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SEO Translation Finnish

As an agency for SEO translations in Finnish, we support you in your SEO strategy with regard to internationalization in the Finnish-speaking world. We do not rely on a literal translation of the content, but take into account the local requirements of the Finnish language. With MONDIS, your content will be properly noticed in the Finnish-speaking world.

Finnish language

What are the challenges of SEO translations in Finnish?

The Finnish language is considered one of the most difficult languages in the world. As a branch of the Finno-Ugric languages, it is closely related to Hungarian and Estonian. Finnish speakers are mainly found in the homeland, where some 4.9 million are familiar with it. In Sweden, Finnish is recognized as a minority language, and the language is also still spoken in parts of Estonia, in Finnmark in northern Norway, and in the northwestern Russian Republic of Karelia. There are two key challenges for SEO translation in Finnish. One is ensuring that all Finnish language areas are reached with the translation, and the other is the language itself. For example, Finnish has a complex morphophonology, 15 cases in total, and lacks grammatical genders. The last challenge can be ensured by a native speaker who is very familiar with all the subtleties of the language.

Localize Finnish SEO Texts

One of the biggest problems in Finnish are the local customs. Dialects and variations exist within the country that are known only to native speakers. In addition, there is the cross-national demarcation. For a company, it can be relevant to also reach Finnish speakers in Estonia, in the regions of Norway or even in Russia. With a Finnish SEO translation, the content must be localized accordingly. The individual language customs, user habits and customer needs must be taken into account, as well as the corresponding infrastructure. Access to goods and services must be guaranteed not only in Finland, but also in other language areas if they belong to the defined target groups. For companies, Finnish must be used to define exactly which markets are to be served, so that no false impressions or unfulfillable promises are created. If this were to occur, your brand or corporate image could be decisively damaged.

Finnish SEO Translations

What are the peculiarities of the Finnish language?

  • Cases: In contrast to the German language, where there are only four cases, there are 15 in Finnish. They partly take over the function of prepositions.
  • Agglutinative language: Finnish is a so-called “agglutinative language”, in which various grammatical features are marked by affixes (suffixes).
  • Articles: The Finnish language does not know definite and indefinite articles.
  • Declension types: In Finnish, the stems of nouns are declined while the endings remain the same.
  • Personal pronouns: When using the 3rd person, no distinction is made between masculine (he) and feminine (she) forms.
  • Number words: Starting from the basic numbers 1 to 10, the tens series are formed from 20 onwards by adding -kymmentä – i.e. “two tens” for 20 = “kaksikymmentä”.
  • Verbs: Finnish verbs use four tenses (present, imperfect, perfect and pluperfect) and four modes (indicative, conditional, imperative and potential).
  • Word order: In Finnish, sentence formation is oriented around subject – predicate – object.
  • No word for “have”: Finnish therefore uses a construction with olla “to be” and the adessive.

Keyword Research for Finnish

What to look for in countries with Finnish language?

For a target-oriented SEO translation in Finnish, it is necessary to carry out a comprehensive keyword research, which is oriented towards the respective target groups. In the process, corresponding dialects and language usages can emerge, which already make a different customer approach necessary within the country. In Finland, the majority of the population is concentrated in the south, around the capital Helsinki. As an international metropolis, it is subject to other language influences, and Anglicisms are often used. In other regions, however, this is less pronounced. In a high-quality translation, it is important to recognise the local differences and process them accordingly. Language differences are likely to be even more pronounced in individual countries. Finnish in Estonia, Russia or Norway as well as in Sweden is influenced by the respective national language. A mix of two languages is therefore not uncommon.

Which search engine is relevant for Finnish?

Not insignificant for the use is the use of the search engine to analyze user behavior. In Finland, Google dominates the market with a share of 97 percent. Thus, the country does not differ from European habits. The situation is similar with the use of alternative search engines. Bing with 1.4 percent, Yahoo with 0.6 percent and DuckDuckGo with 0.6 percent lead a shadowy existence. The share of the Russian search engine Yandex is unusual for a European country. The proximity to the neighbouring country and Russian-speaking inhabitants of Finland are responsible for these shares. Since Google is also dominant in Norway and Sweden, marketers can focus on the search engine giant from the USA. In Finland, on the other hand, Yandex must be included in the planning. 

Finnish language

The most important words and phrases for communicating in Finnish

FinnishEnglish
Hyvää huomentaGood morning
Paljon kiitoksiaThanks a lot
Mitä kuuluu?How are you?
Mikä sinun nimi on?What’s your name?
Mistä sinä tulet?/ Mistä sinä olet kotoisin?Where are you from?
Olen kotoisinI am from
Hei heiBye

E-commerce in Finland

Online Marketing and Search Engine Optimization in Finland

Finland presents itself as a very modern country in the field of online marketing and e-commerce. Around 95 percent of Finns use the Internet for various interests. Transactionally, about 95 percent of the women as well as 85 percent of the men act. The majority of Finnish citizens are therefore familiar with the Internet and can interact competently with online shops and websites. Finland ranks first in the Digital Economic and Social Index (DESI), which measures, among other things, the use of Internet services. In Finland, the demands on website operators are correspondingly high. Especially shops or services that are provided from abroad for the Finnish market should be familiar with the user behaviour. A SEO translation in Finnish should be geared towards user behaviour in addition to the local focus. The names of buttons and CTAs must be correct to build trust among Finns. Other content is based on high expectations, it should be of high quality and provide added value.

E-commerce & Customer Behaviour in Finland

Finnish users expect every company to have an informative Internet presence, as well as an exchange via a corresponding platform. Modern chat functions and contact options are welcomed. Internet use is focused on desktop computers, with a share of just over 50 percent, while around 40 percent use smartphones. Those who want to focus on social media alongside their corporate presence in the form of a website or shop should consider Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn in Finland. Existing, very successful online shops in the Scandinavian country are tori.fi, etuovi.com, verkkokauppa.com, oikotie.fi or gigantti.fi. It is interesting to note the most popular products or services online in Finland. These include digital music, food and personal care.

Tips for Finnish SEO Translations

What are the tips for very good Finnish SEO translations?

  • When doing keyword research, consider the different target markets that could be considered for a Finnish content. Sweden, Russia, Norway and Estonia are all possible candidates for Finnish content, in addition to Finland.
  • Conduct extensive keyword research in the target market to identify local differences. Let the research include the fact that influences from other language areas have some importance.
  • If you are planning with different target markets, texts and SEO translations should be specially optimised for them.
  • Rely on experienced agencies with native speakers for the target market. Finnish can vary locally, plus language influences from other countries and regions.
We translate your SEO texts into
  • Greek
  • Hindi
  • Hungarian
  • Icelandic
  • Italian SEO Translation
  • Japanese
  • Korean
  • Latvian
  • Lithuanian
  • Luxembourgian
  • Macedonian
  • Malayan
  • Moldavian
  • Norwegian
Get in Touch

MONDIS provides professional SEO translations to make your website visible to international audiences

Michael Q

We adapt existing SEO texts for all desired languages and markets and advise on all factors affecting the visibility of your multilingual website in target markets.

Contact: Michael Quast, Managing Partner
Telephone: +49 30 48496622-0
Email: contact@mondis.de

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