Translated Keywords In URLs for International SEO
June 04, 2013
What is the importance of translating keywords in a url for international SEO?
Specifically for Germany, France, China and Japan.
International SEO Question Overview
I'm asking a question about the importance of translating keywords in a URL for international SEO around the web. I'll collect the answers in this blog post.
Initial findings include the suggestion that Google doesn't weight the importance of keywords in a URL, and keywords in a URL do influence usability because those keywords are highlighted in the search results.
I am wondering if usability and also localization are important factors in deciding whether to use keywords in the URL you are targeting? It makes sense to use the language you are attempting to do business in.
Industry Articles
Keywords in the URL - Search Engine Journal - "URLs are just another on-page factor that we’re all very familiar with in single-language SEO, but unfamiliar when it comes to international rankings. Translated URLs get overlooked all too often; ensure that your URLs contain the spoken language of that section and optimise them appropriately."
Good article on International SEO on Moz
Keyword Present in the URL's string - Moz 2011 Survey data
URL Localisation for International SEO - Great article that recommends localizing keywords in the URL both as a search engine signal, and for usability to visitors.
Top 5 Considerations for International SEO - "Drive page optimization by inserting your target keywords in the URL, title tags, meta description, header tags, and page content. Don’t forget to optimize pictures and videos with localized captions, headlines, and alt-texts."
How should I structure my urls for both SEO and localization?
Do non-english (localized) URLs help Local SEO and user experience?
Global Search Engine Optimization - "Keyword rich URLs in the appropriate language are likely to be preferred by search engines and served higher in the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs)"
Google Articles
Multi-regional and multilingual sites - "Signaling the language in the URL may also help you to discover issues with multilingual content on your site."
Help Google serve the correct language or regional URL - Use of rel="alternate" hreflang="x"