expertSEM

Though Hispanics are the fastest growing minority population, certain areas are more heavily populated by U.S. Hispanics than others. Examples of these densely-populated areas at the state level include California, Arizona and Texas, and at a more local level—major metropolitan areas like Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, etc.

1. For a locally based business, such as a pastelería or a caterer specializing in traditional Latin American recipes, one would first want to make sure they are using the appropriate vocabulary for whatever segment of the Hispanic population they are catering to. (While this next part may be an overly familiar example for those of us in touch with Hispanic culture(s), it’s a good one for beginners because it illustrates the point well.) The Spanish word for cake can be anything from torta to bizcocho to pastel to queque – y más – in Latin America. The advertiser must also be wary that torta can mean cake in Argentina but also means sandwich in Mexico. To hone in on a particular Hispanic segment, the keyword builder would want to choose wisely. For example, if a caterer in New York City specializes in tortas from Argentina that should be the base term on which to build out a keyword list and it should also be the focus of ad copy. But if the caterer is well-skilled in Latin American cuisine and familiar with different traditional recipes from several countries, the keyword portfolio should cast a wider net by including various, yet relevant, terms. Ad copy should be broader as well.

2. Geo-modifying can also help pre-qualify your searchers, as is the case with general audience search engine marketing. I’ve noticed an interesting trend in Spanish, however, that differentiates this technique from English. Through a Phrase Match Report, which reveals the exact search terms typed in and how they compare to the keywords I am bidding on, I’ve seen Hispanic searchers often type in local searches like “hipotecas en denver” (mortgages in Denver). No surprise, that’s how I’d search in English, you’re thinking. Well, I’ve also seen searches such as “hipotecas en eeuu” (mortgages in United States) or “licenciatura online en usa” (online degree in the USA).

That part is factual, but if you’ll allow me to make an inference: To me searches that are geo-modified by country are the type of search I might make in a foreign country. Broad geo-modified searches lead me to surmise that these are the more newly arrived Hispanics, who perhaps are not settled in one city yet, or perhaps still associate themselves with another geographic location. Again, this is just an inference, but a logical one. However, the more important takeaway here is that if you want to effectively target all Hispanics, you should be covered on all variations that are appropriate for your business. If you are engaging in online Hispanic marketing, these two tips will help you to reach a more qualified audience and avoid ostracizing (unintentionally, of course) searchers.