5 essential tips for boosting your Japan SEO game

Understanding and mastering Japanese market SEO isn’t easy, but I’ll make it as digestible as possible for you. Let me explain what you need to know, focusing on the most important points, with real-life examples to make it clear.

Understanding the Japanese SEO market

Let’s first understand what makes Japanese consumer behavior unique. The language itself, Japanese, is already distinctive, but it goes further than that. The way we use the language is also unique. Japanese uses a mix of three writing systems: Kanji, Hiragana, and Katakana. You might wonder which one to focus on first, but the answer is: all of them.

Using only Hiragana makes your writing look childish. Using only Katakana feels unnatural and often doesn’t make sense. Using only Kanji is nearly impossible and would end up looking more like Chinese, which isn’t surprising, as Kanji originates from Chinese characters.

Japan’s unique culture influences SEO 

Now, let’s talk about cultural considerations for effective SEO. This is where understanding the Japanese language becomes even more important.

You might be tempted to take English keywords, translate them into Japanese, and call it a day. But that approach doesn’t work. You need to generate keywords in Japanese. Sure, you can start with English as a base to brainstorm keyword ideas, but direct translation rarely leads to effective Japanese SEO.

For example, in English, keyword structures like “best + [something]” tend to perform well and have decent monthly search volume. But in Japanese, people don’t often search using the equivalent of “best.” Instead, we tend to use expressions like “おすすめ + [something]” (recommended + something). That’s just how the language works—simply translating “best” won’t help you find high-performing Japanese keywords.

Keyword research strategies for Japan SEO

One way to get started with Japanese SEO is to find tools that work well with the Japanese language. Japanese SEO has its own unique characteristics, and some aspects don’t behave the same way as in English. One tool I personally recommend is Rakko Keywords, a handy tool developed specifically for the Japanese market. It’s affordable and backed by solid SEO knowledge. Using it to expand your seed keywords and discover new ones in Japanese is a great way to get started quickly.

Knowledge about a specific industry and topic

The importance of local slang and dialects should also be mentioned, more specifically, the jargon used within your target community. This entirely depends on your niche, but you should at least know the key terms your audience commonly uses. Not just industry jargon, but the language that speaks directly to your specific audience.

For example, the gaming industry is full of unique terminology. If you’re not fluent in this “insider” language, readers will quickly notice—and the result? They’ll bounce. In other words, they’ll leave your website immediately. That’s why it’s safest to work with an SEO expert and writer who is deeply familiar with your specific industry.

Always focus on the content quality

If you’re not fluent in Japanese but try to write blog posts and pages in Japanese anyway, I admire your enthusiasm, but honestly, I wouldn’t recommend it. Half-baked Japanese content isn’t received as “Wow, they’re trying hard, I respect that.” Instead, it often comes across as simply unprofessional.

I’ve seen this myself. I’ve helped clients improve such content, and truthfully, it took more time and effort than just starting from scratch. First impressions matter, and once visitors see poor-quality content, that impression sticks. In these cases, the best move is to hire a professional who not only knows SEO but also understands your industry inside and out.

On-page optimization techniques

Now let’s talk about crafting SEO-friendly titles and meta descriptions in Japanese.

In my experience, simply translating English titles and meta descriptions into Japanese often results in awkward or unnatural phrasing. There are several reasons for this. One is that the keywords commonly used in English aren’t always used in Japanese. Another is that the examples and references in the English content often don’t resonate with Japanese readers due to cultural differences. Even if something works well in the original English article, it may not feel relevant or natural to a Japanese audience.

Don’t try to stuff SEO keywords

Another common issue I see is when English speakers try to stuff keywords into every heading. This isn’t just unnecessary—it actively harms the user experience. Japanese readers are quick to notice content that feels inauthentic, and once they sense that, they leave. They won’t shop, trust your product, or want to work with you. This is especially true in the Japanese market, where trust is highly valued. Unlike in some markets where people might say, “It looks shady, but let’s try it anyway,” Japanese consumers tend to avoid anything that feels suspicious or untrustworthy. Building trust should always be your top priority—not just in SEO, but in all aspects of marketing.

Common mistake: translating URL slugs

Now, about optimizing URLs for Japanese users. A common mistake non-native speakers make is translating URLs into Japanese in a way that results in unreadable or garbled text. This makes the URLs look unprofessional and hard to share. You don’t need to force keywords into URL. That only makes them messy and uncomfortable to use. Instead, keep URLs clean, simple, and easy to remember.

