Localizing accomplished proper can ship severe worth. Completed flawed, it turns into a black gap of assets with little to point out for it.
That will help you get it proper, I turned to somebody who’s been deep within the trenches of localization: Erik Sarissky, Head of Worldwide Advertising and Product Localization at Ahrefs.
Erik has quadrupled natural site visitors to Ahrefs’ Spanish weblog in 18 months, going from 5.4k visits to over 22k visits. Along with worldwide advertising actions, he oversees localization efforts throughout 14 languages and continually evaluates new potential languages.
Considered one of his most eye-opening wins? After switching from Continental Portuguese to Brazilian Portuguese, Ahrefs noticed an explosion in site visitors to its native content material and touchdown pages.
So I requested Erik if he’d be prepared to share how he did it—and what he’s discovered alongside the method.
Whether or not you’re contemplating increasing into neighboring markets or exploring development distant, this information breaks down what really strikes the needle in localization search engine optimisation and what’s simply noise.
Translation is a step. Localization is a system. Let’s break it down.
- Translation is about changing phrases from one language to a different, preserving that means and construction. Consider it like Google Translate, however accomplished by a human. It’s correct, however literal.
- Localization adapts examples, references, idioms, visuals, and even the technique to really feel pure within the goal market. It’s the distinction between being a vacationer who memorized a phrasebook and somebody who really grew up there.
- Transcreation takes issues additional. It adapts the tone, emotion, and intent of a message so it hits house in a special tradition. A intelligent English tagline would possibly want utterly totally different wording to really feel intelligent in Spanish. It’s much less about constancy, extra about resonance.
“We already had good content material in English,” Erik informed me, “however there was no clear technique. We had been simply translating every part with out contemplating localization or key phrase analysis. I knew that by fixing this, site visitors would develop.”
And it did. That’s why a translation-only strategy usually falls flat. It misses the nuance, and with it, the site visitors.
We have to begin with a wake-up name: localization is now not non-obligatory, as a result of Google would possibly do it for you.
Since early 2025, Google has been more and more translating English content material into native languages and serving it beneath a Google-owned subdomain (e.g., translate.google.com). This proxy translation exhibits up in AI Overviews, Featured Snippets, and even the common 10 blue hyperlinks.
The consequence? Customers by no means land in your web site. As a substitute, they view a Google-hosted model of your content material, and any clicks or hyperlink fairness are attributed to Google, not you.
“Should you don’t localize your content material, Google would possibly do it for you—and take the site visitors.”
If you wish to see if Google is auto-translating your web site pages, you should utilize Search Console and Ahrefs to search out out:
In Google Search Console, go to Search Look → Translated Pages.
In Ahrefs’ Website Explorer, open the highest pages report for translate.google.com and apply a “URL accommodates” filter, getting into your area title.
The repair? Localize your content material—even minimally. A 300-word native-language model can usually be sufficient to exchange Google’s proxy web page within the SERPs.
Attempting to localize for everybody directly is a recipe for burnout. As a substitute, do what Erik did: select markets based mostly on metrics.
“We base selections on billing, interface language use, model searches, GDP, and tech adoption. Indonesia stunned us—it’s among the best when it comes to billing.”
Spanish was the pilot. We’ve been fairly lively in Spanish-speaking nations, organizing all types of meetups and collaborating in conferences in Spain and Latin America.
Then, Japan as a result of we had been already fairly standard there (extra standard than our rivals, if I’m not mistaken). Indonesia emerged as an sudden champion, so it’s going to be subsequent in line. If you let knowledge lead, you make investments smarter and develop sooner.
Have a look at historic demand and potential future upside. Markets with fast-growing tech ecosystems or altering search habits (like South Korea’s transfer from Naver to Google) could also be extra ripe than they appear.
That brings us to native key phrase analysis.
What works in English received’t all the time work in Spanish, Japanese, or German. Localized search engine optimisation begins with native intent.
