The AI Powered Tower of Babel

Identify & Open Up New Markets Online with AI

Transcript

1. The AI Powered Tower of Babel: Identify & Open Up New Markets Online with AI (+ a human touch) linkedin.com/in/davecousin/ @davetheseo.bsky.social davetheseo.com/daves-decks/
2. The Tower of Babel •I'm bad at languages
3. The Tower of Babel •c.1999 Alta Vista Babel Fish was launched •My dream of a world free of language barriers began
4. AI Tower of Babel •We’re nearly there •LLMs can understand Nuance, Context, Culture
5. AI Tower of Babel •Incredible for Humanity •Also great for Business
6. Even in the biggest market in the world you are selling to less than 15% of the world economy.
7. AI Opens up the World Since the early 2000s: • I’ve seen a lot of Funny Mistakes • A few very Embarrassing Mistakes • Direct Translations that fell flat • Companies leaving markets they didn’t get right
8. 69% of Pakistanis 52% of Argentines have negative opinion of Britain AI Beyond Language •Cultures vary •What matters to people varies •Brand & Sentiment Vary •US businesses selling in UK may cause friction. •But AI can help us here too 57% of People in 29 Countries would buy Chinese 44% American
9. AI Beyond Language •AI doesn’t get everything perfect BUT •We can work with local experts on something 95% there •More Effective than Local Insights •From the Start •For Everything
10. 3 Ways AI can Help us 1.Finding Markets that Fit & Gaps 2.Translation & Localisation 3.Fine-Tuning Marketing & Promotions
11. Choosing new Markets & Finding Gaps
12. Localising Keyword Research •En masse Dozens of • Languages •Dialects •Direct and Alternate •Regional •Different Scripts •Writing Systems •Work directly with APIs •Or Google Keyword Planner
13. Localising Keyword Research Now you know if people are looking for your product already
14. Market Analysis National News Large Poorer Markets Historical Context Disposable Incomes Small Rich Markets? Other Brands Price Points Proposition Growing Middle Class?
15. Delivering •Where are the population? •How big is the Area? •Expectations on: • Choice • Speed • Price (or free) •Example AI helped uncover Canada is vast BUT c.50x% of population in Quebec City–Windsor Corridor
16. Delivering •Where are the population? •How big is the Area? •Expectations on: • Choice • Speed • Price (or free) •Example AI helped uncover Canada is vast BUT c.50x% of population in Quebec City–Windsor Corridor
17. Competitor Analysis Anyone? Left Gaps Pricing USPs, Focus Trends Brand Recognition Domain Authority Translate PDPs Analyse Reviews, Sentiment
18. SERPs Analysis Focus on? SERP Features Optimisation Level Questions
19. Low / No Competition Markets •No Search? •No equivalent offering? •Different Prices / Position? •Or Quality or Features? Recipe Boxes vs Meal Plans in UAE AI Insights Some Search Volume Demand but No Supply Mixed culture including 90% expats Family recipes & cooking for family part of Arabic Cultures Recipe Boxes may fit better with English speaking ex-pats
20. Audiences •Socio Economic Groups? • Growing Middle Class? •Symbols of Status? • Cars? Home? English? •Lifestyle • Time Poor? Weekends?
21. Audiences •Socio Economic Groups? • Growing Middle Class? •Symbols of Status? • Cars? Home? English? •Lifestyle • Time Poor? Weekends? Middle Class in UAE: AI Insights Western Expats Emiratis Arabic Expats South Asian Finance, Media, Tech Govt Workers Professionals , Engineers Professionals , IT Workers Apartments, Downtown, Villas, Compounds Apartments & Villas Apartments Single or Couples Extended Family Family Oriented Family Oriented
22. Local Laws & Regulations •Easy entry? •Local Entity? •Local or State level rules? •Accessibility (WCAG 2.1) •GDPR, COPPA etc? •Distance Selling Regs? •Warranties? •Sales Taxes?
23. Regulatory Dimension UAE Spain India South Africa Overall complexity High Medium Very High Medium-Low Business setup for foreign founders Medium (free zone simple; mainland complex) Simple (EU SL) Complex (FDI rules, multiple registrations) Simple (Pty Ltd, 100% foreign OK) Food business licensing High (municipality + trade licence + food licence) Medium (AESAN + regional) Very High (FSSAI + state + local) Medium (Act 54 + R638 + local authority) Labelling requirements High (Arabic mandatory, GSO9 standards, Halal) Medium (Spanish required, EU 1169/2011) High (FSSAI + Legal Metrology, multi-language in practice) Medium (English fine, R146) Halal certification Mandatory for meat/poultry — no exceptions Not required Not required (Jhatka vs Halal is a regional sensitivity) Not required (but market preference in Muslim communities) E-commerce regulations Medium (Dubai CommerCity free zone helps) Low-Medium (EU e-commerce directive, clear) High (2021 FSSAI e-commerce rules, FDI constraints on B2C) Medium (CPA is strong but clear) Food import rules High (strict, certificate-heavy for imported ingredients) Low (EU single market for intra- EU; WTO- standard for