Training Example: Zo Digital Japan – Review the Data, Give Your Score & Compare to the Real AI Evaluation

[H2] Welcome to Zo Digital Japan
[H1] an SEO & Digital Marketing Agency in Tokyo

日本語
Contact Us !
We are an SEO & Digital Marketing Agency based in Tokyo Japan. Our bilingual consultants are data driven specialists dedicated to helping foreign and local businesses succeed in Japan.Let's get more visitors to your website, and convert them into paying customers.
[H2] Who We Serve
At Zo Digital, we enable startups and fast-growing businesses to be successful online. We support 2 types of clients:Overseas companies entering JapanJapanese companies focusing on foreign and Japanese visitorsWe support clients for both B2B and B2C, as well as EC Sites and Lead Generation Sites.
[IMG: Zo Digital Japan, A Digital Marketing Agency in Tokyo]

[H2] Brands We’ve Helped in Japan
[IMG: Hubspot]
[IMG: servcorp]
[IMG: WebFactory MK]
[IMG: Japan PI]
[IMG: meltwater]
[IMG: Printful]
[IMG: Berlitz]
[IMG: nordvpn]
[IMG: Jobs In Japan]

[H2] Digital Marketing Services
As a Digital Agency in Japan, we provide a range of services to grow your business online.
[IMG: SEO and SEM]
[H3] SEO
We have vast SEO experience growing companies in Japan. We offer Keyword Research, SEO Audit, Content Marketing Research, Link Building and more.
SEO Services
[IMG: Conversion Optimization (CRO)]
[H3] Conversion Optimization
Want to make your website appeal to a Japanese audience? We have the experience in Conversion, , Landing Pages and A/B Testing.
CRO Services
[IMG: We advertise on Adwords, Facebook, LinkedIn and more]
[H3] PPC Advertising
We have SEM experience running ad campaigns for Google, Yahoo Japan, Facebook, IG and Twitter, including Search, Display and retargeting ads.
PPC Services
[IMG: マーケティング自動化]
[H3] Content Marketing
We have years are hard earned experience with Topic Clusters in Japanese. We can do Keyword Research, Map out a strategy, and create articles that rank.
Content Marketing Services
[IMG: We are Analytics experts in Japan]
[H3] Analytics
At Zo Digital, we are "data nerds". We love to chomp on data, look for trends and outliers, and point out new opportunities. And we can roll complex data into easy to read reports.
Analytics Services
[IMG: Social Media Networking]
[H3] Social Media
Whether your Japanese customers hang out on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, LINE or Instagram, we'll develop a strategy that will build a happy engaged fan base in Japan.
[IMG: We do Local SEO, and get get you into the Google 3-Pack]
[H3] Local SEO
We have experience ranking local businesses, as well as offices for japan-wide businesses. We can optimize for Google Maps & Google Business Profile.
Local SEO Services
[IMG: Website Development]
[H3] Web Site Development
We are experts in WordPress, and can design and develop and SEO optimized website in a few weeks. Our websites confirm to Japanese expectations.
[IMG: ソフトウェア開発]
[H3] Digital PR & Link Building
Our Digital PR and Outreach team has the relationships and techniques in Japan to get people mentioning your brand. We use only "White Hat" techniques.
Digital PR Services

[H2] Consulting Services
[IMG: Project Management]
[H3] Project Management
We have 25 years of experience working at big name software companies shipping actual products. Let our experience guide you to be successful.
[IMG: バイリンガル人材マネジメント]
[H3] People Management
At Zo Digital, we have 18 years of people management experience, managing people, vendors and relationships in Japan.
[IMG: Internationalization]
[H3] Internationalization
We have experience shipping global software at both Apple and Microsoft. We can guide you to avoid mistakes early that result in problems later on.
[H2] Our Latest Blog Posts

