How to develop a content strategy for Switzerland?

Developing a content strategy for a multilingual Swiss audience can seem complex.

But it’s essential if you want to gain national visibility and increase the engagement of visitors to your site.

Simply translating your pages is not enough; each region has unique keywords and search habits.

By adapting your content to the local language, you can attract French- and German-speaking audiences who live in Switzerland. In fact, this is one of the specialties of our SEO services in Switzerland.

If your business or service is aimed exclusively at the Swiss market, you will be appealing to a qualified and relevant audience.

The complexity of organic traffic in Switzerland

Unlike our neighbouring countries, establishing visibility on a national scale requires the ability to manage several languages on your site.

Even though 4 national languages are spoken across the various cantons, you can cover almost 85% of the population with a site in French and German. (source)

However, you can’t simply translate pages automatically – each region has its own keywords and search habits.

So you need to adapt your content strategy accordingly.

Managing this diversity can yield very good results. Let’s have a look at research and optimisation for local keywords: Local SEO.

Local keyword research is essential

Choosing the right keywords to optimise your content is crucial for organic traffic. During our SEO audits, we have often noticed that a good number of pages, despite being optimised, were generating geographically ‘off-target’ traffic.

For example, some pages on the website of one of our clients were generating more than half of their traffic directly from Germany and France.

Here’s another example of impressions generated in France, when the content should primarily be aimed at a Swiss audience.

A partial analysis can quickly lead you to believe that the site is perfectly optimised and that the pages are performing well.

However, with an in-depth analysis of the geographical source of the traffic generated, it is very often possible to identify traffic that has little added value in terms of generating revenue.

This traffic, although voluminous, is of no interest to a local company aiming to do business exclusively in Switzerland.

This is why an in-depth analysis (geographical performance) of the keywords used is essential.

It is important to check whether the pages attract the desired local audience.

If this is not the case, you need to review your keywords in order to obtain more relevant traffic that is aligned with your business objectives.

Strategies for a targeted local audience

To capture a multilingual Swiss audience, the choice of local keywords is crucial.

We’re talking here about targeting users in Switzerland using terms that they actively search for.

Identifying these local keywords requires in-depth research.

For example, you need to identify and prioritise specific terms by region:

• Bakery in Geneva
• Best decoration shop in French-speaking Switzerland
• Ski season in Graubünden
• How to pass your driving test in Switzerland
• What is a mortgage rate in Switzerland?

By localising your content, you become more relevant to your prospects’ search intentions.

Of course, the impact of these changes needs to be monitored. Some pages may receive less traffic. However, the prospects who visit your site are much more qualified.

For the sake of consistency, it is essential to adapt your content and implement these changes for all the languages covered by your site.

By implementing this strategy, you are directly addressing the needs of your local audience, which improves your relevance and increases your chances of conversion.

We suggest you carry out regular traffic audits of your pages to adjust your keywords and keep in step with local trends.

Optimising your content with local specificities

To attract a local audience in Switzerland, you need to take advantage of language specificities.

Personalisation goes beyond simply optimising keywords. The use of local terms and expressions is essential.

For example, we use the word “Séance” in French-speaking Switzerland rather than “Réunion”, which is more commonly used in France.
Similarly, in German-speaking Switzerland we use the word “Ferien” for holiday rather than “Urlaub”, which is very popular in Germany.

Also, references to local experiences can add a personal touch.

You can sometimes refer to famous Swiss events such as the Basel Carnival or the Montreux Jazz Festival. The importance of these specific features is crucial.

They help to make the content more relevant to the expectations of Swiss users.

By referring to specific Swiss features, visitors feel more connected and engaged.

Lots of traffic does not necessarily mean a commercial opportunity.

If your content doesn’t speak to your target audience and their location, you’ll have little chance of generating leads.

Adapt your content strategy with local keywords and terms.

Responding to the specific linguistic needs of each region will improve the relevance of your site and generate highly qualified traffic.

If you want to optimise your visibility in Switzerland, contact us for a personalised multilingual SEO audit.

Julien Vidal

I am an SEO consultant and digital marketing trainer with 20 years of experience supporting Swiss B2B SMEs.

My specialty is improving their online visibility through a “done with you” approach, which actively involves and trains their internal teams to achieve effective results.

Fluent in French, German (including Swiss German), and English, I adapt each strategy to the local market to effectively reach all regions of Switzerland.

From comprehensive technical audits to hands-on implementation—including keyword research and content creation—I guide my clients toward sustainable growth while respecting their company identity and values.

My mission is to share expertise so that every project becomes a true driver of long-term success.