Search Marketing in Japan

Search Laboratory have expertise in Japanese search marketing. There are many important considerations when performing search engine optimisation and pay per click marketing in Japan that go beyond the language, character set and culture. This page provides an insight into some of the issues as well as some important information regarding search marketing in Japanese.

If you would like further information on our Japanese search marketing services and how they can directly help your business, please contact us now for advice.

When we find information related to Japan and search engine marketing we add it here. Some information is common accross all countries, but other useful information you may find about one country or language may not exist for another. Please keep checking back as we update these pages frequently.

Japanese Online Market

Japan is a significant on line market and as such PPC prices are high and SEO competition is fierce. At the 6th Fiber Optics EXPO in Tokyo, Japan, Mr. Tamada of Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications gave a speech about "Next generation broadband plan 2010". He said, "The next generation broadband plan 2010 aims to grow Japan as a front runner who leads the world in the IT industry." As a part of the plan, they hope to provide the broadband to every household in Japan by 2010. Currently, there are about 3.45mil households in Japan who do not have the access to broadband.

Japanese search terms tend to hiragana or kanji if the user is looking for a local product, but if it’s something foreign or something to buy then the user is more likely to use katagana - the japanese phonetic alphebet used for foreign terms..

PPC In Japan

Even though Yahoo is ahead in search, there seems to be some debate as to which search engine will deliver the most PPC searches and clicks. We have seen reports of Google out performing Yahoo by 1/3, and other reports of better performance on Yahoo. Regardless of who is winning at any particular time, the important fact is that if trying to be seen in Japan, you should be on Google and Yahoo. Looksmart is also important but is dominated by the main two.

Other Information

When selling products or services on line to Japan, always try to include the company or product heritage.

The Japanese prefer Web pages that are busy and packed with information - which can cause problems with U.S. designers who believe in minimal text and lots of white space or corporate communication departments’ formatting rules and standards.

Need Advice?

Search Laboratory can help you take your message to Japan. This can be using a fully localized site or a small subset of the site to test the market. Either way, with full search marketing to truly realise your on line potential. Please contact us for free advice. Taking the first steps into Japan is easier than you might think.