Marketing and the factors to measure international success

We talked about transcreation, globalization and international markets, and now we arrive at the grand finale: measuring success.

Success is the motivator to implement new things and to alter existing infrastructures. Measuring marketing success for original content versus adapted¹ content requires a combination of shared and distinct metrics. While some core performance indicators apply to both, adapted content introduces additional factors such as cultural relevance, linguistic accuracy and regional engagement.

Shared metrics for original and translated content

When measuring marketing success, it’s like checking if your party is a hit or a flop. Engagement metrics are your guest list: are people showing up (page views), sticking around (time on page) and not bolting for the door (bounce rate)? If they’re commenting or sharing, you know you’re throwing a good bash. Moving to conversion metrics, it’s all about the action. Are your guests taking the bait (CTR), signing up for more fun (lead generation) and actually making purchases (sales/revenue)? SEO performance tells you if your content is easy to find. Are the different search engines sending traffic your way and are others recommending you (backlinks)? Finally, customer sentiment and brand perception are your rave reviews. Are people happy with the content, is it easing their pain (customer support) and is it getting talked about (brand mentions)? Keep an eye on these metrics and you’ll know if you’re hosting a successful global fiesta or just playing to an empty room.

Here an overview of the shared metrics that are both applicable to original and translated content:

Engagement metrics 

• Page views/sessions – How many people are visiting the content?
• Time on page/session duration – Are users spending time engaging with the content?
• Bounce rate – Are visitors leaving immediately or engaging further?
• Social shares and comments – Are people interacting with and sharing the content?

Conversion metrics

• Click-through rate (CTR) – Are users clicking CTAs in blog posts, landing pages or emails?
• Lead generation (e.g. sign-ups, downloads) – Is the content driving potential customers?
• Sales/revenue impact – Are conversions leading to purchases or subscriptions?

SEO performance

• Organic search traffic – How well does the content rank in search engines?
• Keyword rankings – Are the targeted keywords driving traffic?
• Backlinks – Are other websites linking to the content?

Customer sentiment + brand perception

• User feedback and surveys – Are audiences satisfied with the content?
• Customer support impact – Has the content reduced customer inquiries? Do the adapted versions generate the same or fewer inquiries than the English one?
• Brand mentions – How often is the content referenced in discussions?

Additional metrics for adapted content

When you’re going global, it’s like throwing a party in multiple countries at once. Language-specific engagement is your guest list check: Are people from different regions as into the content as the original crowd? Are they leaving early or are complaints ruining the vibe? Cultural adaptation is your theme. Does your content actually click with locals or does it fall flat like a badly timed joke? Are they liking it on social media or grumbling to customer support? SEO and discoverability adjustments help make sure people can actually find your party. Are your keywords hitting the mark and are your search engines optimized for the region? Finally, market-specific conversions are your success stories. Are your translated pages converting just as well as the originals or are they abandoning carts like party guests who showed up just for the snacks? Keep an eye on these and you’ll know if your international marketing is thriving or needs a serious re-do!

Here an overview of the additional metrics for adapted content:

Language-specific engagement + usability

• Adapted engagement rates – Are users from different regions interacting similarly to the original audience?
• Drop-off rates by region – Are adapted versions underperforming compared to the original?
• Error reports and complaints – Are there usability or linguistic issues affecting engagement?

Cultural adaptation + resonance

• Sentiment analysis by region – Does the content resonate with local audiences?
• Social listening – How are different linguistic audiences responding to the messaging?
• Customer support tickets after adapting content for other markets – Did the adaptation cause confusion or create misinterpretations?

SEO + discoverability adjustments

• Region-specific keyword performance – Are adapted search terms effective?
• Search engine market differences – Are adapted versions optimized for regionally dominant search engines (e.g. Baidu for China, Naver in South Korea)?

Market-specific conversion rates

• Conversion rate by language/region – Are adapted versions converting at similar or different rates?
• Checkout abandonment rates (e-commerce) – Are adaptation issues impacting purchasing behavior?
• Regional revenue growth – Is adapted content driving growth in specific markets?

Here a quick overview for you of the key differences in metrics when comparing original vs. adapted content:

Metric	Original content	Adapted content
SEO performance	Based on primary language and market	Must be adapted to regional search trends and algorithms
Engagement rates	Reflects audience familiar with the brand	Can vary due to cultural differences and translation quality
Conversion rates	Baseline for performance	May be higher or lower depending on adaptation effectiveness
Keyword rankings	Focused on primary language keywords	Requires region-specific keyword research
Sentiment analysis	Based on original tone and messaging	Can shift based on cultural and linguistic nuances
Social shares	Measured in a single market/language	Different social platforms may dominate per region

In short, measuring marketing success for original vs. adapted content is like comparing a home-cooked meal to its international spin-off – same recipe, but the seasoning needs tweaking. While core metrics apply across the board, adapted content throws in extra spice, like cultural quirks. If your adapted content flops, don’t just blame the translator. Maybe your jokes didn’t land, your keywords got lost in translation or your CTA sounds like a Shakespearean sonnet. The key? Adapt, test and remember: what works in one market might need a whole new recipe elsewhere!

And this, my friends, concludes the miniseries “Marketing and ….”. We hope you enjoyed the posts! Keep returning to our blog, we have more interesting content coming up!

Overview of the “Marketing and …” series:
Marketing and the globalization factor
Marketing and transcreation
Marketing and the importance of international markets
Marketing and the extra steps to take to embrace other markets
Marketing and achieving the best results for international markets
Marketing and the factors to measure international success

1. Adaptation refers to adjusting content beyond translation – including language, culture, formatting and user expectations – so it feels natural and relevant in the target market. ↩︎