In a market as specific as Switzerland, where several languages and “cultures” coexist, keyword research is of vital importance.
As one of the main part of the various SEO services, a well-executed keyword research strategy can make the difference between being found by your target audience or getting lost in the vastness of the web.
In this article, we’ll explore the best practices for optimising your SEO strategy in Switzerland, taking into account local particularities.
– Effective keyword research is essential for the multilingual Swiss market.
– Targeting “zero-volume keywords” allows you to reach a specific local audience.
– Using alternative tools in addition to the standard SEO tools can help you refine your strategy in Switzerland.
– Study the competition in order to learn from the keywords and position your company in a niche market.
The problems of zero-volume Keywords
One of the major difficulties with SEO in Switzerland is the volume of traffic displayed in standard SEO tools. This is often limited to certain keywords, mainly because of the size of the market compared with neighbouring countries.
Tools such as SEMrush or Ahrefs, although excellent, can sometimes have insufficient databases to cover all the SEO requirements for implementing an effective strategy.
This necessitates a more creative and targeted approach to identifying relevant keywords.
Here’s a concrete example:
A client looking to rank for terms used mainly in Switzerland (septante, nonante, une séance, une fourre or un natel) might find that the search volume is very low, or even non-existent, according to standard tools.
These are known as “Zero-Volume keywords”, in other words, keywords with no search volume.
However, these terms and expressions must be integrated into the content of a site in order to reach a specific local audience.
10 effective tools and resources
Although some SEO tools have limitations for the Swiss market, there are ways around these obstacles.
Here is a list of the tools we use in our keyword research projects.
1. Google Search Console
This is an indispensable resource for obtaining precise data on your site’s current performance and identifying keyword opportunities on which to position yourself.
In this way, you can find trends (excluding branded keywords) and draw up an initial list.
2. Google keyword planner
This tool is mainly used for setting up paid campaigns (SEA). It remains a must for understanding local search trends.
It can be particularly useful for discovering search volumes in Switzerland, even if the data is sometimes aggregated at a higher level.
3. Google Autosuggest
Google Autosuggest is a very good tool for identifying long tail keywords and specific queries that users type into Google.
In Switzerland, where search habits vary according to language region, this tool can be used to discover terms that are often used by local users.
By testing different keywords and phrases, you can obtain suggestions that reveal popular queries specific to a language or region.
By typing “[keyword] + Space”, you can access a list of frequently searched terms.
4. People Also Ask (PAA) exploration
The “People Also Ask” section on Google gives you a better understanding of the questions users are asking in relation to your target keywords.
This helps you to identify themes and sub-themes that can enrich your content strategy and respond more precisely to your prospects’ search intentions.
5. Manual analysis
Combine the data from these tools with a manual search on google.ch.
By conducting your searches in incognito mode, you can observe the keywords used in the titles and meta-descriptions of the pages that rank among the first results.
This method allows you to pick up nuances specific to local queries in Switzerland.
Practical advice
Don’t hesitate to use a VPN to place yourself virtually in the geographical area for which you are doing the keyword search.
6. Analysis of internal website searches
Analysing your own website’s internal searches can reveal the keywords your visitors used to navigate.
This data is particularly interesting as it directly reflects the search intentions of Swiss users visiting your site.
This approach is often underused, but can provide unique insights.
7. Competitor analysis
Analysing the keywords of the competition is an important step.
In Switzerland, where markets are sometimes very niche, it is very important to understand how your local competitors are positioned.
You can use tools like SEMrush to identify the keywords your competitors are ranking for. Although in most cases, the databases are limited.
8. User and team member search
We systematically set up telephone interviews with certain members of our customers’ teams (sales, product marketing, after-sales service, etc.).
This enables us to understand the context, but also to identify the words used by specialists in the field.
We can also find out which terms are frequently used in commercial discussions.
We also ask whether it is possible for our customers to engage in conversations with their own customers.
In order to understand how they describe their services and products.
This qualitative approach can reveal relevant search terms that are often overlooked by SEO tools.
9. Google Trends
Google Trends is also one of the tools we use for specific purposes.
It is used to analyse search trends over time, in particular to identify seasonal or regional variations.
In Switzerland, where preferences can fluctuate between different language regions.
Google Trends allows you to compare search volumes for different terms and identify keyword opportunities based on emerging trends.
For example, the word “Fondue” has been growing since August!
10. Answer the public
Answer the Public is a tool that lets you find out what questions, prepositions, and comparisons people are typing into search engines in relation to a given keyword.
For the Swiss market, this tool can sometimes reveal insights into users’ concerns and interests.
It is particularly useful for generating content ideas around specific search intentions.
Managing different languages for SEO in Switzerland
As Switzerland is a multilingual country, it is essential to carry out keyword research for each language in which you wish to appear. (French, German, Italian and sometimes English).
It’s not just about translating keywords from one language to another, but also about understanding the cultural nuances and linguistic variations that can affect search behaviour.
Case study
During an audit for a client with a presence in both French and German-speaking Switzerland, we found that the terms that performed best in French were not always relevant in German.
For example, the word ‘vacance’, which is very popular and relevant in French, was literally translated as ‘urlaub’ in German.
After replacing the word with “Ferien”, we saw a clear increase in traffic in the Swiss-German section.
Keyword research in Switzerland is crucial to improving your online visibility.
By integrating local terms and using appropriate tools, you can effectively reach your target audience.
Explore suggestions, adopt a multilingual approach and analyse the competition to optimise your strategy.
Feel free to contact us or schedule a free 30-minute discovery call to discuss your SEO strategy in Switzerland.
I am a digital marketing consultant with 20 years of experience, specialized in optimizing online presence for companies based in Switzerland with national or international activity.
Passionate about entrepreneurship, I develop customized SEO strategies, including audits, keyword research, topic clusters, and content creation, to boost the growth and visibility on Google of our clients.
My goal is to increase their web visibility, strategically position their brands, and convert traffic into business opportunities, working in French, German, and English.
I transform digital challenges into commercial successes.