Machine translation has two major advantages: it’s fast and cheap. However, it comes with serious downsides you should not ignore. In today’s Brandon marketing agency blog, we’ll explore why you shouldn’t fully trust machine translation when building your marketing strategy.
Machine translation creates texts using massive multilingual text databases. Initially launched 30 years ago by Microsoft, Apple, and Google to enhance their documentation systems, this technology soon became publicly accessible and free.
Today, anyone can use Google Translate, Reverso, or Linguee to translate foreign restaurant menus or social media posts in seconds. For casual users, it seems perfect. But to understand when machine translation fails, you need to know how it works.
Neural machine translation, the most widely used type, transforms phrases into numerical representations and processes them through mathematical functions to produce translated phrases in the target language. When translations are inaccurate, language specialists adjust the system to improve future results.
This method works well for manuals and publications updated yearly with repetitive sections and stable vocabulary. However, for first-time translations of complex texts, slogans, or tweets, machines often struggle. Specialized vocabulary and nuanced expressions can significantly hinder translation accuracy.
Blind trust in machine translation is risky. Machines can produce grammatical errors, awkward phrasing, or completely wrong translations, often sounding robotic. If you want translations that engage your online audience, it’s better to work with human translation professionals.
Machine tools lack human sensitivity. They fail to capture cultural nuances and language-specific subtleties, leading to misunderstandings or inaccurate interpretations.
Legal, medical, or political texts often require domain-specific vocabulary. Machine translation tools do not have the expertise of a lawyer, doctor, or policymaker, leading to potential errors in critical contexts.
A key reason machine translations fail is their inability to consider context. They translate phrases individually, ignoring what comes before or after, which can distort your message.
Google Translate is not designed for SEO. Keywords and keyword phrases may be altered, affecting your website’s visibility to your target audience. Content generated primarily by machines is often not indexed by search engines, damaging your website’s ranking and traffic.
Publishing machine-translated texts without human editing is not a good strategy for any serious marketing agency or business aiming for an effective marketing strategy.
We hope this Brandon marketing agency blog helps you understand the strengths and weaknesses of AI-powered tools. Knowing the limitations of machine translation allows you to use it wisely while ensuring your business communications remain clear, culturally appropriate, and aligned with your SEO goals.
Stay tuned for more practical insights on branding, marketing strategy, and digital content to keep your business competitive in a global market.