Guide to Japan SEO, and How It Differs from Other MarketsRead More

What is the Most Popular Search Engine in Japan? Updated for 2025Read More

Guide to Link Building in Japan – Updated for 2025Read More
[H2] Client Success Stories
[IMG: Social Media Networking]
[H3] 7x Traffic in 1 Year
Zo Digital worked with a major CRM and Marketing Automation company. We did the research, organized content into Topic Clusters, wrote content briefs, and tracked keyword progress with SEO tools. The client provided the writers. The result was a huge success in 2020.
[IMG: We advertise on Adwords, Facebook, LinkedIn and more]
[H3] 4x Traffic in 1 Year
Zo Digital worked with an on-demand print company based in Europe. We performed contents research, wrote content briefs, hired and managed writers, and built links to popular articles. The result was a 4x visitor improvement to their Japanese blog in 2020.
[IMG: We are Analytics experts in Japan]
[H5] 10x Page Views, 15x Users
Zo Digital continued its long-time partnership with Japan PI. In 2020, we targeted specific niches, topic by topic. We performed a contents gap analysis, write detailed content briefs, and assisted our client to write blog articles. The result is Japan PI was able to grow their Page Views by 10x, and users by 15x in 1 year.
[IMG: Website Development]
[H3] New Website For Payments Processor
In 2021, Zo Digital Designed and created a new website for a rapidly expanding payments processor company in Japan. First we performed Keyword Research and applied it to the site structure. Next we rebuilt the site using WordPress and Elementor. This gives our client a head start in 2021.
[H2] About Us
[IMG: Jeff talking about Data & Analytics at Ad-Tech Tokyo 2016]
[H3] Our Mission
To empower everyday businesses with Technology & Data. Then Optimize processes to obtain real business Results.
[H5] Our Values
Customer Focus: We listen carefully to our client's needs.Problem Solving: Ultimately, we see ourselves as a team the can apply technology to solve a problem.Integrity: We do our absolute best to meet your expectations and hold to our commitments.Honesty: We are very open and honest about what we do. If we can't meet your needs, we will gladly suggest an alternative.
"Without data, you’re just another person with an opinion."― W. Edwards Deming
[IMG: Jeff Crawford discussing Analytics at Ad-Tech Tokyo 2016]
[H3] About Jeff Crawford
Jeff Crawford has developed user friendly software aimed at millions of people for companies such as Apple and Microsoft in Silicon Valley.Jeff has lived in Tokyo since 2004, working for MSN Japan and Adobe Systems Japan managing teams in Japan, China & Korea. He speaks native English and business level Japanese.In 2014, Jeff started JC Digital Consulting based in Tokyo, which became Zo Digital Japan GK in 2018.Jeff also leads the Tokyo Digital Marketers Meetup. The group meets on a monthly basis. And is a member of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ). He has also presented about SEO at Ad-Tech Tokyo, WordCamp Tokyo, JMEC & JAT.Go here for more information about Jeff on LinkedIn.
[IMG: Goro Koyama, CEO of Japan PI Inc,]
Goro KoyamaCEO, Japan PI Inc.Mr. Crawford is not only the best marketing consultant to promote Japanese commodities or services to overseas, but also the total adviser who knows the true essence of marketing and can generate a fundamental revolution to our business structure.His services are not limited to simple advertisements, but he is the unique bilingual consultant who is capable of providing consistent supports including organizing personas of customers, creating optimized landing pages for the personas, generating marketing funnels and planning the best marketing strategies based on the funnels.
[H2] Contact Us Today!
Contact Us !

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[H1] Japan SEO Agency
[H2] Zo Digital Japan: Experts in SEO, Content Marketing & Link Building
Contact Us !
As a bilingual SEO agency in Tokyo, our consultants have the right tools and knowhow to grow your business in Japan. SEO, or "Search Engine Optimization", isn’t just about keyword volumes or backlinks. It’s about delivering keyword infused content that drives customers through your website or sales funnel. It’s about being found in all the right places, and it’s about using that visibility to drive real, measurable growth to your company.Japanese SEO provides additional dimensions in complexity not seen in other languages or markets. There are many SEO "traps" that beginners can make when localizing a website into Japanese. As an SEO Company, our consultants have the Japanese market expertise to give you solid advice, and help you avoid mistakes that others make.
[IMG: Zo Digital Japan, experts at SEO and Digital Marketing]
[IMG: Japan SEO Techniques]
[H2] How We Apply SEO
As an SEO company in Japan, we approach SEO in 2 ways, short term and long term.
[H3] Short Term SEO: On Page SEO
In the short term, we are looking to understand your current position against competitors, as well as remove basic SEO bottlenecks. And we work with you to create a strategy for moving forward.
[H4] Keyword Research
At Zo Digital Japan, everything starts with our Keyword and Competitor Research. And we have the most thorough and vetted process for doing research in Japan. We use advanced tools in Japanese or English to find large swathes of keywords. We take care to categorize them by searcher intent. Then we carefully analyze Search Results Pages (SERPs) to find opportunities for your business. Our reports will give you valuable insight into the Japanese market.
[H4] SEO & Japanese Usability Audit
Based on the keyword research, we will analyze the structure of your website, and identify major bottlenecks to getting noticed. We also use audit tools to detect broken links, poorly structured HREFLang tags, missing indexed pages, and more. Then we put on our "Japanese Hat", and analyze your site from a Japanese user point of view. We know the types of problems that foreign companies make when launching their website in Japan. You will get a full report with action items.
[H4] SEO Page Optimizations
Looking for some quick wins with your keyword rankings. Based on our Keyword Research, we will optimize key portions of the page to match searchers intent.
[H3] Long Term SEO
When we think about the long term health of your business, we generally employ 2 SEO techniques, while tracking your results.
[H4] Content Marketing
We'll work with your business to create a data driven contents plan to target your idea audience at different stages in the buying process. This content will attract visitors to your site. We have also had proven success implementing the Topic Cluster system in Japanese or English to target high volume competitive keywords.
[H4] Digital PR & Link Building Outreach
Search engines still place a high respect for high quality backlinks in your field of interest. We use sophisticated SEO tools to scan the various websites, blog posts, contents looking for link building opportunities. But just acquiring paid links no longer works. At Zo Digital japan, we now go the next step and apply Digital PR Techniques for building excitement around the internet about your product or service.
[H4] SEO Analysis and Reporting
We partner with our clients and carefully track progress of important keywords and pages on a monthly basis. We not only report on your progress, but track changes made by competitors as well. And we will continually look for new opportunities to promote your brand online.
[H2] Japan SEO Services
[IMG: We can review your website in English or Japanese]
[H3] SEO Site Audit
We'll use the latest tools and techniques in English or Japanese to evaluate the state of your On Page SEO.
[H3] Content Marketing
We'll apply advanced techniques, such as the Topic Clusters, to write optimized contents that attract visitors to your site.
[H3] Link Building
We'll scour the web in English or Japanese to find influencers & backlink opportunities and increase your domain authority.
[IMG: SEO Keyword Research in English or Japanese]
[H3] Keyword Research
We use sophisticated SEO tools and techniques to identify the right keyword niches that will expand your business.
[IMG: SEO Training in Japan]
[H3] SEO Training
Want to do it yourself? We can train your staff in Japan on how to use the appropriate SEO tools, KPIs, and techniques.
[H3] SEO Growth Package
SEO is not a "one and done" operation. With this monthly plan, we continually analyze, report, and optimize your site.
[H2] FAQs

