SEO-Optimized Subtitle Translation Services – Best Practices

Put simply, audiovisual stands for sound and image and covers videos and films for entertainment and corporate purposes, TV series and documentaries. It can also apply to educational or training materials, multimedia presentations, and e-learning platforms.

Nowadays, businesses rely more on audiovisual content to promote their products or services on their websites and social media platforms. This content may include product demonstrations, support or explainer videos, tutorials, webinars, interviews and customer testimonial videos. Since many people watch videos on social media without sound, it's essential to add accurate subtitles to them. This has led to a high demand for professional subtitle translation services for multilingual audiences.

80% increase in the view-through rate when subtitles are applied to videos. (Tubular Insights)

Subtitle Translation Services for YouTube Video Content and TV

There are many important factors to consider when it comes to audiovisual translation. Translating dialogue for YouTube content or films must ensure viewers of different languages understand the nuances and can easily follow the plot. Linguistic correctness is essential for ensuring viewers from different countries can equally enjoy the film they are all watching. 

When it comes to film, TV, or YouTube subtitles, the text has to be localized and adapted to suit the culture of the viewers’ country. The sound may still play the original actors’ or presenters’ voices, so the quality subtitling must not distract the viewer. Special attention has to be paid to the length, spacing, and timing to ensure a seamless flow of understandable words on screen.

If you are a business, using subtitles can help you build trust in your brand because it will make your audiovisual more accessible to your international audience. When people can understand your videos, this will boost engagement on your online platforms. Consider subtitling video files on your website, social media, apps, and online stores. 

Tips for Effective Video Subtitles

Below are some important factors to consider when translating subtitle files. Remember about them when choosing a professional translation agency that offers captioning services.

• Timing is important. It is common knowledge that we process audio information faster than written text. This can create difficulty when adding subtitles to videos. If the sentences in the subtitles are too long, the viewer could struggle to keep up with the changing dialogue in the scene. There are various guidelines for creating suitable subtitles in a different language. This is why it is recommended to use professional subtitle translation services. Seasoned subtitlers know how to work with time-coded srt files.
  
• Length and spacing of subtitles. There are certain standards about how to create subtitles and closed captions that appear on screen, for example, this needs to be a maximum of two lines on the screen at any one time. Otherwise, viewers will be overwhelmed by the number of words, and they won't be able to follow the audiovisual. The difficulty here is that the number of characters will vary depending on the language being used.
  
• Localization is key. This is the process of using cultural references and nuances that make the subtitles easily understood by people who speak a different language. Localized movies, TV programs and videos are no longer just the remits of large companies like Netflix, BBC or Disney. Businesses are also increasingly making use of localization for videos used to promote their business online.
  
• Understand your video content and the viewers’ culture. It’s important to have a deep understanding of the viewers’ language and relevant cultural references. By reflecting typical expressions and linguistic nuances used in the original audiovisual, you can share the same jokes, puns, idioms and slang phrases with foreign speakers.
  
• SEO-Optimization. In the world of video content, simply translating subtitles is no longer sufficient. Nowadays, it is crucial to conduct a thorough keyword analysis before subtitling and seamlessly incorporate those keywords into your captions. For successful SEO, captions and subtitles should be customized to match the video content, focusing on specific keywords. It is important to use clear language, proper punctuation, and sync the text with audio while avoiding jargon and excessive use of keywords.

Subtitle Translation Company for Your Captions and SRT Files

The key to successful subtitle translation for YouTube videos, TV, or film is quality assurance. A professional subtitling company will use sophisticated software for your video translation, but they will also localize the subtitles. They will also perform grammar and spelling checks to ensure the subtitling is linguistically correct and accurate.

Langbay has worked with some of the largest entertainment companies in the world (Netflix, Dinsey and BBC Entertainment), providing audiovisual subtitles and voiceovers. We specialize in SEO-optimized English-to-Polish translation and subtitling, and we are localization experts. Our team can translate your YouTube content, movies, TV shows and series, and corporate videos to engage your intended audience.

Here is what one of our clients said:

Langbay is an excellent translation team. They are always on-time with their deliveries. They have been specifically singled out to be complimented on for their translations by our clients. They are a pleasure to work with.
Captions, Inc. USA

Are you expanding into Poland and need subtitles for your video, movie, or TV? Contact us to find out how we can boost your reach!