Localization
Researching Search Intent Across Markets
A keyword list translated from English assumes every market sells the same products under the same names. Gambling law makes that false. Build each market's list from its own legal product definitions and dated local search checks instead.
In brief
- Products differ by market: in Germany, virtual slots and online table games are separate legal products licensed by different bodies.
- Start each market's seed list from the regulator's own terms, then check local results by hand, with the date and settings recorded.
- Search volumes are estimates from third-party tools. Record the tool and date, or mark the cell NOT MEASURED.
- Research only markets where the brand is licensed, and only the products that license covers.
Most international keyword research starts with an English list and a translation agency. The output looks complete and is often wrong, for three reasons: the products differ, the words for them differ, and the results pages differ. This guide sets out a method that handles all three, with examples from the four markets we cover.
Why translation fails
The products are not the same
Germany is the clearest case. Under GlüStV 2021, virtual slot games (§ 22a) are licensed by the GGL, while online casino table games such as roulette, blackjack and baccarat are left to each federal state (§ 22c). A brand on the whitelist for virtual slots is not thereby allowed to offer online roulette. A German keyword list built by translating "online casino" mixes queries for products with different legal status, so split the list by legal product before looking at any numbers.
Canada splits by province. Ontario runs an open market for operators registered with the AGCO and under agreement with iGaming Ontario, with a minimum age of 19. Québec's provincial lottery corporation says its own site is the only legal online casino and sports betting site in the province. Country-level Canadian keyword research hides those differences.
The words are not the same
Regulators name things in their own language and their own way: "virtuelle Automatenspiele" in German law, "Juego más seguro" for the safer gambling section Spanish operators must provide, "igaming" in Ontario's official pages. Those terms are a reliable starting point because they are fixed in law. Player vocabulary then has to be observed, not assumed.
The results pages are not the same
Results for the same query change with location and language, and Google documents Search features that differ by country. A term that shows operator pages in one market may show news, regulator pages or help pages in another. That changes what kind of page can rank for it.
The method
- Define the licensed scope. List the products the brand may offer in the market, from its license. Research nothing outside that scope.
- Collect legal seed terms. Take product and duty names from the market's law and regulator pages, in the market's language.
- Expand with native speakers. Ask reviewers in the locale how players describe each product. Mark each term as "legal term" or "player term".
- Observe local results. Check each seed term in the market with recorded settings (country, language, device, date). Note the page types that appear: operators, regulators, news, comparison sites, help.
- Classify intent. Informational (how something works), commercial (comparing options), transactional (sign up or play), navigational (a brand) and regulatory (is a site licensed, how to self-exclude).
- Add volume last, with its source. Search volume figures come from third-party estimates. Write the tool and the date next to each figure, or mark it NOT MEASURED.
- Map terms to pages. One primary intent per page, in the right locale, linked to its equivalents with hreflang.
| Locale | Term | Term type | Intent | SERP check | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| de-DE | virtuelle Automatenspiele | Legal term (§ 22a GlüStV) | Informational | Record date and page types | NOT MEASURED |
| de-DE | Online-Casinospiele | Legal term (§ 22c GlüStV) | Check licensed scope first | Record date and page types | NOT MEASURED |
| es-ES | juego más seguro | Legal term (RD 176/2023) | Regulatory | Record date and page types | NOT MEASURED |
| fr-CA | Term supplied by a Québec reviewer | Player term | To classify | Record date and page types | NOT MEASURED |
Regulatory intent is real intent
Players and journalists search for whether a brand is licensed, how to set limits and how to self-exclude. These queries are served best by plain, sourced pages: the brand's license entry, a link to the regulator's register, the market's exclusion scheme and help line. They are also the pages you most want ranking correctly in each country, which makes them a good first test for a new hreflang set.
Mistakes to avoid
- Reusing one Spanish list for Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries. Spain has its own law and a .es domain duty; other countries have their own rules, or no license for the brand.
- Treating Canada as one market, or French as optional, without checking Québec's language rules.
- Copying a competitor's keyword list from a tool without checking whether the competitor is licensed in that market.
- Presenting tool estimates as measured demand.
Questions
Can I translate my English keyword list?
Use it only as a prompt. Each market's products, legal terms and results differ, so build the list from that market's law, native reviewers and dated local checks.
Why does Hreflanova not publish search volumes?
Volume figures are third-party estimates that vary by tool and month. We describe the method and mark volumes NOT MEASURED rather than present estimates as facts.
How often should intent research be repeated?
Repeat it when the law changes, when you add a product, and on a regular schedule you can keep. Germany's GGL, for example, changed the slot stake rules from July 1, 2026, which can change what players look for.
Sources
- Bayern.Recht, GlüStV 2021, § 22a and § 22c.
- GGL, FAQ Einzahlungslimit und Höchsteinsatz, updated August 25, 2026.
- AGCO, One-year anniversary of Ontario's internet gaming market, April 4, 2023.
- AGCO, Gaming site access and minimum age requirements, no date shown.
- Loto-Québec, Seul site de casino et pari sportif 100 % légal et local au Québec, no date shown.
- BOE, Real Decreto 176/2023, art. 9.1.
- Google Search Central, Latest Google Search documentation updates (entry of September 8, 2026).
Spotted an error? Tell the editors and include a link to the source. Corrections are noted on the page they change (corrections policy).