Translating your blog text can be a great way to attract more users from the world. If you have an internationally relevant blog, and you have traffic mainly from the English-speaking countries, then you definitely have to add a translation widget to your blog. And the best one available out there is definitely Google Translate.
W3C Valid Google Translate Code
The problem with Google translate code is that it doesn’t validate to W3C Consortium’s coding standards. So, it can induce some errors in your page, if you add it directly. Having a valid code definitely helps in terms of SEO. So, here I have edited the code to make it valid:
Copy and paste this code to your blog’s sidebar to have a W3C valid Google Translate widget:
Bookmark this page and always come back to get the code.
Placement of Translation Widget
It is always better to place the translation widget somewhere on the top of the page, perhaps nearer to your title as a small widget. My placement here on the sidebar is rather bad and inconspicuous. This widget, though doesn’t help your blog rank higher in other language search results, definitely helps the users from non-English-speaking countries.
As in all translation widgets, Google translate is not perfect. It’s just a machine that makes pure blunders in translation at times. However, it can convey the idea within your articles fairly well in other languages and help you get some international readers.
Copyright © Lenin Nair 2008
W3C Valid Google Translate Code
The problem with Google translate code is that it doesn’t validate to W3C Consortium’s coding standards. So, it can induce some errors in your page, if you add it directly. Having a valid code definitely helps in terms of SEO. So, here I have edited the code to make it valid:
Copy and paste this code to your blog’s sidebar to have a W3C valid Google Translate widget:
<script src=http://www.gmodules.com/ig/ifr?url=http://www.google.com/ig/modules/translatemypage.xml&up_source_language=en&w=160&h=60&title=&border=&output=js></script>
Bookmark this page and always come back to get the code.
Placement of Translation Widget
It is always better to place the translation widget somewhere on the top of the page, perhaps nearer to your title as a small widget. My placement here on the sidebar is rather bad and inconspicuous. This widget, though doesn’t help your blog rank higher in other language search results, definitely helps the users from non-English-speaking countries.
As in all translation widgets, Google translate is not perfect. It’s just a machine that makes pure blunders in translation at times. However, it can convey the idea within your articles fairly well in other languages and help you get some international readers.
Copyright © Lenin Nair 2008
Lenin, thanks for the tip! I put Google Translate on my blog using your code and I'm really pleased-though it obviously does make blunders it is WAY better than the translator I used to have(I'm a translator myself and I notice the difference), Babelfish,and unlike the latter it allows the blog to be translated in several languages. Great!
ReplyDeleteFor us professional bloggers (in my case my tarot blog is one of the pillars of my other professsion, tarot reader) your tips are invaluable. Keep up the good work!!
Hi Rozonda, thanks very much for the comment. It's quite some time since I have read such a passionate comment. Keep reading.
ReplyDeleteGlad I found your site. God bless you for posting the code to copy--so simple and the explanation for it is appreciated...
ReplyDeleteVanessa, it's my pleasure. Thanks for the comment.
ReplyDelete