BURG Translations Blog
Benefits of a back translation
The term back translation can sound confusing without the idea of a forward translation. Technically, every translation moves content “forward” into a new language.
Back translation occurs when the translated (target) document is translated back into the original source language. In other words, it only makes sense as part of a forward-translation workflow—and it works best when both steps happen back-to-back in the same project.
Language translation is just part of the equation: Why SEO matters
Our connected world has made it easier than ever for businesses to grow and expand their operations beyond borders. While reaching international markets provides companies with many opportunities such as access to new markets and revenue streams, reducing costs and recruiting new talent, it also adds a layer of complexity when it comes to language translation and localization.
Does your growth strategy include expansion on an international level? If so, translating just your marketing and sales material for local consumption is not enough. International success requires you to maximize the visibility of your products or services, and this extends to your website. However, translating web content for the region(s) you are entering is just one component. For consumers to find and feel comfortable with your website, you also need to localize content. And the best way to do this is to incorporate search engine optimization (SEO) into the translation process.
What is transcreation?
Clients, particularly in a marketing and advertising department, sometimes request that a translation be “adapted” to a local audience so that it takes into account local culture. When we probe, we learn that these requests mean that clients want us to do more than just “translate the words”. They want us to go beyond that and ensure the translation has the same emotional impact as the original source text – this is transcreation. Transcreation is a mix of translation, copywriting and, potentially, localization to create copy in a target language. It is copywriting in another language, but based on a source text. Sometimes, a client will ask to address non-translation elements like color and images, which brings an element of localization into the transcreation task.
The importance of culture in translations
Culture is, at its most basic definition, the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people, encompassing language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts…. To effectively communicate across cultural boundaries and to ensure that the audience has full understanding, translators need to take many elements into consideration. Key to this is making sure that the content is regionally suitable.
The level of importance professional language translation companies place on cultural considerations shouldn’t be underestimated. When left out of language translation processes, it can result – at a minimum – in miscommunication, hilarity or embarrassment. Depending on the type of faux-pas, brand reputation can be negatively affected and even more serious – legal action may ensue. This article discusses the importance of culture in translations.
When can website translation improve google search ranking?
A great website that gets results for business provides readily understandable and well-organized information that is relevant and important to your target audience. Equally important is that it employs Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tactics to help that target audience find your website.
If your website is fully optimized but your Google rankings and traffic aren’t improving, then what could you be missing?
