SEO for Japan: How to Get Found on Google and Yahoo! JAPAN
SEO for Japan works on the same principles as anywhere else, because Google dominates search in Japan and Yahoo! JAPAN’s search results are powered by Google too. What changes is the language: you need Japanese keywords researched in Japanese, pages written by native speakers rather than translated, a clear Japanese version of your site set up with hreflang, and trust signals Japanese visitors look for, such as a company profile, detailed information and Japanese-language reviews. Get those right and a foreign business can rank well in Japan.
Search engines in Japan
- Google is the largest search engine in Japan.
- Yahoo! JAPAN is still a popular portal, and its search results use Google’s technology, so optimising for Google covers both. Yahoo! JAPAN adds its own news, shopping and other features around the results.
- Bing has a smaller share, but it is worth registering your site with Bing Webmaster Tools, especially as some AI assistants draw on it.
Most searches in Japan happen on phones, so mobile speed and layout matter. See how to build a website for Japanese customers for design basics.
Keyword research in Japanese
Translating your English keywords rarely finds what Japanese people actually type. Japanese searches have their own quirks:
- Several ways to write the same word. Kanji, hiragana, katakana or English: スマホ and スマートフォン both mean smartphone, and users search for both.
- Space-separated phrases. Japanese users often search with keywords separated by spaces, such as 英会話 オンライン 安い, rather than full questions.
- Different terms for the same idea. The word your industry uses in English may not be the word customers use in Japanese.
Use keyword tools set to Japan and Japanese, look at what ranks for each candidate term, and ask a native speaker which words sound natural.
Write for Japanese readers, not translation
Pages translated word for word from English tend to read awkwardly and miss what Japanese visitors want to know. Japanese buyers often expect more detail than Western sites provide: specifications, prices or how quotes work, who you are, how support works and what happens after purchase. Pages that answer those questions clearly do better with both visitors and search engines. Our guide to localising your product for Japan covers tone and detail.
Technical set-up
| Item | What to do |
|---|---|
| Site structure | Put the Japanese version in its own folder (such as /ja/) or on a .jp domain. Either can rank well. |
| hreflang | Link each English page and its Japanese counterpart with hreflang tags so Google shows the right one. |
| Language tag | Set lang="ja" on Japanese pages. |
| Titles and descriptions | Write them in Japanese, keeping titles short: Japanese characters take more width, so long titles get cut off. |
| URLs | Short English or romaji slugs are fine and easier to share than encoded Japanese. |
| Speed | Japanese web fonts can be large. Load them efficiently or use system fonts. |
Trust and links
Japanese visitors look for signs that a business is real and reliable before they contact it.
- A company profile page (会社概要) with your name, address, representative and business details.
- Reviews and case studies in Japanese. See marketing to Japanese customers.
- Links from Japanese sites: partners, industry associations, local media and Japanese directories.
- A local presence where you have one. If you have a physical office or shop in Japan, set up a Google Business Profile for it.
Being found by AI assistants
People increasingly ask AI assistants for recommendations. Clear Japanese pages that answer real questions directly, structured data and consistent information about your business across the web all help AI tools understand and mention you.
Common questions
Do I need a .jp domain to rank in Japan?
No. A Japanese section on your main domain, set up with hreflang, can rank well.
Can I use machine translation for SEO pages?
As a first draft at most. Pages need native editing to read naturally and target the words people really search. See how to choose a Japanese translator.
How long does SEO take in Japan?
As elsewhere, expect months rather than weeks for a new site to build rankings.
If you are planning a Japanese website, we design and write sites for Japanese customers, with Japanese copy written for how people search. You can get in touch for a free consultation.