French language search marketing
French - the language of diplomacy!
The French language: an introduction
Successful search marketing in French is not as easy it might appear at first sight. French is a language which appears very close to English since it uses largely the same alphabet and in fact it is estimated that something like 60% of English words have their origins in French - we have William the Conqueror's invasion of England in 1066 to thank for that!
The French language has a very rich history covering both political and diplomatic fields as well as art and literature. It is regarded by some as one of the world's great languages and was the 'lingua franca' immediately preceding
English.
How many speakers are there of the French language?
In total some 75 million people speak French as their first language - but there are many additional speakers of French as a second language.
As a mother language French is spoken in several countries in Europe, principally France, Belgium, and Switzerland - but the language is also widely known and used in Africa - especially in north Africa in Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Tunisia - in total there are more than 15 African countries where French is spoken.
French is also one of the languages that migrated with the old world to the new - so it is an official language of Canada alongside English.
What French language issues do I need to watch out for?
French uses the Latin alphabet with the addition of 5 accents. It is these accents which represent the greatest challenge for the French search marketer - particularly since the French keyboard means these are not immediately accessible to the searcher who frequently omits the accent.
Which major search engines are important to French speakers?
Which paid search engines target the French-speaking world?
- Google Adwords
- Yahoo Search Marketing
- Microsoft AdCenter
- Mirago
- MIVA