non- EU) Very High (FSSAI import approval, customs delays, restricted items) Medium (ITAC permits for some goods, but manageable) Cold chain regulatory compliance High (strictly enforced) Medium (EU standards, well- established) Medium (rules exist but enforcement inconsistent) Medium (rules clear, infrastructure is the bigger issue) Regulatory Dimension UAE Spain India South Africa VAT / food tax Low-Medium (5% VAT, most fresh food zero-rated) Medium (4%/10% depending on product, well- defined) Medium (GST 5– 12% depending on product type) Low (basic foods zero-rated, straightforward) Packaging & waste rules Medium (tightening, especially Dubai Municipality) High (EU packaging regulation, EPR obligations) High (EPR rules tightened 2022, plastics restrictions) Medium (EPR framework developing, less mature) Data protection (e-commerce) Medium (PDPL enacted 2022, still maturing) High (GDPR — strict but very well documented) Medium (PDPB Act 2023 — new, evolving) Medium (POPIA 2021 — clear but enforcement still maturing) Foreign ownership of food business Medium (100% in free zones; mainland now possible but verify) Simple (no restrictions) Complex (sector- dependent FDI rules) Simple (no restrictions in food retail) Regulatory stability / predictability Medium (rules change, enforcement can vary by emirate) High (EU framework = very stable) Low-Medium (frequent amendments, state variation) Medium (stable framework, political/economi c uncertainty) Language of regulation Arabic (with English translations, but Arabic is legal) Spanish (well- documented, EU guidance in English) English (central law) + 22 official languages regionally English throughout Local legal expertise availability High (many specialists) High (large market, many specialists) High (very large legal market) Medium (good but smaller market) Estimated setup timeline 3–6 months (free zone faster) 2–4 months 6–18 months 2–4 months Estimated regulatory complexity score 7/10 4/10 9/10 4/10
24. Risk Level Unanswer ables Costs Stepping Stones Maximise Budget Quickest? Long Term Opps Group Markets Final Analysis & Decision
25. 1. Validate key points that the decision is made on 2. Talk to locals in the final market or shortlist of markets 3. Have a Contingency Plan or Backup Final (Human) Decision
26. Translation & Localisation
27. What is Localisation
28. What is Localisation Language & Tone Idiom, voice, tone, familiarity Currency & Pricing Currency, Price Points, Accurate Tax, Sales Payment & Delivery CoD, Cards, BNPL, e- Wallets, Security, AliPay Dates, Units & Formats DD/MM vs MM/DD, addresses, phones. Imagery & Cultural Cues Use of People, Layouts Photos and references More than Translations. Non-Locals Don’t Know – Locals May not Realise Design Expectations Nav, Colour, Density, Trust Signals
29. Start from Scratch or Rework? Rule of Thumb: Rework •Non-SEO Content •Content Snippets •Evergreen Long-Form Content Start Anew •Anything Legal •SEO content for different KWs & Intent •Product Descriptions •Landing Pages •Marketing Copy
30. How many Versions are too Many? Does every country need a Site? Are Some Languages even used online? https://xsolla.com/blog/boost-game-sales-with-localized-pricing & https://www.weglot.com/guides/multilingual-website-stats-and-localization-trends +12% Sales with Local Currency +120% Traffic for reviews.io for DE
31. AI’s Limitations •Source Material •Varies by Language •And Dialect •Product Descriptions vs Long Form Content •Words vs Visuals 0.00% 10.00% 20.00% 30.00% 40.00% 50.00% 60.00% Speakers vs Content % of Population % of Web Content
32. Localised Design Asked which would suit Japanese users best, AI Spotted: •Info Density •Use of Images •Visible CTAs •Carousels •Brands •Dense Menus
33. When to Use Locals •Business Plan Assumptions •Data Sources •Review Target Keywords •Review Design Work •Review all Copy •User Experience / Journey Work •Legal & Compliance
34. Fine-Tuning your Marketing & Promotions
35. Marketing in the Broadest Sense Product Price Place Promo- tion AI Can Give • Examples • Competitor Checks • Case Studies • Legislation
36. Product • Physical Product • Packaging • Entry Point Option • Warranty / Guarantee • Customer Service
37. Price • Entry Price Point • Relative to Competition • Trial Pricing • Credit & Finance • Discount Regularity
38. Place • Global Site vs Local Site • ccTLD • Market Places • Delivery to Where? • Returns to Where? • Local Address
39. Promo- tion • Messaging • Brand Values • Brand ‘Introduction • Advertising • Local Case Studies • Imagery • Social Media • Search Engines • Local Sales
40. Technical SEO Hreflang Mapping • Map all Page Versions • Create Tags • Verify Tags • Unlimited Versions URL Structure • Future Proof • Indexable • Easy Mapping Rendering • Local Content in Source • Local Content Indexable • Indexable Links between Markets
41. Thank You davetheseo.com/ daves-decks/ linkedin.com/in/davecousin/ @davetheseo.bsky.social