5 SEO tips to put your multilingual website at the top of the search results

Companies with international ambitions can’t get around it any longer: you more often reach potential clients online. This is meaning that now, more than ever before, your multilingual website needs to stand out in every search engine. The magic word here is SEO. We’re putting on a sprint towards the higher echelons of Google in 5 steps.

1. Fluent web texts

First things first. A first condition for high visitor hits is that the source language version of your website has content that precisely describes your values and which services you want to offer. It’s important how you word this as well. Web texts follow their own laws. The reading tempo on a screen is, on average, is twice as slow as reading on paper. So be short and sweet, use orderly summaries, provide enough white space, etc. The internet is not a novel.

2. SEO copywriting

SEO doesn’t stop at optimising your website as such. Factors like link building and social media optimisation are equally important. Because when a site is shared, Google sees this as confirmation of the relevance of this page. In short, it comes down to getting the link for your website onto other popular websites. Regularly post your URL on your Facebook page or your Twitter account, or put your link on a partner company’s website. These are, of course, just a few examples.

3. Linkbuilding

SEO doesn’t stop at optimising your website as such. Factors like link building and social media optimisation are equally important. Because when a site is shared, Google sees this as confirmation of the relevance of this page. In short, it comes down to getting the link for your website onto other popular websites. Regularly post your URL on your Facebook page or your Twitter account, or put your link on a partner company’s website. These are, of course, just a few examples.

4. SEO translations

Your keywords must hit the bulls-eye in other languages, obviously. A proper translation of the Dutch keyword could be a little-used search term in French, meaning that your text has little SEO value as a result. This is why it’s also best to opt for a SEO specialist and/or a translation agency when searching for the proper equivalent words in another language.

5. Localisation

Translating your website isn’t just writing the texts in another language. Each language has its owns terms and expressions. Jan Modaal in the Netherlands or Belgium becomes Otto Normalverbraucher in Germany and Joe the Plumber in the USA. Localisation guarantees that the translation of your website is in tune with the specific language usage of the country in question. 

ElaN Languages can help you out, using all the tips mentioned above. Our translators will translate your website texts concisely and powerfully, and will make sure that the translations suit the language usage of the country in question. In terms of SEO, we incorporate your lists of SEO-friendly keywords and descriptions into our translations. No keywords? No problem. We will be happy to refer you to an SEO agency, which will provide you with the most effective keywords.

Do you want your website translated? Or would you like to score a higher spot for your multilingual website? Then don’t hesitate to contact Johan Noël, our Business Development Director: johannoel@elanlanguages.com - +32 (0)11 49 04 68. He will provide you with expert advice.  Or request your no-obligation quote here!