13 Sep
In today’s globalized digital world, optimizing your SEO strategy for different languages is key to expanding your reach. If you’re targeting multiple markets or different languages, you likely face the challenge of translating keywords into different languages without losing their SEO effectiveness. One simple way to achieve this is by using the GOOGLETRANSLATE formula in Google Sheets. In this article, we’ll explore how you can use this formula to translate keywords into multiple languages and upload them to SEO tools like Ahrefs to discover new keyword opportunities.
Why Translated Keywords Matter for SEO
Optimizing for international markets requires more than just translating your content—you also need to ensure you’re using the correct keywords. By translating your English keywords into other languages, you can identify search terms that resonate with local users. However, it’s important to note that automated translations, especially for keywords, are not always perfect. Still, a rough translation can help you uncover hidden gems that you may not have considered initially.
Step 1: Prepare Your Keyword List
Start by compiling your list of English keywords along with their search volume in a Google Sheet. Let’s say you have the following list of keywords:
| Keyword | Volume |
|---|---|
| vpn | 100,000 |
| free vpn | 75,000 |
| vpn free | 50,000 |
These are the search volumes for English-speaking markets, but you want to explore how these keywords perform in other languages.
Step 2: Use the GOOGLETRANSLATE Formula
To translate your keywords into another language, use the GOOGLETRANSLATE function. The syntax for the formula is:
=GOOGLETRANSLATE(text, [source_language], [target_language])
text: The keyword you want to translate (e.g.,A1for “vpn”).[source_language]: The language code for the source language (e.g.,"en"for English).[target_language]: The language code for the target language (e.g.,"es"for Spanish).
Example:
If you want to translate “vpn” (cell A1) from English to Spanish, your formula would look like this:
=GOOGLETRANSLATE(A1, "en", "es")
You can apply this formula to the rest of your keywords to translate them all at once.
Step 3: Adjust for Translation Accuracy
It’s important to remember that the
GOOGLETRANSLATEfunction may not always be 100% accurate when it comes to SEO keywords. Direct translations may not consider nuances, local search intent, or commonly used phrases in the target language.
Example:
In some languages, “vpn gratis” might not be the most commonly searched term. Instead, users could be typing something slightly different. So, while this translation gives you a general idea, you’ll still need to verify it using an SEO tool like Ahrefs.
Step 4: Upload Translated Keywords into Ahrefs
After translating your keywords, the next step is to upload these terms into your SEO tool, such as Ahrefs, to gather more data about their performance.
- Export the translated keywords from Google Sheets.
- Upload the list into Ahrefs using the Keywords Explorer tool.
- Analyze search volume, keyword difficulty, and other SEO metrics for your newly translated keywords.
Step 5: Identify and Optimize Keyword Gems
Once you have uploaded the translated keywords, focus on:
- Keywords with high search volume and low competition.
- Keywords that may have multiple translation options.
- Regional trends or phrases that you might want to explore further.
You might discover that certain keywords in one language perform significantly better than their English counterparts, offering you a new opportunity for content creation or SEO optimization.
Conclusion
Translating keywords using GOOGLETRANSLATE in Google Sheets can provide you with a fast and easy way to expand your SEO efforts across multiple languages. While it’s important to remember that the translations may not always be perfect, this method gives you a rough starting point for exploring international keyword opportunities. With tools like Ahrefs, you can refine these translations and build an SEO strategy that resonates with local audiences.
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