“We test site visitors potential, enterprise potential, and assign priorities. Then we determine if it’s value adapting or writing from scratch.”
Right here’s what Erik’s referring to.
Should you skip this step, you danger optimizing for key phrases nobody searches—or worse, competing on phrases you possibly can’t win.
To make issues simpler, you can begin along with your native language, add key phrases to a listing, and let AI present related translations with search engine optimisation metrics proper contained in the instrument.
Right here’s a pattern consequence that immediately dispels doubts in regards to the appropriate translation.
Subsequent, Erik makes use of Ahrefs’ enterprise potential framework to prioritize key phrases. We rating each advertising thought from 0 to three based mostly on how important our product is to the issue.
“Should you’re simply translating every part, you’re losing time,” Erisk informed me bluntly. The smarter strategy is to decide on what deserves translation and establish when creating from scratch is a greater funding.
For instance, Erik’s crew begins by translating knowledge research straight, as that is essentially the most environment friendly methodology. They then create supplementary micro-studies inside these translated items so as to add native relevance.
“We created a workflow to evaluation which articles to translate and when to write down new ones. Typically translations don’t make an excessive amount of sense—it’s higher to write down 100% new articles based mostly on native key phrase analysis.”
Earlier than you even begin localizing, step again and map your objectives. Contemplate content material age, market relevance, and search demand. Prioritize items that may carry out, not simply those you’ve lately revealed.
place to begin would to have a look at the site visitors and hyperlinks a bit of content material will get. Simply plug within the URL of the web page in Ahrefs’ Website Explorer and take a look at these numbers within the Overview report.
To see which pages carry out the perfect, head on to the High pages (you possibly can moreover filter by nation) and Finest by hyperlink report.
In case your localized content material reads like a careless translation, it received’t join. To actually resonate, it must really feel prefer it was written by somebody who lives in that market.
“After I took over the Spanish weblog, we began utilizing extra examples from the Spanish market and created our personal case research.”
So, the recommendation right here is: use native case research, adapt examples to suit regional norms, and reference the platforms your viewers really makes use of.
Right here’s Erik exhibiting the outcomes of localizing a information to affiliate internet marketing through the use of native examples:
And that is an instance of how they created a wholly new article about advertising ebook suggestions by asking Spanish audio system for his or her favorites, slightly than merely translating the prevailing English model.
The outcomes:
Erik’s crew lately began utilizing this strategy in Japan as nicely. Right here’s an instance of a case research they created that includes a Japanese company’s success with Ahrefs.
However content material relevance isn’t nearly utilizing native examples; it’s additionally about voice and opinion. In response to Erik:
“At some point this shall be absolutely changed by AI, and what is going to matter shall be opinionated content material by native authors.”
That includes native authors not solely boosts authenticity but additionally social attain.
And right here’s the bonus: content material like this naturally earns hyperlinks.
“We don’t observe any particular strategy [to link building]. These native hyperlinks come naturally, and Website Explorer exhibits regular development.”
When your weblog content material feels prefer it was created for the native viewers—not simply translated at them—it builds belief. That belief turns into shares, mentions, and backlinks. Spend money on content material high quality and cultural connection. Native hyperlinks will come, as you possibly can see within the screenshot under.
Erik shared a case research exhibiting how republishing articles can restore and even enhance search efficiency, particularly when rankings have plateaued or declined over time.
Engines like google usually favor freshness, and updating indicators that your content material continues to be related.
What to concentrate on when republishing:
- Replace outdated info. Evaluate stats, examples, screenshots, and hyperlinks. Bringing every part updated exhibits Google (and customers) that the article continues to be related and reliable.
- Enhance inner linking. Use Ahrefs’ inner hyperlink alternatives characteristic to attach your up to date article to related content material throughout your web site. This helps distribute hyperlink fairness and improves crawlability.
- Use Individuals Additionally Ask as a content material information. Test Google’s “Individuals Additionally Ask” part to search out frequent associated questions and add solutions to your article. This makes it extra complete and aligned with search intent.
