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We translate a lot of multilingual websites. As well as translation of the content we also deal with some of the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) aspects of website marketing.
Working with various clients in the UAE, the Gulf and further afield it is not uncommon for SEO to overlooked within the website design and launch process.
Unfortunately, many clients concentrate on how a website looks and not on how it will perform in search engines; it is only months later once little traffic is coming in that questions start to be asked and the oversight realised.
Having an SEO plan and a strategy from the very beginning is crucial to the success of a website.
By way of offering some pointers, here are some proven things you can do to help your multilingual website get off to a good start.
1.Keywords
Your website should have a keyword list. This essentially captures all the main words you feel people will use to search for the things you want them to find online. Once a list of target keywords has been established, they must be used throughout the website in text, images, meta information and even within links. This all helps a search engine build a picture of what your website is about. The more comprehensive you cover keywords, the more search engines will find it easier to rank you.
Further reading: How to Do Keyword Research for SEO: A Beginner’s Guide
2. Headers & Titles
Headers on pages as well as hidden text like browser titles and meta descriptions are important signs for search engines that help them understand what a website is about. Keywords should be spread across different pages of a website, with each one having a unique set of keywords reflected in its header, title and meta information.
Further reading: Guide to Title Tags, Meta Data and Headers
3. Images
Images need to be given names. Many people do not realise that what an image is called also adds some SEO weight to a website. An image called “127LARGE.jpeg” is going to mean nothing to a search engine whereas an image called “website-designers-in-meeting.jpeg” gives the search engine an inkling that the page has something to do with web design or designers. In theory this then links up with other keywords used on the page and in meta information to cover more bases. The name given to an image is known as the “alt tag”.
Further reading: The basics of using ALT Tag text for SEO
4. Internal links
It is important that your best or most important pages are well linked to from other pages such as blogs and info pages. This helps drive traffic to those pages as well as tell search engines which pages you value most. Always link to those pages using keywords in the actual text you use to link with, i.e. don’t use “click here to read more”, but instead try, “read more by clicking through to our website design page”.
Further reading: The Seven Commandments of Internal Linking that Will Improve Content Marketing SEO
5. URLs
Make sure the URLs of your website are 1) readable and 2) that you use keywords in your URLs. So rather than have users and search engines see this, “website.com/?p=245”, it would be much better SEO-wise if they saw this, “website.com/webdesign”.
Further reading: Understanding SEO Friendly URL Syntax Practices
6. Hosting
Where your website is hosted can have an impact on how well it ranks in certain search engines. For example, a website with the host server in Dubai is going to get a small hand up in the local UAE search engines as a result. Why? Because it is seen as being a ‘local’ website due to its location.
Further reading: Does Web Hosting Affect SEO?
7. Hreflang Tags
Although many of the top search engines can detect the language of a website or of some content, not all of them do and those that do, don’t always get it 100% right. To guarantee the language is identified correctly Hreflang tags should be used. Hreflang tags are often preconfigured in CMS systems but it is always best to check this before launching your website.
Further reading: Hreflang the ultimate guide
8. Translations
Not only users can tell when the translations on a website are poor – search engines are now smart enough to work out if there is something not quite right about the language. Using free translation tools is a serious no-no as it gets penalised. On top of this it leads to high bounce rates as visitors to the website get turned off by the language.
Further reading: No need to read about this – call us to discuss how we can help you with your translations!
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