[H4] What Are the Benefits of SEO?

Once established, a highly SEO Optimized website can bring in a constant stream of traffic to your site. That traffic leads to conversions which leads to profits. It takes some effort, but once good SEO is established and momentum begins, it is relatively low cost compared to PPC Advertising.

[H4] How Long Does It Take to See Results?

For short term SEO, sometimes we can get some quick wins if a client is making some big mistakes. You can sometimes see results in 1 or 2 weeks.  For competitive markets, long-term efforts are required, and it usually takes 6-12 months to start to move the needle. Organic traffic is not an instant results type of campaign – it’s ongoing and takes time.

[H4] How Much Do SEO Services in Japan Cost?

It depends on the size and complexity of your website, the difficulty of ranking for your primary keywords, and more. Our initial SEO engagements (Keyword Research, SEO Audit, and Optimizations, etc) usually start around $5000 - $15,000 USD. And our monthly packages typically run from $2000 - $10,000 USD. Fees vary based upon your budget and goals.

[H4] Are SEO Costs More Expensive in Japan Than Other Countries?

Unfortunately the answer is often yes. This is for 2 reasons.It's difficult to find bilingual talent, people who can manage complex SEO campaigns, AND communicate effectively in English. Japanese is primarily spoken in Japan. Unlike English and other languages, it's not possible to offshore work too low cost labor markets. Attempts to do so result in a limited labor pool that is not effect in the Japanese language or business customs.

[H4] Do you Use "Black Hat" Link Building Techniques?

No. We do not practice Black Hat or other nefarious link building techniques for our clients. As Google's algorithms get better and better, more and more Link Building hacks are being shut down. Why take this risk? Instead we use "White Hat" techniques combined with Content Marketing to maximize your rankings, for now and the future.

[H4] Do You Guarantee Your SEO Services?

The performance of SEO can vary based on a large number of internal and external conditions. Google can change it's algorithms, a competitor can launch a new website, or user search patterns can suddenly change (Think Covid-19).  In this environment, no SEO Agency can offer guarantees, Zo Digital does not either.If we do an engagement with a client, after the initial Keyword & Competitor research, we can get an idea of the improvements we can make. Then we can set client expectations accordingly.

[H4] Why is Zo Digital Better Than Other Agencies in Japan?

Most SEO agencies in Japan are Website designers that offer SEO as a "checkbox". At Zo Digital Japan, we are technology and data driven experts aimed at getting you traffic. We love SEO Tools, Search Console, analytics, pivot tables, and filters. Our bilingual consultants and finding differences in Japan searcher intent compared to other markets.

Whether you execute an SEO Strategy in English or Japanese. Find out what Zo Digital Can do for you today
Contact Us !
[IMG: Martins Groza endorses Zo Digital Japan]
Martins Groza
Head of SEO at Printful Inc.
Possibly the most comprehensive keyword researches I've seen. Kudos to Jeff and his team for doing an outstanding job! I'm honored to have Zo Digital as a Partner.
[H2] Improve Your SEO Today!
Contact Us !

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[H1] Contact Us

Leave your info, and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.

