With over 900 million internet users, India’s online market presents incredible opportunities for businesses looking to tap into a rapidly growing digital economy. As the second-largest market in the world, trailing only China, its user base continues to increase year after year. This ongoing expansion gives companies a greater chance of reaching this new international audience and boosting their organic traffic.
However, search engine optimization (SEO) in India does have its quirks, as the country is home to several hundred languages. Tapping into this region’s potential requires understanding the nuances of how users in India search, engage, and interact with content.
Using digital marketing strategies like multilingual SEO allows brands to capture the attention of users who aren’t first-language experts of the primary language in their market. Whether through link building, driving organic traffic with local keywords, or working with global SEO experts, businesses investing in SEO strategies for India can position themselves to meet this growing demand.
7 tips for an effective search engine optimization strategy in India
India is one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse countries on Earth, making it hard for even SEO experts to build a generalized search engine optimization approach. Fortunately, you can employ a few strategies to break into this up-and-coming market.
1. Use local languages to help Indian consumers discover your content
India’s language diversity is enormous, with over 22 officially recognized languages and hundreds of regional dialects. Primary languages include Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil and Urdu. Consider using SEO services to localize your content to effectively reach these audiences.
Research shows that 76% of online shoppers prefer buying products with information in their primary language, and 40% will not buy from websites in other languages. Without localization and keyword research, your website ranking will remain low in search results, leaving your pages undiscovered by a large portion of the market. Even if your search engine rankings are high, users are less likely to engage or make purchases if the content isn’t in their preferred language.
A website with a multilingual SEO strategy may rank higher in search results, but localization and adaptation can further ensure relevance with local audiences. Smartling’s localization solutions and translation services help ensure your content remains SEO-optimized and relevant across global markets, all while combining advanced AI and human expertise for cost-effective, efficient translation workflows.
By leveraging Smartling translations alongside SEO services, businesses can streamline their localization processes, increase page traffic, and effectively engage India’s diverse online population.
2. Optimize your website for mobile-first indexing
India is all about mobile optimization, with over 700 million people using smartphones in 2023. In fact, about 77% of web traffic in India comes from mobile phones as of 2024. This is much higher than the global average, making SEO in India heavily mobile-focused. The trend is even more apparent among younger users, who rely on their phones for everything from Google searches to e-commerce shopping.
In addition, Google now uses a “mobile-first index,” meaning it prioritizes your mobile site when ranking search results. Your rankings and page traffic will suffer if your site isn’t optimized for smartphones. Your business could miss out on reaching millions of Indian users.
Here’s how to ensure your site is mobile-friendly:
- Use a responsive design: Your site should prioritize user experience regardless of screen size.
- Speed it up: Compress images, reduce redirects, and ensure pages load fast, especially for users with slower connections.
- Make navigation simple: Menus and buttons should be easy to use on smaller screens.
3. Build quality backlinks
Focusing on local backlinks can be especially helpful for companies looking to add new SEO strategies to their Indian presence. Backlinks are among the most effective ways to boost your rankings and drive organic traffic on search engines. They function as votes of confidence from other websites, showing Google your site is trustworthy and valuable.
Partnering with regional blogs, news outlets, or influencers ensures your links resonate with local audiences. For example, if you run a restaurant services app, links to your website from food bloggers in Mumbai or Delhi can help drive targeted traffic.
Just remember, quality matters more than quantity. Focus on links from sites that are relevant to your industry to signal to Google that your content is worth ranking higher.
4. Optimize for voice search
Voice search is booming in India. According to Google, Indian users employ voice search almost twice as often as the global average. This surge is fueled by several factors. Some users prefer voice search to avoid typing lengthy queries, while others find it faster or more convenient.
Businesses that adapt their keyword research to include voice-friendly keywords in their content will increase their page traffic and achieve a stronger online presence. Focusing on conversational, long-tail keywords that mimic users’ natural speech can boost your search results. With Google Assistant now supporting nine major Indian languages, including Hindi, Bengali, and Punjabi, incorporating voice search into your Indian SEO strategies is more vital than ever.
5. Focus on local SEO to connect with nearby customers
Local SEO strategies on Google help businesses target specific regions in India, increasing their online presence. Indian users often include regional terms in their searches, so businesses must target these keywords to optimize for local SEO.
Start by creating location-specific landing pages. Include relevant local SEO keywords in these pages to help attract and engage users in specific regions. These adjustments, frequently used by the best search engine optimization companies in India, help your business increase page traffic and improve search engine rankings. Nearby customers can more easily find and choose your services.
6. Use social media marketing
Social media usage is growing worldwide, and India is no exception. In January 2024, India had over 470 million social media users, equating to 33% of the total population. With plenty of room to grow, companies should consider incorporating social media marketing into their SEO strategy.
Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube are highly popular among Indian users, making them important channels for increasing organic page traffic and online presence. The way people engage with content on these platforms—through likes, shares, and comments—indirectly impacts your search engine rankings by increasing brand visibility and website visits.
7. Leverage Google’s dominance and Android’s reach in India
In India, Google is the most widely used search engine, powering nearly 98% of all online searches as of October 2024. Coupled with the fact that Android dominates the mobile market, optimizing for Google’s ecosystem will help your brand get more exposure. Ensure your website is fully compatible with Android devices and optimized for Google page traffic—like supporting fast-loading AMP pages. This will increase your visibility to India’s massive mobile-first audience.
Maximize your SEO strategy for Indian markets with Smartling
Scaling multilingual SEO in India doesn’t have to be complicated. Smartling’s localization platform and solutions simplify the process, combining AI-powered translation with human expertise to help businesses create content that connects with Indian audiences across many languages.
Our Translation Management System (TMS) streamlines workflows, ensures consistent quality, and supports real-time collaboration across teams. With Smartling, you can efficiently translate and localize content for India’s multilingual audience, providing the cultural relevance needed to make an impact. Your brand can connect with users in their preferred language while maintaining the quality and consistency required for successful SEO optimization.
Want to take your localization efforts to the next level? Download the “Ultimate Guide to Translating Your Marketing Materials” eBook to become an SEO expert. It’s a practical resource for businesses looking to refine their SEO strategies. You’ll find actionable steps for using translation and localization to boost your website’s ranking, increase organic traffic, and increase your visibility on Google.
