HI-COM is a professional translation agency working with clients from different fields, carrying out multiple translation projects of all types.

One of our most recent projects was an SEO-optimised translation for the MYA agency for a well-known beauty brand.

1) THE PROJECT

Our agency’s mission was to provide localisation, transcreation and SEO-optimised translation from French into 6 languages (English, Spanish, Italian, German, Polish and Turkish). We were therefore responsible for localising the product sheets, blog articles and other material on the brand’s website.

2) THE MYA AGENCY

MYA Agency is a 100% digital agency working in 3 different countries: France, Belgium and China. This agency is specialised in the digital visibility of brands, webmarketing, natural referencing and Chinese marketing.

MYA assists its clients with improving the visibility and reputation of the brand on search engines as well as content writing!

With more than 10 years of experience serving SMEs, manufacturers and start-ups, MYA has developed real expertise in this field.

3) WHAT IS OPTIMISED TRANSLATION, LOCALISATION AND TRANSCREATION?

What is SEO-optimised translation and its benefits?

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) translation refers to the process of translating the content of a website into a specific locality; this means that research is required to understand the cultural references and social attitudes of your target location.

It is important to carry out a translation that is SEO-optimised in order to improve your website’s ranking on search engines. An SEO-optimised translation will aim to choose keywords that are important to the brand in order to create content around it and thus improve its search engine rankings in relation to the brand.

In addition, for a good SEO translation it is also important that the keywords represent high searches and that they are repeated consistently in the text. Effective local SEO can also help you generate more clicks on your international website.

More clicks means more traffic, increased sales and therefore greater revenue for the brand.

For example, if your company is based in France and you want to sell your products in China, in order to successfully penetrate the Chinese market, it is essential to optimise your website and content specifically for Chinese consumers.

Thus, SEO translation alone is not enough; the localisation of the site must be efficient, otherwise the potential customers may move on in a matter of seconds.

What is the purpose of website localisation?

Its main purpose is to adapt content to a specific language and culture for local consumption. In some cases, the translator can work on localisation elements for the same language. For example, a text for the Chinese market compared to one intended the French market will use a different vocabulary with an adaptation to the culture of both countries.

More than a simple translation, website localisation aims to help brands and companies target a larger number of potential customers. The advantage being to increase brand awareness and revenues.

However, it is not enough to simply translate the content of your website, such as meta titles, meta tags and image descriptions. You will need to consider other cultural factors that could impact your content, such as fashion, colours, customer behaviour, etc.

Product descriptions written correctly in one language represents a professional and trustworthy business otherwise your products will not be perceived as relevant to your target audience.

What does transcreation consist of?

Transcreation is a term used to refer to the process of adapting the source content from one language to another according to its cultural and regional characteristics. In other words, the definition of transcreation is to convey the meaning of the original sentence taking into account its social and cultural context.

For example, when focusing on a marketing transcreation, you need to determine whether your marketing message will translate correctly. Communication slogans, for example, need to be more than just translated, but need creative transcreation to maintain meaning and to choose the right terms in relation to the language.  This method is unique as far as presentation is concerned because it involves adjusting the message in another language.

Transcreation is a so-called creative process that relates to the field of advertising and marketing.

Transcreators have some of the same skills as translators, but they also have skills in writing advertising and marketing content.

4) WHAT WERE THE PROCESSES APPLIED?

The content translated, localised and transcreated for MYA’s end client included new fragrance and make-up ranges that were to be displayed on the brand’s international website.

In addition to the translation, we worked with retail experts in the different target countries to ensure that the most appropriate and suitable keywords were applied for each national market, in order to strengthen the brand’s SEO ranking in each of these countries.

Firstly, one of our business developers was in charge of the direct contact between the project managers and the agency.

Our project managers were then responsible for finding the translators and transcribers specialised in the cosmetics field and native speakers of the required translation languages.

Proofreaders also specialising in the cosmetics field had to proofread the various translations and our production manager was responsible for the control and quality of the translations provided.

HI-COM is a multilingual translation agency dedicated to providing companies worldwide with Chinese-specific social network communication and e-commerce marketing services. Working with over 100 brands, HI-COM is the partner of choice for companies looking to enter the Chinese market!