[H6] Current Time in Japan
Tokyo
[IMG: Zo Digital Japan, experts at SEO and Digital Marketing]
Morris Ostro
Independent Inventor
I am an independent inventor who invented the world's lightest air pump. With help from Zo Digital, I was able to reach more customers online, and sell more iPumps from Japan.
[IMG: 東京の海外デジタルマーケティングエージェンシー]

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[IMG: Zo Digital Japan]

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[H1] Guide to Japan SEO, and How It Differs from Other Markets

a few months ago
/
By
Jeff Crawford

[IMG: Japan SEO. Start with a global SEO foundation, then apply Japan local market knowledge]

As an SEO agency, we have been helping overseas companies with Japan SEO since 2015.  And we have had many successes and failures along the way.  During the last 10 years, I have attempted to write down notes, comments and clips regarding differences between Japanese SEO and English SEO.
In this article, I have gathered those insights into a clear, practical guide, so you can learn from the successes and failures we have experienced in the last decade here in Japan.
This guide lays out the key differences between English and Japanese SEO, as well as the key SEO differences between ranking in Japan versus ranking in The West. It will also help guide you on when a direct translation is sufficient, or when a Japan-specific solution is necessary to rank well for SEO.
OK, let’s get started.
Table of Contents
Toggle
[H2] What does it take to be successful with SEO in Japan?
To be successful with SEO in Japan, your brand needs to start with a good global SEO foundation, then apply Japan local market knowledge.
[H3] Global Foundation
The global foundation includes both website, content and internal company processes.
To succeed anywhere in the world, your brand needs the following factors.
A good quality website supported by strong technical SEO
High Quality Content
Strong External SEO factors such as  backlinks, mentions, ratings.
Local SEO, if you have local business locations.
In terms of how search engines rank content, these factors are pretty much the same worldwide. In the graphic below, these factors are represented by the light blue rectangle.
[H3] Japan Local Market Knowledge
However, to succeed in Japan you also need to apply Japan Local Market Knowledge and strategies. In many cases, customization or advanced localization is necessary. These items can be seen in the light orange rectangle in the graphic below.
Japan Local Marketing Knowledge includes the following factors.
Modified Site Structure
Modified Page Layouts
Japanese Keywords and other Meta-Data
Localized Structured Data
Sales Copy
Content including Blog, Graphics and Video
Local Market Backlinks, Mentions and Citations
Product Reviews & Rates
Local Pages
Business Profile
This can be best summed up in this graphic below.
[IMG: Japan SEO. Start with a global SEO foundation, then apply Japan local market knowledge]
So while organic search (and AI too) algorithms are very similar to English as other languages, you need to apply this local market knowledge to appeal to the Japanese audience and have good rankings and organic search traffic.
The biggest mistake we see when brands try to enter Japan, is they just rely on translation instead of truly applying Japan local market knowledge.
For the rest of this article, we will focus on these specific custom actions your brand needs to take to be successful in Japan for SEO..
[H2] Is SEO the same in Japanese as English?
SEO is about 80% the same in Japanese as it is in English. SEO concepts like keywords, SERPs, Technical SEO, Branded Traffic, Non-branded traffic, EEAT, Good Quality Content, Titles & Meta-Descriptions, Backlinks & Anchor text and more,  all these techniques and concepts apply in Japanese just like they do in English.
And these days, AI overviews (seen at the top of Google search results), as well as LLMs like ChatGPT function in Japanese about the same as they do in English.
However, Digital Marketers looking to enter the Japanese market with SEO need to take into account major differences in the following:
Core Language Differences
Search Intent Differences
Regional or Geographic issues
Cultural & Lifestyle Differences
Business Culture Differences
Information Processing Issues
Website Issues
Translation Issues
Privacy Issues
Laws & Legal Differences
Local SEO Differences
Each of these factors affect Japanese “search patterns”, that, in turn, will affect your SEO campaigns as well as Paid Search campaigns.
And in many cases, the “searcher intent” may be significantly different in Japanese than in English.
A good amount of flexibility is necessary if you want to succeed in Japan. If you don’t take into account the above factors, and consider additional actions, you are likely to be outranked by more aggressive local Japanese companies or more savvy international brands.
This article will address those differences, and their implications to Japanese SEO.
[H2] What is The Most Popular Search Engine in Japan?
[H3] About Google
Before we start, let’s clarify what the most popular search engine is in Japan. Right now, that title goes to Google, with almost 90% market share.
If you also factor in YouTube, Google might have over 90%  market share in Search.
For more information, please see our article and graphics on Japan Search Engine Marketshare.
[H3] About YahooJP
For many years, the number 2 search engine has been Yahoo JP.  Surprisingly, Yahoo JP uses Google search engine internally. Astute users will notice that the core organic search results are the same. This can include PAAs (People Also Ask) as well as Related Searches.
However, Yahoo will add additional widgets such as a Twitter (X) feed, video feed, or sponsored ads.  Google also adds features such as a Maps Pack for local searches.
For PPC/SEM, it should be noted that Yahoo JP uses a completely different Ads Console than Google, Some features of running ads in Google are not available on the Yahoo Ads Console. We may cover this in an upcoming article.
It should be noted that Yahoo in Japan is 100% owned by Softbank, and is no longer owned or connected by Yahoo in the USA.
[H3] About Microsoft Bing
With the increasing popularity of ChatGPT & Copilot, we have seen the rise of Microsoft Bing as a search engine. It made a bit of a comeback in 2025, and is now challenging Yahoo JP for the #2 position.
[H2] Effect of AI on Japanese Organic Search
As I write this in late 2025, LLMs like Chat GPT are gaining traction in Japan. At the same time, AI Overviews (AIOs) are causing zero-click searches, and are reducing traffic to Japanese sites. In this environment, citations (links) are becoming more important, and search rankings are becoming less important. We will follow up with an article about Search AI in the near future.
One trend we noticed recently is that LLMs are able to break the “language barrier”, and easily pull out data in a different language than the user’s query. This will have a profound impact on Japanese searches in the future.  I will provide more info in an upcoming article.
Next, let’s move on and talk about the key differences between Japan SEO and English SEO.
[H2] Core Language Issues
Here we will cover basic language constructs, and highlight how each relates to Japanese SEO.
[H3] 3 Different Scripts
Written English is a rather simple language, with 1 script containing only 26 characters, A through Z.  However, Japanese has 3 different scripts.
Hiragana – 46 base characters, 71-74 characters total. Often, the first script Japanese kids learn in school. Each character represents a phonetic sound in Japanese.
