5 Translation and Localization Trends for 2023

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Written By Berry Mathew

As the global market enters the second quarter of 2023, the translation and localization industry is already changing the way it works. These translation and localization companies are on the verge of advancements and shifts, unlike any other experience in the past. As businesses embrace the shifting trends, the translation and localization industry is seeking innovative ways to stay updated and relevant.

With advancing technology comes the need for connectivity, and increasing digitalization opens up vast opportunities for this connectivity. Businesses are no longer confined to their native countries, they are entering new markets and experimenting with innovative ways to achieve success. Translation and localization have always been the tools that have helped global companies in their internationalization growth.

Interestingly, this translation and localization industry is now experiencing huge changes that are likely to impact the future of this industry as well. Let us look at a few of these trends.

What the Future Holds for Translation and Localization Industry

Trend #1: AI-based Computer Assisted Translation and Machine Translation Post-Editing

One of the biggest trends likely to impact the translation and localization industry is AI-based translation along with post-editing services.

Machine translation has become more accurate and efficient these days, thanks to the improvement in neural machine translation (NMT). Today, industries providing, say, software localization services, use machine translation to assist them in their work.

The rise of neural machine translation has pushed companies to use AI translation services to generate multiple texts. However, the post-editing services still require the intervention of human translators to handle complicated texts, documents, and projects. 

In the past few years, one trend that has been shaping the translation industry is the rise in the use of Machine Translation Post-Editing (MTPE). This MTPE refers to the editing and reviewing of automatic results of the machine translation tools. Combined with careful editing by certified language experts, MTPE is likely to grow in 2023.

Trend #2: Rise of E-learning Platforms

Before the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020, e-learning platforms were a part of the education industry, albeit a little one. As the pandemic spread, the e-learning industry has reared its head to its full potential, with universities and colleges providing e-learning programs abundantly across the globe. 

One of the greatest advantages of e-learning tools is that anyone can get access to it, irrespective of the region they belong to. With the rise in e-learning programs,website localization services are adopting new ways to make e-learning programs available to a larger global audience. 

According to Forbes, the online education market may reach 325 billion USD by 2025. Considering this trend, organizations have a great opportunity to tailor their content to reach multiple audiences. Video translation in e-learning programs is a good way to get access to millions of students and employees across the globe in a short time. This trend is likely to gain momentum in the future as well. 

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Trend #3: Growth of Transcreation and Technical Translation

The need and growing demand for personalized content have driven the need for transcreation and technical translation in recent times transcreation refers to a specialized form of translation that adapts a message from one language to another while maintaining the original meaning and impact. Marketing companies are increasingly hiring app localization services that use transcreation to display their brand messages in their apps that are used globally. 

Along with transcreation, one other trend that has witnessed growth in the past few years is technical translation. This type of translation involves technical documents of high complexity, such as user manuals and applications.

With the increasing need for translation accuracy, transcreation alongside technical translation is likely to gain popularity in 2023 and beyond. 

Click here – Best Practices for Translating and Localizing E-Learning Content

Trend #4: Development in Multilingual SEO strategies

As markets extend beyond physical borders, businesses must strive to achieve excellence in their multilingual SEO strategies. These multilingual SEO strategies are an efficient and cost-effective way to amplify search rankings in multiple languages. Some multilingual SEO strategies which are likely to increase in 2023 are:

  • Technical SEO: includes website analysis and targeting, based on location and language
  • Off-page SEO: Translation of reviews, link building, social media localization efforts, and local SEO
  • On-page SEO: refers to local keyword optimization, translation, localization of trends, and adaptation of websites to suit the preferences of the target markets.

Multilingual SEO allows companies to create localized content for each target market. This trend is likely to increase in 2023 as more companies aim to reach out to global customers. Take the example of mobile app localization services, that use SEO strategies to track mobile users’ preferences and translate app data accordingly. 

Trend #5: Demand for Cheaper and Faster Translation Market

The translation market is expanding with every passing year, owing largely to the influx of global brands. As these brands and companies seek out new markets for growth and expansion, a cheap and faster translation market is the need of the hour.

Translation and localization companies are now adopting machine translation and AI-powered tools to achieve accuracy in translation. As machine translation is an affordable and fast alternative to human translation, more companies are embracing this technology to achieve precision in translation. Whether a translation company delivers app localization or ecommerce translation services, cheaper and faster translation methods are likely to grow in 2023 and beyond. 

Key Takeaway

The translation and localization industry is growing and amplifying every year, thanks to an increase in the number of companies expanding beyond their local borders. As technology advances and new ways are adopted to achieve accuracy in translation, the year 2023 looks promising for the translation and localization industry.