Transliteration, digital communication and SEO translation

We take a look at transliteration in multilingual communication. Find out how to break down linguistic and cultural barriers in our ever more globalised world. But wait, there’s more! We will also analyse the crucial role of international SEO. Ready to go? Keep reading!

What is transliteration and why is it important in digital communication?

When we talk about translation, the first words that come to mind are probably “language”, “meaning” or “context”. However, there is also one other key concept that is often overlooked: language transliteration.

The definition of transliteration is the process of changing letters or characters from one alphabet to another. It may sound simple, but this process is essential if we want to maintain the integrity of proper names, brands and technical terms so they can be easily recognised.

Imagine you have a brand called Stärke. When this brand launches onto a market that uses the Latin alphabet, but with no accented characters, it becomes Starke. However, transliteration allows the brand to keep its identity for its target audience to recognise it easily.

Now, think about what all this has to do with SEO translation. It has now become essential to transliterate if we want to ensure content reaches the right audience, regardless of language or alphabet.

 

 

But, wait a minute! We’re not just talking about letters, language transliteration is a key part of an effective multilingual SEO strategy.

 

Transliteration and international SEO

There’s no doubt SEO is one of the most important digital marketing strategies right now. Did you know that language transliteration plays a significant role in international SEO? When users search online, they often use transliteration of keywords to find what they’re looking for.

For example, let’s suppose that someone in Japan is looking for information about New York City. They may use a transliteration of “New York” in Japanese characters.

If your content only uses the term in English, you may be missing out on a lot of traffic. However, if you apply a transliteration strategy, your keywords will adapt to the local searches, attracting a wider audience.

What’s more, if we transliterate texts, global brands can maintain their name and recognition in markets with different alphabets. This is the case with brands like “Nike” and “Coca-Cola”, which, despite being proper names in English, are recognisable and are searched for the world over thanks to transliteration.

 

Examples in SEO translation

What is the difference between translation and transliteration, and how does it affect your SEO? Let’s take a look at this example.

Imagine you’re translating content from English to Arabic. The majority of search engines in Arab-speaking countries are optimised for searches in the Arabic script.

However, your content includes the word “iPhone”. If you translate the word into Arabic using Latin characters, users searching in Arabic won’t find your content.

Here is where we can transliterate, converting “iPhone” into Arabic characters, maintaining the pronunciation and brand recognition intact.

This principle also applies to SEM translation or translation for Social Media

This strategy makes sure that your message reaches your target audience, regardless of the alphabet they use in their search engine. Your content will be visible around the world and other users will be able to find it.

 

Transliteration, your ally in the digital era

Transliteration guarantees that your content is accessible, regardless of language or alphabet. In the digital age, communication has nor borders. Make sure your keywords are effective on a global scale and that your brand is recognisable, no matter what market you operate in.

But remember, transliteration is an art that requires in-depth knowledge of the languages, alphabets and cultures in question.

Language transliteration is clearly a valuable tool in multilingual communication and SEO. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. There are many more aspects of translation and localisation that you can explore to improve your multilingual marketing strategy.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us. Our team of experts in translation and multilingual communication are ready to guide you through this process and make sure your content is truly international.