Katakana – 46 base characters, 71-74 characters total. Similar to Hiragana, each character represents a phonetic sound in Japanese. Katakana is often used to phonetically sound out foreign words.
Kanji – More than 10,000 characters. But about 2,000 common characters (Joyo Kanji)  are needed to read a newspaper. Graphically, Kanji characters tend to have many more strokes compared to the simplified Katakana and Hiragana characters.
There is also Romaji, which is helpful for foreigners learning Japanese. Most Japanese can read simple romanized words like “Osaka”, but would struggle to read an entire sentence in Romaji.
Here is an example of a Japanese sentence.
Japanese: 昨日、コンビニでおにぎりを三つ買いました。
English translation: Yesterday, I bought three rice balls at the convenience store.
? This sentence includes:
Kanji: 昨日 (yesterday), 三 (three), 買 (buy)
Hiragana: で, おにぎり, を, ました
Katakana: コンビニ (convenience store)
Keep in mind words or entities can be expressed in anyone of 4 different Scripts. Consider the word for “Tokyo”.
とうきょう – Hiragana
トウキョウ – In Katakana
東京 – Kanji Characters
Tokyo – In Roman characters (called Romaji)
Many times, there may be multiple ways to represent a product or service. Consider the case for “Additive Manufacturing” in Japanese. Many multilingual websites just use the phoneticized translation in Kanakana アディティブ・マニュファクチャリング.  Many in the industry also use the abbreviation in Roman characters “AM”. But some searchers may also use the more rare Kanji Representations such as 加法製造, 積層造形 or even 付加製造. You need to make sure you have these terms covered as well.
Note, we use the phrase “Roman Characters” in the article. But the more technically correct term is “Latin Characters”.
?Implications for search
These days, search Engines are intelligent enough to understand entities written in the 4 different scripts. However, you should still use Keyword Research to understand what term Japanese use most often to express a particular word or term. Make sure your website has all translations of a particular term included in the text. For each page, make sure the most strategic KW is prominent in titles and introductory text.
[H3] Reading of Kanji Characters
As mentioned, there are over 10,000 Kanji characters, 2000 used in everyday Kanji. To make things even more complicated, each character may have multiple “readings” or phonetic pronunciations. The character reading can be based on either the original Chinese “On-yomi” reading, or the adapted “Kun-yomi” when the character’s meaning was adapted to the Japanese language.
Here is an example where things can go wrong with mixing character readings. Close to where I live is the “Hisagi” area of Zushi. This Kanji is written as 久木.  However, most Japanese who are not from this area will read that location name as “Kuki”, not “Hisagi”.
?Implications for search
For translation purposes, if Kanji reading is not clear, your website will need to provide phonetics.
[H3] No Spaces Between Words
For students of Japanese like me, one of the more frustrating aspects of the language is that Japanese has no spaces between words.
Concepts like “word breaking” become much more important than other languages. To effectively find the boundary between words, search engines need to know the Yomi-kata or “reading” of such words.
As a humorous example in English, my sister (who is a certified family therapist), pointed out the problem of registering the domain Therapists.com. Sounds like a great idea. But, with no spaces between words the domain name could also be interpreted as  TheRapists.com.  ?
Japanese has a similar issue since it has no spaces between words.
E.g.1. ここではきものをおぬぎください
It can be understood in both ways:
ここで、履き物をお脱ぎください (Please take off your shoes here.)
ここでは、着物をお脱ぎください (Please take off your kimono here. ?)
2. きのうはいしゃにいった
It can be understood in both ways:
昨日、歯医者に行った (I went to the dentist yesterday.)
昨日は、医者に行った (I went to the doctor yesterday.)
The examples above might show up more during spoken Japanese. If your website is subject to voice search, you may need to consider this issue.
There are also similar issues when 2 Katakana words are juxtaposed together, making the reading of those 2 words difficult to read by both search engines and humans.
In addition, Japanese has many spoken “particles” that are not really words, but have characters or are spoken. A simple example is the question particle placed at the end of question sentence, “Ka” (か). Would you count particles as a “word” in Japanese? The result is there is no good quantifiable way to measure “words” in Japanese. You must use characters instead.
?Implications for search
Japanese search engines are still intelligent enough to parse full sentences into individual words and entities. However, some supposed SEO metrics like “words” have no meaning.
When reviewing website translations, please take care when works the sit next to each other may be hard to read, or have different meanings.
[H3] Utilizing Spaces on Search
When searching Google and other search engines, Japanese users tend to omit particles, and search using keywords only. And this effect is compounded by Google’s “search recommendations” as the user is typing. We can see from the example, sometimes keywords include spaces, sometimes not.
However, the insertion of spaces can lead to different meanings, which leads to different search intent. Here are some examples.
食事会 服 (dinner party clothes)With keywords alone, it can mean either:
I want to buy clothes to wear to a dinner party.
I want to know appropriate dress etiquette for a dinner party.
In actual SERPs, content on dress etiquette and outfit suggestions is needed.
結婚祝い (wedding gift)Keywords alone can imply:
I want to know the meaning, origin, and history of wedding gifts.
I want the best wedding gift.
I want information on budgets and etiquette.
The entries for this keyword are mixed, but users mainly look for gifts (3).
Word order can also change nuance.
写真 インスタ映え (Photos Instagrammable) → I want to know how to take Instagrammable photos.
インスタ映え 写真 (Instagrammable Photos) → I want to see Instagrammable photos.
Strictly speaking, the nuance is different, but Google often treats (1) and (2) as the same keyword and shows the most in-demand content.However, some combinations can change the meaning:
友達 映画 (Friend movie) → A movie titled Friend.
映画 友達 (Movie friend) → Mixed interpretations of 1 and 3 in SERP.
映画友達 (Movie friend) *No space → A friend who likes movies (Insights: how to make a friend with the same hobby).
?Implications for search
When analyzing Japanese keyword research, you will need to think carefully about whether a particular keyword has spaces versus the non-space variant. Also, similar to English, you will need to be careful about word order of particular keywords.
[H3] How Many Japanese Characters in an English Word?
Clients have asked us before, if we have a 1000 word article in English, how many characters would that be in Japanese?
The answer is not so simple, as a single sentence can go through expansion or contraction of text based on the terms used. However, we did testing of some well translated articles, and found that 1 English word roughly equates to about 2.5 Japanese characters.
So if you have a 1000 English article, all things considered, it will likely be translated into a 2500 character Japanese text.
?Implications for search
When paying writers to create content, rates are usually pay-per-character rather than pay-per-word.
[H2] Search Intent Differences
In many cases, the search intent of a translated English word may be completely differen