Contact us today for a free quote!

What is localization?    

Localization is the adaptation of a product or service to meet the needs and interests  of a particular language, culture or country.  More specifically, with regards to international e-commerce businesses, localization can also refer to the adaptation of a website and marketing strategy, to ensure that it effectively appeals to a particular audience. For example, rethinking factors such as visuals,currencies and the way in which a product is marketed, will better help businessesmeet the expectations of their international customers. 

Furthermore, if your target audience speaks another language, adjusting the content of your site will not only to help it rank on search engines such as Google and Baidu, but it also means that it is far more likely that your visitors will actually convert into customers.

Why is localization important?

Website localization helps businesses to reach a higher number of potential customers, increase their brand awareness, and as a result leads to higher revenue. It also boosts SEO, when done in the correct way.

For example, if your business is based in the UK and you would like to start selling in China, then in order to break into the Chinese market successfully, it’s crucial that you optimise your website and content specifically for Chinese consumers.

However, simply translating the content on your website, such as meta titles, meta tags, and image descriptions is not enough. You should instead consider other cultural factors that could impact your content, such as fashion, colours, customer behaviours, etc. as by doing so, consumers will feel as though they are able to relate to and trust your products.

Furthermore, a recent survey showed that multiple online shoppers agreed that when seeing well-written product descriptions in their own language and websites hosted on country-level domains, meant that a business is much more likely to be professional and trustworthy.

Another reason localization is important when expanding your business overseas, is because if a visitordoesn’t feel as though the website is relevant to them or their culture, then they will leave and as a result, will increase your bounce rate.  This will mean that search engines will not consider your products to be relevant to your target audience.

What is SEO localization?

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) localization is the process of translating website content into a specific locality; meaning that research is needed in order to understand any cultural references and social attitudes of your target location. Therefore, when planning to sell in a foreign market, it is vital that you understand how consumers are already searching for similar products or services and that you are aware of the search terms being used. You can then use these words and phrases within your content to reach out to more consumers.

For example, your business could be in the fashion industry and you might be planning to target countries such as the US and the UK.  In the American market, they use the word “pants” for trousers, whilst in the UK they instead refer to them as “trousers”.  Therefore, it is important to make sure that your keywords are appropriate for the market you plan to enter as it is common for terminology to vary from one country to another, even if the language is the same.  It is also important that they are high search key words and that they are repeated in the text consistently.

Effective localized SEO can also help you to generate more clicks on your international website. More clicks means more traffic, increased sales and therefore higher revenue. But in order to achieve these goals you’ll need to prepare your content and carry out thorough market research in order to know what keywords, links, graphics and layouts will be most relevant for your target market.

Localizing SEO for your website  

Here are some things to consider when localizing your website:

• Define your target market and audience
• Keyword research in the country you plan to target
• Content localization
• Keyword and content testing to make sure that they are relevant to search engines

To localize your website you need to firstly decide which languages and countries you plan to target.  It is important to analyse potential markets and pick those where you have higher chances of selling your products or services successfully.

You can then conduct specific research in order to evaluate competitors and learn about current cultural issues.  Once you have decided, you can then make a realistic plan and start with a limited number of countries.

As previously mentioned, it is important that you optimise the translated content for the correct local keywords and that you use the relevant phrases in your page titles and meta descriptions too, as people don’t tend to speak in a rigid and formal manner.  It’s also important to work with human translators because machines can struggle to translate colloquial language.

Moreover, with the increased popularity of voice searches and users searching in keywords, localization is an essential process if you want to boost your SEO and successfully penetrate the global market.

For more information on why localizing is more effective than simply translating, click here. 

Click here to find out how to localize mobile apps successfully! 

 Or to get in touch to find out more about effectively localizing your social media, website or for marketing support.

Why not consider working with translation company, HI-COM, to help with your localization, keywords and to boost your SEO.

HI-COM is an international communication and localization agency with years of experience in the Chinese market. With offices in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong, HI-COM serves its loyal customers in more than fifteen industries, including tourism, hospitality, e-commerce, and retail.