Why online localisation is a little like the cakes at your local bakery!

What is website localisation?

Website localisation (or localization) is a process whereby a website is built or adapted to suit a specific geographic area. If you think about this in real life terms with physical shops or business, it may help to make more sense of it.

As an example, let’s say a baker sets up a cake shop in Dublin. The owner speaks English, as most of her customers also do, and she bakes cakes that are suited to local tastes and contain ingredients she can source locally. Her business does very well and she decides to move to a sunny Spanish island and set up shop there instead, leaving someone else in charge of her Dublin business. She uses the same model. She speaks English, she bakes the same cakes. Though her business struggles. Why? Well because her customers speak Spanish, not English, her cakes don’t suit local preferences and tastes and some of her ingredients aren’t available locally, so she’s spending money importing them from other places. Lastly, she’s never changed the time on her watch, so she’s operating at Irish business hours and not taking the siesta and late meal times into account!

When it comes to website localisation, you need to take as many elements into consideration, though the specific ingredients and recipes may vary from business to business. But if you want to sell to a Spanish speaking market, you’ll need to speak their language. If you’re selling products, you’re going to need to be able to deliver products to them in a reasonable amount of time and at a reasonable cost. And you’ll need to be able to respond to orders and offer customer support at times that make sense to your new customers.

Translation Services for Global SEO

Another elements that comes into play online is that most customers will find (or at least you hope they will) through search engines like Google. In each market, Google prioritises local results – websites offered in the native tongue and with elements that prove the site is local – such as integrated maps and local business directories pointing to or linking back to the site.

In order to make sure the language is local and also suited in tone to your target market, you’ll need to enlist the services of professional translators who also have a basic understanding of SEO or can take advice from your digital marketing consultant on the phrases that may need to be used.

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Of their most used tools is Google Maps and search engine/smart phone users are making use of this more and more frequently to find out everything from where a businesses is located to reading reviews and checking opening hours. It’s also a good way to let Google now where you are. The closer a smartphone user is to your location, the more likely you are to show up in the ‘Business results’ on a Google search and also on a maps search for services or products.

What’s more is it’s easy to do. And if you have more than one premises, nationally or internationally, you can set your location at each of these places. Do you have a collection point for products you ship abroad for customers? By utilising that address, you can put yourself on the map there too and help boost your international rankings.

How To Put Your Business on the Map in 2014

1. Firstly you’ll need a Google account or gmail address, if you haven’t got one already. You can sign up here.

2. Next, go to Google Places/Businesses here and sign in using your gmail address and password.

3. You’ll be taken to the page shown below. Read and agree to the terms and conditions to continue.

4.  Next, search for your business to see if it’s already listed.

5. If your business is not listed, click on ‘No, these are not my business’ to continue. If your business is listed, click into it to claim it and add to/edit information already there.

6. Add all of the details you are happy to display publicly, and submit.

7. You’ll then be told the address will need to be verified. Google do this by posting out a pin number you to activate your online business listing. This can take up to two weeks. In the mean time, you can still click through to edit the information that will be shown when the pin arrives and you can activate it.

8. Add your details. Make sure to describe your business clearly in the description section. Use language and terms that your potential customers understand and are likely to type when searching for a business like yours. You can also add photos and opening hours. Adding opening hours is incredibly important as it’s one of the top things people search for in relation to businesses! Especially shops and services that require a physical visit.

9. In one to two weeks when your pin arrives, log back in, using the same steps at the beginning. Your details will all be saved, but you can now use the ‘Verify’ option and pin to make your listing go live. It can take some time for Google to review and it begin to appear, but it’s worth it.

10. If you have other business locations, you can add these too, within the same Google account/gmail address, as long as you can verify each by receiving post at that address.

Top Tip: If you’re listing your business in non English speaking countries, make sure you have your description and business details translated professionally. If a web user is searching for a business in a hurry, they will be more inclined to click on one they can actually understand!

Google’s ‘Venice’ update in 2012 went ahead slightly unnoticed and definitely not as talked about as many of their other updates. The change to the search engine’s algorithm affected many local businesses but there are a few easy steps you can take to help keep you ‘findable’ for local searches.

1. Create Local pages

If your business operates in a few different locations or serves different areas where people may be using search engines to find what you’re providing, it’s a good idea to create web pages that cater to each of these places specifically. Make sure to include the area name in easy-to-see spots, such as the page URL, title, in body copy and in a tag. But of course, make sure you don’t go overboard.

2. Make Your Local Pages Unique

It’s not a great idea to post duplicate content on each of these pages; changing only the place name. Try to vary it and keep the various information you wish to include specific, unique and relevant to that area. For example, include a quote from the manager of each specific branch, add information about the team and other local information; such as parking availability, how to find you and specific services this branch or office may offer that differs from other branches/offices.

3. Include a Map

If you’re using the latest version of WordPress, posts will allow you to pick your location. This is a great addition for your blog. If you operate in different areas and your company has a blog, make sure you request that your web developer updates your WordPress version correctly so that you can take advantage of this and start posting ‘for’ or ‘from’ the different places your services are on offer.

You can also include Google maps on the unique, local pages you’ve created. Embedding these is relatively easy to do and helps Google to recognise the different places your business serves.

4. Translate Pages for Local Languages

Rather than targeting different areas within the same country, you may be targeting different countries, territories or indeed just different nationalities who may be searching in their own native tongue. Having your website, or some web pages, professionally translated into local languages is another great way to let Google and your audience know that your relevant to them and boost your international SEO. It’s also excellent customer service; which most people will know creates not just customers, but loyal returning customers.

Overall, Google’s updates will always be brought in to make the search experience better for the user; you can’t go wrong if you are catering to their needs. Consider your local audience and what would be helpful to them and consider how difficult it would be for you to search for a product in a different language than you normally communicate through. Have a brainstorm with your colleagues and you may even come up with more ideas than we’ve listed here. As long as it’s customer focussed, it’s going to benefit you through search or through customer interaction.

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