[IMG: Zo Digital Japan]

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[H1] What is the Most Popular Search Engine in Japan? Updated for 2025

last year
/
By
Jeff Crawford

As a digital marketing agency in Japan, our clients often ask us this question. This article introduces some of the latest statistics on Japan’s search engine market share. Understanding the most popular search engine will help you formulate the best Japanese SEO Strategies for optimizing your website.
Here is the 2025 data on Search Engine Market Share in Japan by StatCounter.
As the graph above shows, Google is the most popular search engine in Japan (as of January 2025).
[H2] Overall Search Engine Market Share Japan
As of January 2025, here is the overall search engine marketing share, according to Stat Counter.
Google: 81.5%
Yahoo: 9.2%
Bing: 7.7%
Others: <1%
[H2] Search Engine Trends In Japan
Historical data shows that Google has held the majority of the market share in Japan for the past 10 years, currently sitting at 81.5%. As of December 2024, Yahoo Japan, the second-ranked search engine, holds only about 9.2% of the market share. Google is clearly a dominant leader in Japan and will likely remain so.
An interesting trend is Bing’s recent rise. It is now sitting at under 8% market share. However, looking closely at the trends in 2024, Bing market share peaked at 14.6% in June 2024. This coincided with the peak of ChatGPT Interest. We believe these 2 metrics are correlated.
But since that time, Bing market share  has fallen to 7.7% market share in January 2025. So while the yearly trend appears to be catching up to Yahoo Japan, looking at the monthly data suggests it decline going forward.
[H2] Search Results by Device
Here are the search results by device. While there are some minor differences between desktop, mobile, and tablet, the overall trend is the same.
In Japan, mobile searches make up the majority of total searches, with Google leading the category at 85.9%.
In contrast to Desktop, Bing’s presence on mobile devices is minimal, at just 0.76%. We believe this is for 2 reasons.
The rise of ChatGPT appears to be a desktop-only phenomenon. It has not picked up on mobile as of early 2025.
Some Japanese computer makers have Bing as the default web browser.
[H2] Search Results Listings Differences Between Google and Yahoo
Yahoo Japan has adopted Google’s algorithms since 2011. Because of their similarities, optimizing your website for Google will also improve SEO on Yahoo Japan.
Source: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/yahoo-japan-search-strategy/270231/
However, Yahoo Search will often show different items in the organic search results. Take a look at the screenshot below for the similarities and differences. Yahoo Japan is at the top, and Google is at the bottom. The keyword used for this example is “オリジナルTシャツ” (Original T-Shirts).
Yahoo:
Google:
Key points:
Organic search results (shown in blue) are similar on both platforms. Both also feature rich snippets, such as FAQs, for some pages. You can learn more about FAQ schema in this article.

