The upcoming translation trends in 2019

5 Translation Trends to Look Out for in 2019

The translation and localisation industry will see extensive growth over the next few years as more and more businesses of every size choose to expand their operations abroad. Forecasts suggest that the global translation industry could be worth an estimated $56 billion by 2021, with a number of emerging technologies and trends helping to fuel that growth.

Here are five translation trends that we expect to drive the translation and localisation service industry over the next year.

1. Artificial intelligence will become more widespread

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming more mainstream and influencing a much wider range of business functions. AI in translation is nothing new, but it is expected to grow rapidly over the next year. One of the main advantages of AI in translation is its ability to understand linguistic nuances that other forms of machine translation might miss. Website chatbots that are available in limitless languages is one area where we expect to see significant growth.

2. Video localisation is set to surge

The power of video online is indisputable, with 80 percent of all the online content posted in 2019 expected to be in the form of videos. When businesses have invested in producing high-quality videos, many will quite rightly choose to use localisation services to make sure those videos are seen by customers and clients in as many of their target markets as possible.

3. Machine translation combined with human editing is on the rise

At Linguistica International, we’re not the biggest fans of machine translation when used as a standalone translation tool, simply because the results are not of the quality we’d want to put in front of customers and clients.

However, we’re the first to admit that when it’s combined with human editing and proofreading, machine translation does have its place. If you have a significant number of translations, such as product descriptions, that you want to be performed quickly, and a limited budget, then combining the two can represent a viable solution.

Over the next year, we expect to see a rise in the use of neural machine translation, which uses network-based technology to produce more contextually accurate translations. This, combined with a human editor, can create accurate, culturally relevant translations.

4. More companies will choose to globalise

Research from the Institute of Export and International Trade has found that more businesses are seeking expansion opportunities overseas than ever before. Selling to EU countries remains the most popular trade route for UK businesses (we’ll see whether that changes over the next year or two), but China, India, Indonesia and Vietnam are also proving to be popular markets in 2019.

5. Translation services will generate an improved ROI

With more and more businesses opening up to markets overseas, translation companies are continuing to refine their services and processes and deliver more cost-effective work than ever before. They are using all the available resources and tools to generate the best possible return on investment for their clients. This includes the following:

  • Computer-assisted translation – We create a database that keeps track of repeated phrases, sentences and industry-specific terms so human translators know exactly how to translate those words. Automating part of the process in this way saves time and reduces a business’s costs.
  • Cloud collaboration – Collaborating on the cloud ensures the individual elements of a project move much more quickly and seamlessly than they would via email.
  • Internationalisation – Internationalisation is the process of producing software and applications in a way that simplifies localisation for foreign markets. That can save businesses significant time and money further down the line.

Partner with Linguistica International in 2019

We can cater for all of your translation, localisation, copywriting and proofreading requirements in more than 200 languages. All of the work is completed by native-speaking professional translators with more than five years’ experience. Join the likes of Orange, Manchester United and Santander and partner with Linguistica International in 2019.

How to create a internationally visible website using multilingual SEO

Multilingual SEO: Creating an Internationally Visible Website in 2019

Nothing stays the same; everything must change. Nowhere is that truer than in the rapidly evolving world of SEO.

To borrow from screamingfrog.co.uk, search engine optimisation, commonly known as SEO, is:

‘The practice of increasing the number and quality of visitors to a website by improving rankings in the algorithmic search engine results.’

Research shows that websites on the first page of Google receive 95 percent of the clicks for the search term the user entered. The higher up the results your website appears, the more clicks and traffic you’ll receive.

The trouble with SEO is that it’s an extremely fast-changing discipline. Google can, and does, change what it thinks makes a ‘good’ website on a whim, and if you’re not meeting those new parameters, your once high-flying website could be banished to the bottom of the pile, leaving you with no traffic, no enquiries and no friends ☹.

So, to keep you up to date with Google’s latest whimsies, we’ve produced this guide to multilingual SEO in 2019.

1. In-depth keyword research is a must

No matter what language you’re operating in, in-depth keyword research is the foundation of every visible website. You need to know exactly what terms consumers in your target market use to search online for the products or services you offer. Simply translating the keyword research you have done for your original site will not do. Even countries that speak the same language can use different terms to describe the same things.

As a quick example, a website optimised for the term ‘flip flops’ might do brilliantly in the UK, but use the same term in Australia, where they’re called ‘thongs’, or New Zealand, where they’re known as ‘jandals’, and you’ll receive very little traffic at all.

2. Cater to the popular search engines in each market

Google might call the shots in most of the world, but there are a number of exceptions, perhaps most notably in China, where other search engines are on top. If you’re creating a website for the Chinese market, then you must take the time to understand the SEO requirements to rank well on Baidu. Similarly, in Russia, it’s Yandex’s boxes that you need to tick. Fail to customise your SEO accordingly and you’ll be left behind.

3. Mobile search and voice search are HOT in 2019

SEO experts expect voice search to be a big deal in 2019. To futureproof your site, you should consider optimising your site for voice search in the languages spoken by your target markets now.

There’s nothing new about mobile search, and if your website isn’t already optimised for users on mobile phones, you’re missing out on a huge proportion of the market. In the US, 41 percent of all web traffic comes from mobile phones. In Asia, that jumps to 65 percent. Talk to your website design team about responsive design, which will ensure that your website works just as well on small screens as it does on desktop computers and tablets.

4. Get it right technically

A big part of your multilingual SEO strategy should be to look at the technical elements of your site. It’s important that you signal to Google that you have multilingual versions of the same website. The best way to do that is to use different URLs for every version of the site. It’s also important that you use hreflang tags correctly to send people to content in their own language.

Get expert advice from our team

At Linguistica International, our translation, transcreation and copywriting services help you optimise your website for all the languages you want to do business in. Give us a call on 02392 987 765 or email info@linguistica-international.com to discuss your project.