Why keywords should not be translated

Keywords and page titles should never be translated for use on websites targeting an international audience, one commentator has warned.

Search Engine Watch's Andy Atkins-Kruger explains that rather than having "lost the plot" this is actually important advice to keep in mind when working on a pay per click or search engine optimisation campaign.

Using the term car insurance, he notes that when the phrase is literally translated into French using Google Translate the result is l'assurance automobile.

However, the Google Keyword Tool claims there is "not enough data" for this phrase, while the results on assurance automobile come back as 40,000 searches.

This is in comparison to the six million searches that are conducted for car insurance each month in the UK, despite the fact France has a similar population figure.

Mr Atkins-Kruger notes that while l'assurance automobile is the term used on French websites, it is not the most popularly used keyword.

"Keywords can't be translated because they've evolved directly to serve the everyday needs of the people of a particular country. Translation can't predict that," he explains.

The best solution to this problem is to employ a native-speaking person to research keywords and ensure they are the same language as the content.

Similarly, when re-launching a site SEOmoz's Duncan Morris notes care needs to be taken employing new keywords and titles.

Contact the experts at home james for more information on Search Marketing services.