Your English site is invisible to Japanese-language searchers
The majority of Japan's search queries happen in Japanese. A site with only English content misses most of the market — regardless of how well the English pages rank.
GET FOUND ON GOOGLE · 検索エンジン最適化
SEO services for Japan — bilingual search visibility for a market that demands it
Japan's search market runs on both Google and Yahoo Japan — and in both Japanese and English. We build the search presence that reaches both audiences.
This is for you if
Trusted by businesses entering and growing in Japan
Bilingual JP + EN SEO
Google + Yahoo Japan
Market-entry ready
Results in 90 days
What's broken
Your business should be visible in Japan's search results. Right now it isn't.
Yahoo Japan drives significant traffic you're not accounting for
While Google dominates globally, Yahoo Japan holds a meaningful share of Japan's desktop search market. An SEO strategy that ignores it misses a measurable audience.
You're entering the Japan market but can't find the right search approach
Market-entry SEO in Japan requires understanding search intent in Japanese, local competitor analysis, and localised content — not just translated pages.
Your translated Japanese pages rank poorly
Direct translation without keyword research and Japanese search intent analysis produces pages that technically exist in Japanese but don't match how local buyers actually search.
You serve both expat and Japanese audiences but rank for neither
Bilingual audiences require a deliberate dual-language keyword strategy, correct hreflang implementation, and language-specific pages — not a single mixed-language site.
You can't measure what's happening in your Japanese search channel
GA4 data isn't segmented by language audience. You can't tell if the Japanese search channel is working or how it compares to the English one.
What we engineer
What's included in our SEO service
Keyword strategy
What it means: We research search terms in Japanese (hiragana, katakana, kanji, and romaji where relevant) and in English for your Japan target audience, then map keywords to pages. Why it matters: Japanese search behaviour differs meaningfully from English-language markets. Query structure, intent signals, and competitor patterns are distinct — a strategy transplanted from another market won't perform. What you get: A bilingual keyword master list covering Japanese and English queries, with intent, volume, and page assignments.
Technical SEO
What it means: We audit crawlability, indexation, hreflang configuration, page speed, schema markup, and Core Web Vitals for your Japan-facing site. Why it matters: Hreflang errors are the most common technical failure on bilingual Japan sites. Google serves the wrong language version to the wrong audience, suppressing rankings for both. Yahoo Japan has its own crawling considerations that also need to be accounted for. What you get: A prioritised technical fix list, correct hreflang and language targeting setup, and monthly monitoring.
On-page optimisation
What it means: We rewrite title tags, meta descriptions, and heading structure in both Japanese and English to target mapped keywords accurately. Why it matters: Japanese on-page SEO has specific requirements — keyword placement in title tags, meta description length limits in Japanese character sets, and heading conventions that differ from English-language pages. What you get: Optimised metadata and structure for your top 10 priority pages in both languages.
Content engineering
What it means: We plan and write Japanese-language service pages, market-entry content, and supporting articles targeting your Japan keyword map. Why it matters: Japan's search market rewards topical depth. Thin content or direct translations perform poorly. Native-quality Japanese content that matches local search intent is the standard needed to compete. What you get: A content calendar with monthly deliverables. Japanese content is produced with native-level writing quality or to a brief for your Japanese copywriter.
Tracking and reporting
What it means: We configure GA4 and Google Search Console for Japan, set up separate audience segments for Japanese and English visitors, and produce a monthly bilingual performance report. Why it matters: Without language-segmented reporting, you can't tell whether your Japan strategy is working or whether one language audience is performing far better than the other. What you get: A language-segmented GA4 dashboard, live keyword rank tracking for both Japanese and English targets, and a monthly performance report.
Competitor analysis
What it means: We audit the top three Japan-market organic competitors — their Japanese and English keyword footprints, content strategy, and technical profile. Why it matters: Japan's market-entry SEO landscape is different from competing in an established market. Understanding local competitors and their organic strategies accelerates your positioning. What you get: A competitor keyword gap report with ranked opportunities for both Japanese and English query sets.
What changes
Why businesses choose us over guessing
Before
After
Before
English-only SEO ignores the Japanese-language majority of Japan's search market
After
We research and target Japanese and English queries separately — with independent keyword research for each, not translation of the English list.
Before
Direct translation produces pages that don't match Japanese search intent
After
Japanese content is written or briefed for native-level quality that matches how local buyers actually search — not how an English speaker would describe the same thing.
Before
Yahoo Japan is ignored because it's assumed to be marginal
After
Yahoo Japan holds meaningful desktop search share in Japan. Our strategy accounts for both Google and Yahoo Japan crawling and ranking behaviour.
Before
Hreflang errors silently suppress rankings for both language versions
After
Bilingual technical audits include hreflang diagnosis and correction as a standard deliverable — not an optional add-on.
Before
Reporting doesn't separate Japanese and English audience performance
After
Language-segmented reporting is standard. You see what each language version produces independently.
Common questions
Questions about SEO in Japan
How much does SEO cost in Japan?
A fixed-cost Search Diagnostic is the starting point — it maps your current Japanese and English rankings, hreflang configuration, and bilingual keyword opportunities before any retainer is quoted. Pricing is in JPY and scoped based on whether the engagement covers Japanese-only, English-only, or bilingual SEO, along with your site's complexity and your Japan-market competition level.
Do you cover Yahoo Japan as well as Google?
Yes. Yahoo Japan uses a different crawling and ranking infrastructure from Google — including its own ad system and some independent ranking behaviour for desktop searches. We include Yahoo Japan crawling considerations and, where relevant, Yahoo Japan-specific optimisation in our Japan strategy.
Do you provide Japanese-language content?
We produce Japanese-language content briefs and on-page recommendations. For finished Japanese copy, we work with native-level Japanese copywriters — either from our network or alongside your in-house team. Direct machine translation without native review is not part of our workflow.
We're entering Japan for the first time. Where do we start?
A market-entry Search Diagnostic identifies the keyword landscape, existing competitor positions, and the fastest paths to visibility for a new entrant. For market-entry clients, we include a Japan-specific competitor analysis covering local players alongside any global competitors already present.
What industries do you have Japan SEO experience in?
Technology, SaaS, professional services, e-commerce, education, and hospitality — both market-entry clients and established Japan businesses. The approach differs significantly between a foreign company entering Japan and a domestic business growing its online presence.
How do you handle hreflang for Japanese and English versions?
Hreflang implementation is audited and corrected as a standard part of the technical SEO work. We configure hreflang tags for language targeting (ja, en), regional targeting (ja-JP, en-JP or en-US depending on your setup), and verify that Search Console shows correct language targeting without conflict errors.
Is there a contract?
The diagnostic is a one-time fixed cost. Monthly retainers run month-to-month. There is no lock-in.
How long does Japan SEO take to produce results?
Technical fixes — particularly hreflang corrections — often produce the fastest ranking movement, sometimes within 30–60 days. New Japanese-language content and keyword targeting typically shows measurable movement in 3–5 months. The Japan market rewards consistency, and rankings compound meaningfully from month 4 onwards.
Start here
Japan's search market is demanding. Build the presence that earns its trust.
Request a Search Diagnostic and we'll audit your bilingual technical setup, current Japan keyword rankings, and hreflang configuration. You'll have a plain-English report and 90-day roadmap within five working days.
Bilingual JP + EN · Yahoo Japan included · No lock-in contract