedicated to provide the highest quality, cost effective custom software development services, delivering a broad range of business consulting and outsourcing services. For more information, visit us at www.codank.com.

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