- Improve with visuals and knowledge. Add infographics, charts, or up to date statistics to assist your factors. This makes content material extra participating and might enhance dwell time and backlink potential.
AI can velocity up the fundamentals, but it surely nonetheless stumbles on nuance. You’ll want people to iron out the main points.
We carried out an AI pre-translation system based mostly on a longtime glossary, prompts, and translation reminiscence, since AI has the aptitude to be taught and self-improve.
He added:
“The [Spanish] Weblog is run by people for now, however we’re additionally testing AI pulling articles, translating them, and importing to blogs.”
Begin with automation the place it helps most—bulk translation, glossary administration. However all the time go away room for human QA.
You want editors who can spot structure glitches, catch damaged hyperlinks, and flag mistranslations or cultural mismatches that AI would possibly miss. Construct in clear suggestions loops between translators, reviewers, and content material homeowners to ensure high quality improves with each iteration.
By the best way, this is applicable to all kinds of content material localization, together with product UI. For instance, we had a humorous mistranslation in Ahrefs’ interface for fairly a while. As a substitute of “don’t evaluate”, it stated “don’t purchase”.
Fashion guides and glossaries are essentially the most thrilling, however they’re your greatest protection in opposition to inconsistency.
“Glossary, fashion information, SOPs… that’s how we guarantee consistency.”
That is additionally the right time to assume extra strategically and determine issues like whether or not we wish to translate product names and unique ideas.
To take care of high quality throughout languages, doc every part. Create a shared glossary of key phrases, set up tone and formatting guidelines, and construct an editorial fashion information that translators and native writers can depend on. Erik shared how each of these paperwork search for Ahrefs.
Protecting each model aligned with the supply? That’s a significant ache. However there’s hope.
Erik discovered a cool use case for the Content material adjustments characteristic in Ahrefs’ Website Explorer (you’ll find it within the Overview report). If the English weblog has made any adjustments to the content material that resulted in additional site visitors, he’ll see precisely what it was. Then he can simply repeat the identical factor for localized variations.
Behind each profitable localization technique is a stable technical basis. That features getting hreflang tags proper, adjusting inner linking buildings, and making certain localized media information don’t break the consumer expertise.
- Select your URL construction properly: Subfolders like “instance.com/fr/” are usually higher for search engine optimisation as a result of they consolidate all of your area authority in a single place. Nation-code top-level domains (ccTLDs) like “instance.fr” can really feel extra native and reliable to customers in that nation, however cut up your search engine optimisation efforts throughout a number of domains, making it more durable to rank globally.
Don’t redirect customers by IP: Robotically sending guests to a localized model of your web site based mostly on their IP can confuse Googlebot, which crawls largely from the US. Which means your localized content material won’t even get listed. As a substitute, present a language or area switcher so customers can select their most well-liked model with out being compelled to do so. - Contemplate a CDN: A content material supply community helps serve your web site from servers nearer to the consumer, which reduces loading occasions—particularly vital for worldwide audiences. Quick ship higher consumer experiences and this counts for Google, so this small infrastructure change can have massive efficiency impacts.
- Implement hreflang correctly: The hreflang tag tells Google which model of your content material is supposed for which language or area. If it’s misconfigured, Google would possibly serve the flawed model in search outcomes. Ahrefs’ Website Audit instrument helps you catch points right here by visually mapping your hreflang construction and flagging damaged hyperlinks between language variations.
We’ve received a full information on the technical features right here: 10 Worldwide search engine optimisation Finest Practices + Guidelines.
Ultimate ideas
The perfect methods are born from expertise, particularly errors.
“I wouldn’t redo something, as a result of if I didn’t strive, I wouldn’t know. Principally, FAFO.”
Don’t purpose for perfection from day one. Take a look at. Study. Adapt. Each market will train you one thing new. Observe what works, double down on wins, and let go of approaches that stall.
Bought questions or feedback? Let me know on LinkedIn.
