expertSEM

The Google Webmaster Central blog introduced the new “Translate my page” gadget today.  According to the article, “The [free] gadget will be rendered in the user’s language, so if they come to your page and can’t understand anything else, they’ll be able to read the gadget, and translate your page into their language.” The gadget can translate all the languages supported by Google. Really? Sounds amazing!

While amazing in theory, unfortunately the gadget is based on the unreliable translation functionality of the Google Translate tool. By Google or anyone else, I have yet to find a really solid online translation tool. A direct word-by-word electronic translation, by nature, cannot account for differences in grammar and usage between two languages. The result is awkward and often silly. As one Google blog reader comments, “I like it. It’s very funny. ‘Helping you break the language barrier’ is translated into Croatian as ‘Possibility to break tongue ramp’.” 

That said, here are some ways in which I think this tool could be useful:

1. Hey, it’s a free service. Niche website with a small budget? No problem.

2. With an analytics package in place, you could see how hot the gadget is through a heat map.  This could be used as an indicator of whether to invest in a full site translation.

3. Say you already have data, for example, that 30% of your clients are Spanish-speaking Hispanics. You could place the gadget on your site with a note saying that a full Spanish translation is in process and visitors should stay tuned for updates. Spanish-speaking visitors are likely to actually return, to appreciate the sincerity of your effort, and perhaps reward you with their brand loyalty later.

So while this translation gadget is a cool feature that could be a step in the right direction, it shouldn’t be confused with a solution. To make a real and lasting connection with your multi-lingual audience, it’s far better to invest in a proper, professional translation.  The effort will not go unnoticed.