Paid search ads (shown in red) appear on both platforms but for different products, highlighting the differences in Google Ads and Yahoo Ads’ display tools and bidding systems.
Other features, such as Google’s “Local Maps Pack” and Yahoo Shopping listings (shown in orange), are unique to each platform.

If you need professional help from an SEO Agency in Japan, please contact us at Zo Digital Japan. We provide guidance on how to rank on both Google and Yahoo Japan.
[H2] Is Yahoo More Popular than Google?
A search for “Is Yahoo More Popular than Google?” yields mixed results. Some older sources, like a 2022 Nielsen report on Japanese online trends, indicated that:
Average Monthly Reach (2022):Yahoo Japan: 68.3%
Google: 66.1%
Average Monthly Usage Time (Share):Yahoo Japan: 9%
Google: 6%
Based on these figures, Yahoo was more popular in Japan. However, more recent data from a 2024 Nielsen report and rankings on SimilarWeb tell a different story—Google is the most visited website in Japan.
[H3] Yahoo Japan Is a Popular Content Portal
Yahoo Japan offers a wide array of services, including Yahoo News—a very popular news platform in Japan—along with finance, weather, and over 100 additional services. This diverse content portfolio has historically driven high engagement and made Yahoo one of the most visited sites in the country.
[H3] Google as a Search Engine
Even though Yahoo Japan’s portal attracts more overall page visits, Google remains the go-to search engine for most people in Japan. Its trusted search capabilities bring in huge amounts of traffic, which is why the latest data shows Google as the most visited website in Japan.
Thus, while earlier reports highlighted Yahoo’s strong reach and engagement, current web traffic metrics confirm that Google’s dominance in search has led to it becoming the most visited site overall in Japan.
[H2] Summary
Google is the most popular search engine in Japan, with an 81.6% market share. Yahoo is second, with 8.85%, although its market share is decreasing. Bing is rising, with a 7.85% market share, possibly benefiting from the rising popularity of ChatGPT.
Yahoo Japan’s search engine uses Google’s algorithms, so core organic search results are similar in terms of ranking. However, Google and Yahoo may include their unique search features, such as “Google Map Pack” or Yahoo Shopping/News. For pay-per-click (PPC) ad specialists, the paid ads tools are completely different. While Google is the most popular search engine, Yahoo is the most popular site in Japan.
Finally, it’s also important to note that Yahoo Japan is not owned by Yahoo in the US, and the technologies used are completely different. Therefore, you shouldn’t assume the search engines will behave or perform the same.
Overall, understanding the search engine market share in Japan, including the similarities and differences of top search engines, is essential to developing the best digital marketing strategies for the Japanese market.
[H3] Credits
Article updated by Jeff Crawford with help from Kiyoto, Yuka,  Mariko & Yuto.

[H3]
About the Author Jeff Crawford
Jeff Crawford is a Digital Marketing expert, technologist and Manager. He has worked for technology companies in Silicon Valley such as Apple, WebTV and Microsoft. He has lived in Tokyo Japan since 2004, working for companies such as Microsoft KK and Adobe Systems Japan.

Jeff is founder of Zo Digital Japan, an SEO and Digital Marketing agency based in Tokyo.

Jeff started the Tokyo Digital Marketers Meetup in 2016, which now has over 2000 members. He has also presented about Digital Marketing at such events as Ad-Tech Tokyo, WordCamp Tokyo, Japan Market Expansion Competition (JMEC), and the Japan Association of Translators (JAT).

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[H1] Guide to Link Building in Japan – Updated for 2025

last year
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By
Jeff Crawford

[IMG: Link Building Techniques in Japan from Zo Digital]

