Digital Marketing and iSEO: Targeting the Swedish Market
iSEO is becoming increasingly important if you want to succeed in the Swedish market. It’s not enough to “translate your digital marketing content to Swedish anymore. Anyone wanting to reach customers in Sweden needs to “transcreate” their digital marketing and focus on iSEO. That means ranking well requires both a real understanding of what goes into Google’s algorithm and some knowledge of the cultural differences that influence how the Swedish live and shop online.
What Google Wants to See from Your iSEO
Before you dive into the SEO work, it’s essential to understand what Google is trying to do when it ranks websites. A lot of SEOs chase after the current algorithm. This leads to the development of short-sighted, low-effort strategies that become ineffective when search engines catch on. At the end of the day, Google wants one thing: happy customers. This is why they regularly update their formulas and use smart technologies to reflect the human decision-making process better.
Above all else, search engines want to reward sites that showcase expertise with well-written content that answers potential clients’ questions. Anything done to avoid providing real solutions, such as opting for straight translation or skipping the research stage, is likely to dampen your results. This is true no matter where you operate—including Sweden.
To ensure a successful digital marketing strategy in Sweden, you need to:
- Do Your Keyword Research: Keyword usage varies from location to location, even in areas where people speak the same language. Individuals in the southwestern United States, for example, sometimes look for “heater repair” when they’re trying to get their furnace fixed. See what terms work in your new market and see if your translator can accommodate them. With almost a quarter of Sweden’s population coming from outside the country, there are many cultural nuances to consider. An iSEO expert with cultural knowledge and linguistic skills can also help you with this.
- Look at Your Competitors: While no one wants to be a copycat, it’s a good idea to examine your competition’s SEO performance in your target market. Are they doing well? How much traffic are they getting? What phrases are they ranking for? Knowing the answers to these questions can help you develop a strategy for entering new markets.
- Hire a Professional Transcreator: When it comes to iSEO, simple translations are rarely enough. Just because a term works well in your home country doesn’t mean it will work abroad. For example, Americans are more likely to use the word “running shoes” for athletic footwear, while the British would be searching for “trainers.” This difference becomes starker when you cross the language barrier.
Things to Consider When It Comes to Sweden and iSEO
I’ve run into clients that thought they already had an SEO strategy for the Swedish market. Some of them had already spent on a subpar translation and a .se domain. But when I looked under the hood, the content was not up to par. They were using terms in ways that no Swedish speaker ever would. Or, trying to rely on fluffy, flowery language to make a sale—something that doesn’t work well in a country known for being upfront and moderate.
To help make things easier, I’ve broken down some key things you need to keep in mind when attempting Swedish iSEO:
- High Internet Adoption Rates: The Swedish people, known for their technological openness, took to the internet like ducks to water. An article from 2019 found that 98% of Swedish have access to the internet, and 95% use it regularly. Furthermore, half of the Swedish population uses a digital mailbox since it leads to quicker tax payments. This has allowed the government to reap efficiency gains and reduce paper consumption. It also makes things like spam mail less effective. So, you can’t afford to skimp on virtual marketing when it comes to capturing their wallets.
- Sweden’s SEO Industry Is Now Beginning to Fracture: Like the US, Sweden has had companies working with iSEO since the beginning. These juggernauts of digital marketing still make their voices heard, but their grasp on the market is slowly loosening. Many website companies are now including SEO in their digital marketing packages. But it’s important to note that not all of them do it well—especially when the content has to be translated. It’s often best to hire a transcreator with knowledge of iSEO instead of first doing the translation and then reach out for web services after the content is done.
- Flowery Messages Aren’t Effective: Swedes tend to prefer factual information to marketing fluff and banter. We don’t care about the useless buzzwords that clutter your content and aren’t convinced by pretty, contrived slogans. Instead, we emphasize practical information like battery capacity, measuring size, and verified studies.
- Their Profile Is Worth Looking At: The average Swede spends about 150 euros a month on online shopping, according to Delante. Before making a purchase, 53% of Swedes carefully analyze the information permitted to them. Almost one-fifth of them go so far as to visit a brick and mortar store. When investigating, they value transparency and demand high-quality products. Things hidden behind a paywall or demo aren’t likely to entice them.
- They Google First: Almost 97% of Swedes use the Google.se website to conduct searches. While Bing and Yahoo do have a presence, it’s minimal at best. So, to keep yourself from being too scattered, it’s often best to focus solely on Google and its algorithm. The work you put into Bing and other smaller search engines is usually not worth the return.
- Mobile First: Even before mobile phones became extensions of our arms, the Swedes used them to make regular purchases. That means that sites should not only be optimized for mobile but designed with it in mind. Enable AMP and speed test regularly to ensure your products are visible on slower connections. With how many Swedes have access to fiber-optic internet, this is likely to become less of a concern.
- Unique Demographics: While you might go to Sweden looking to capture the attention of natives, around a quarter of the population is from outside the country. Additionally, residents of Norway and other Nordic states often visit Sweden to find great sales offers. This means that you must take a locational approach to iSEO in Sweden—not just a language-based one.
Are You Looking for an English-to-Swedish Transcreator to help you with transcreation and iSEO for the Swedish market?
Though both the US and Sweden are technologically forward countries with a high mobile adoption rate, you won’t succeed in the latter if you cut corners and rely on cheap translation or localization. You need to take the time to analyze the market and find the perfect keywords for your target persona. With my certificates in “SEO Fundamentals” and “Mobile, International, and Local SEO” from SEMrush, I’m qualified to help you do both. I can also take things a step further and provide transcreated Swedish content that aligns with your marketing goals.
To discuss this further or get a quote for your Swedish iSEO solution, please reach out to me by email.
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