Meta tags in translation and why they’re important

What are meta tags in translation and why are they so important in multilingual websites?

Meta tags refer to snippets of descriptive information embedded in the HTML code of a webpage, which are not visible on the actual page but provide important details for search engines, social media platforms, and browsers. Meta tags play a crucial role in how a webpage is indexed, displayed in search results, and understood by various digital tools. Frankly, meta tags in translation determine whether your content will be seen… or not.

Here are some important meta tags and their purpose:

• Title: The headline or name of the webpage, which is often displayed in the browser tab and as the clickable headline in search engine results.
• Description: A short summary of the page’s content, often displayed in search engine results.
• Language: Specifies the primary language of the content.
• Keywords: Words or phrases that represent the key topics of the page (while they were once important for SEO, they are now largely ignored by major search engines like Google).
• Robots: Tells search engines how to index (or not index) the page and whether or not to follow links on the page.
• Viewport: Controls the page’s dimensions and scaling on mobile devices, ensuring the site is responsive and looks good on different screen sizes.
• Alt tags: Image descriptions which describe images for screen readers and search engines.

The importance of meta tags in translation of websites

Meta tags are essential for ensuring that both users and search engines can accurately understand and index the content of a translated website, enhancing its visibility, usability, and effectiveness in different linguistic markets.

1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

• Localised SEO: Search engines use meta tags to help determine where it should rank in search results. By translating meta tags into the target language, you help the translated version of your site rank better in that region’s search results.
• Meta title and description: Translating these tags ensures that when users in different regions search for relevant terms, they see accurate, easily readable descriptions, making it more likely that they will click on your page.

2. Language detection by browsers

• Specifying the correct language with language meta tags ensures browsers will display the correct language version of a webpage. This is crucial for avoiding issues like incorrect character encoding and ensuring the right language is shown in the right place, by default.

3. User experience:

• Clear, contextual information: Meta descriptions that are in the user’s native language provide clarity about the page content before they click on it. If these tags remain untranslated, users may not understand what your site offers, even if the rest of the page is in their language.
• Consistent presentation: Language-specific meta tags ensure consistency in how your content is presented across different regions and languages.

4. Cultural adaptation

• Meta tags in translation can also be adapted to cultural preferences. A direct translation might not always be effective, so translating meta tags with the local culture and linguistic nuances in mind ensures your content speaks to, and resonates with, the target audience.

10 steps to effectively translate meta tags

Effectively translating meta tags requires attention to detail, cultural understanding, and a strategic approach to SEO in the target language. Here’s a step-by-step guide to ensure your meta tags are translated properly for international audiences:

1. Understand the structure and function of Meta Tags in Translation
2. Conduct keyword research in the target language: Direct translation of keywords can lead to suboptimal SEO performance because different cultures might use different terms to search for the same content. It’s important to identify local search habits (using tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ahrefs to identify relevant keywords in the target language) and adapt (transcreate), don’t just translate. For example, a product name or industry term that works in one language might need a synonym or a variation to match what local users search for.
3. Translate the title tag:
   • Keep it concise: Just like in the original language, the title should be around 50–60 characters, as search engines will truncate anything longer.
   • Focus on primary keywords: Place the most important localised keyword near the beginning, as search engines prioritise early keywords.
   • Cultural adaptation: Ensure the title reads naturally and resonates with local cultural and linguistic norms. Avoid literal translations that may sound awkward or irrelevant.
4. Translate the meta description: The meta description should be a concise, engaging summary (around 150-160 characters) that encourages users to click. Integrate your localised target keywords, but maintain natural readability. It’s important adapt the tone and formality of your description to match local language preferences.
5. Always use a language meta tag: It’s essential to include the correct language meta tag in the HTML of your translated page to inform browsers of the primary language. This helps search engines index the page appropriately for users in that language region.
6. Localise alt tags for images: Alt tags provide descriptions of images for accessibility and SEO purposes. Translate these tags while keeping in mind local terminology. Avoid being overly technical unless it’s relevant. If an image represents something related to your SEO strategy (e.g., a product), include localised keywords.
7. Test your translated meta tags for readability and cultural resonance: Get a human, native speaker or professional translator to review the translated meta tags to ensure they read naturally and convey the intended meaning. Avoid literal translations, especially for marketing-focused tags. Aim for translations that are culturally relevant and adapted to local nuances. If possible, run A/B tests to see which translated meta tags perform better in search engines and lead to higher click-through rates (CTR).
8. Maintain consistent branding across translations: Try to maintain the original tone and identity of your brand voice and messaging, even when adapting for a new market, and ensure that the main elements of the brand remain recognisable.
9. Monitor performance and adjust regularly: Track your SEO performance using tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to monitor the performance of translated pages in terms of ranking and click-through rates. If certain translated meta tags aren’t performing well, adjust them based on local data and feedback.
10. Consider multilingual SEO plugins or CMS features: For websites built on platforms like WordPress, there are plugins like Yoast SEO and WPML that help manage meta tag translations. These tools ensure that meta tags are aligned with the rest of the translated content and optimised for local SEO. WordPress and WPML make it easy to build multilingual websites that are easy to translate.

Find out more: 10 Tips to Make Localisation Easy

In conclusion

By following these steps, your meta tags in translation, will better align with local user behaviours, improve search visibility, and ultimately help your website attract and retain a global audience. A good translation is one that is read by a native speaker of the target language as though it were content originally written in their language. And note, the ability to translate content so it sounds natural is something that (so far) only humans translators have truly mastered!

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