When it comes to naturally including keywords, I recommend starting with the questions your readers are asking. List out these questions, write short answers to each, and then build out your article with more details based on those answers. This not only helps with keyword relevance but also creates valuable content that actually serves your audience.

Building quality backlinks in Japan

Backlinks are just as important in the Japanese market as they are in others, and having a solid strategy to acquire them is crucial, especially because it’s more difficult to earn high-quality links in Japan.

Getting SEO backlinks takes time

It’s hard to say definitively whether it’s more difficult in English or Japanese markets, but in my experience, getting reputable backlinks in Japan is quite tricky. That’s why one of the easiest ways to start is by working with Japanese SEO companies that already have access to valuable link sources. The difficulty often comes down to communication style, which tends to be more closed in Japan.

Let me explain this a bit more.You might assume that bloggers are naturally open and would welcome your outreach email. That’s often true in English-speaking markets, but in Japan, the situation is different. Compared to Western markets, communication in Japan feels more reserved. Many bloggers don’t list their real names, and most don’t provide direct email addresses. Instead, they rely on anonymous contact forms, and it’s not common for them to accept unsolicited inquiries.

Anonymity in the Japanese blogging culture

This reflects a cultural norm: many people in Japan blog under pseudonyms to share things they might not feel comfortable discussing openly. Of course, there are bloggers who use their real names and faces, but I wouldn’t say they’re the majority.

That makes it naturally more difficult to build relationships. Tools like Hunter.io or LinkedIn work well in English-speaking markets to find contacts, but they’re almost useless in Japan. LinkedIn isn’t widely used here. So your best bet is often to visit each blog’s contact page and submit a message through their form, which can be time-consuming. On top of that, Japanese bloggers tend to be cautious about linking to external websites.So instead of a cold pitch like “You should link to this blog post, I’m sure it’s helpful for your audience,” you’ll need a much more personal and respectful approach.

Importance of local long-term collaborations

In the Japanese market, authenticity, respect, and trust are everything. If you focus on building that foundation, your link-building efforts will be much more successful. Successful link building in Japan is built on long-term relationships. You should invest time to build genuine connections with bloggers, site owners, and businesses.

One of my favorite ways to do this is through offline events. Yes, they take more effort, but showing up in person adds authenticity and demonstrates that you’re serious about the connection.

Choosing the right SEO agency in Japan

All of the complexities I’ve mentioned so far come down to one key idea: you need a great guide, or better yet, you may want to hand over the entire task to a professional or a team of experts.

So let’s look at what to consider when choosing an SEO company in Japan.

First and foremost, check whether the agency is well-versed in SEO specifically for the Japanese market. General SEO skills are not enough. Without specialization in the Japanese context, you’ll quickly run into major roadblocks, whether it’s in link building, keyword research, or on-site SEO.

Expertise in the Japanese market should also come with a business-oriented mindset. After all, SEO is not a siloed activity—it’s part of your larger business strategy. If SEO is treated as separate from everything else, it becomes disconnected and ineffective. It’s like having departments that never collaborate—no synergy, no results.

Another important quality to look for is the agency’s ability to understand your specific goals and translate them into an SEO roadmap. That means they should take the time to understand your business objectives at every level, from the high-level vision to day-to-day KPIs, and then develop a tailored SEO plan to support them.

At KOTOLI, we do exactly that. We take the time to deeply understand your business strategy, or even help you define it, then build a custom SEO approach that fits seamlessly into your overall marketing and business plan. The result? Every part of your business works together like a perfectly designed machine, with SEO driving measurable growth, not just rankings.

Conclusion

Breaking into the Japanese market with SEO is no easy task, but it’s far from impossible. With a deep understanding of language nuances, cultural behaviors, local keyword strategy, and relationship-driven link building, you can build a strong foundation for sustainable growth in Japan.

From choosing the right keywords and tools, to crafting culturally appropriate content, to building trust through authenticity. Every step matters. And while the path may seem complex, it becomes much more manageable with the right knowledge, mindset, and partners.

Whether you’re just starting or looking to refine your approach, one thing is clear: succeeding in Japanese SEO takes more than translation, it takes true localization, long-term thinking, and strategic execution.

At KOTOLI, we specialize in exactly that. If you’re serious about growing in Japan, let’s build something that works, together.