Link Building is an important component of SEO in Japan. As a Link Building agency, we often receive many requests from clients to build links to their websites. In the last few years, we have tried a variety of techniques. In this article, we discuss various Link Building techniques in Japan. We will share how Link Building is different from western cultures. We will also share what techniques work best and what failed for us over the last decade.
Algorithmically, using backlinks to evaluate sites is not a perfect science. Interestingly enough, Google admitted that it has tried removing backlinks from its algorithms. Unfortunately, there is no better method. As imperfect as Google link evaluation algorithms are, Link Building is still considered by SEO experts as one of the top 3 ranking factors for SEO.
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[H2] Is Japanese Link Building Like the US or Europe?
In a word, “yes.” The same “Penguin” algorithms from Google that track links work almost the same in Japanese as they do in other languages. However, there are business, cultural, and sometimes legal differences between Japan and the West. Your approaches may vary, and we’ll cover some of those below.
[H2] Elements of Google Backlinks
Below are common elements of high-quality backlinks. This applies to Japan as well as the rest of the online world.
What matters are good quality links on the page
Backlinks need to come from a high-authority site
Backlinks need to be relevant
Let’s do a quick review of each of these.
[H3] #1 Good Quality Links On the Page
The position of the backlink on the page matters a lot. The highest quality backlinks are in content links that are relevant to your topic. Being mentioned in the top two or three paragraphs is important. Links hidden in footers or sidebars don’t work nearly as much as in content links.
[H3] #2 Backlinks Should Be from High-Authority Sites
Getting a backlink from a high-authority site is significantly more valuable than one from an unknown or untrusted source. Site authority is typically measured in two ways:
The number of backlinks the site has.
The number of branded searches the site receives.
Authority sites are often reliable sources respected by experts in their industries.
Examples of high-authority sites:
In the U.S.: The New York Times, The New England Journal of Medicine.
In Japan: Nikkei, Toyo Keizai, Yahoo Japan News, Huffington Post Japan, ITMedia, MSN, Infoseek, among others.
Do note that smaller high-authority sites exist within specific niches and can be just as valuable for targeted Link Building efforts.
[H3] #3 Backlinks Must Be Relevant
A backlink must be relevant to both the content it appears in and your overall site. Relevance is one of the most underrated factors when evaluating backlinks. While most SEO tools, such as Ahrefs or SEMrush, effectively report links to your site, they often fail to evaluate relevance. (One exception is Majestic SEO’s Topical Trust Flow.)
Google traditionally uses the “anchor text” of a link as a clue for measuring relevance. For example:
Does the anchor text align with the primary keywords of the page it links to?
Does the surrounding topic match the content on the linked page?
While anchor text still matters, it doesn’t carry as much weight as it did in 2011. Today, “page relevance” or “site relevance” matters far more.
Ultimately, what’s crucial is maintaining a relevant and high-quality Link Profile.
[H2] A Brief History of Link Building in Japan
When doing link audits for more mature companies in Japan, we often find old or outdated techniques that worked before Google released the Penguin Algorithm in 2012.
Surprisingly, some SEO companies still employ these techniques today. These days, Google’s algorithms are smart enough to ignore gratuitous backlinks. And in some cases, you could receive a Google Penalty.
The latest Google Algorithm update related to backlinks is known as the  December 2022 Link Spam update, which “neutralizes” the impact of unnatural links on search results by both mechanical and manual reviews. A few of the latest link spam updates were intended to negate the value of unnatural links rather than penalize the site by taking down the rankings.
However, it doesn’t mean that you are safe after building many backlinks using black hat techniques because you’ve already been “penalized” for having spent time on something totally invalid. Also, you can be penalized by upcoming updates anytime in the future.
[H2] What is Link Building Like in Japan?
It’s sad to say that after providing Link Building services as part of the holistic SEO strategy for more than four years, we haven’t met any link builders or Link Building agencies in Japan who really practice white-hat techniques or build links in creative ways.
Instead, many of them just ask for a backlink directly, offering money, or build hundreds or thousands of PBNs called “satellite sites” and simply give links back from these sites. Some reasons may be a lack of experienced personnel and low cost-effectiveness, especially in the case of agencies. Link Building in Japan is challenging and costly.
[H2] Link Building Techniques That Don’t Work
Based on our experience, the techniques below either don’t work at all or only provide minimal gains.
[H3] Directory Registration
It used to be that you could rank by just entering your site in a number of free or paid link directories. One such directory was JOY (Japanese Yellow Pages) or Portalnet.info. As these sites no longer have value many of them are being decommissioned.
[H3] Paid Submissions
There also used to be paid submission sites like Submit! You paid them a small fee, and, voila, you could rank. But these have become directory links.
[H3] Link Trading/Reciprocal Links
Link trading is a simple concept: “I’ll link to your website if you link to mine.” The idea is that both parties benefit from each other’s links. Google has said that reciprocal links aren’t necessarily bad. For instance, they can be part of PR announcements when two companies form a partnership. However, if this technique is overused, it can lead to a Google penalty.
We occasionally allow link trading, but only after carefully evaluating the target site. If the site’s content is relevant to yours, a link from your site to theirs may be seen as natural. Some websites still maintain “link exchange” lists (called Sogo link lists in Japanese).
While these can provide quick, easy backlinks, most of them are irrelevant to your site. After the latest link spam update, Google can easily detect these reciprocal links, which add little value. In fact, they may even result in a penalty, so they are not worth pursuing.
Fewer sites are built specifically for automatic reciprocal link exchanges today than a decade ago, like the examples mentioned in this article (Japanese).
However, link exchanges are still common in Japan. Many Japanese marketers, site owners, and even editors of online media continue to ask for them. We are often asked for reciprocal links but try to avoid them as much as possible. Instead, we recommend offering alternative value, such as a social media post or a link from a partner site, to secure a link to your site.
[H3] Buying Old Domains for Links
One tactic some people use is buying an old website with lots of backlinks and redirecting those links to their own site.
We tried a similar approach for a client. The client had originally built a website as a travel agent but later pivoted to a site focused on overseas study. The travel agent site had many backlinks—some of them spammy and others legitimate. We thought it would be a good idea to merge the two sites by redirecting all the backlinks from the old travel agent site to the new
overseas study site. However, after setting up the redirects, we saw no improvement at all.
Many of these techniques were effectively shut down when Yahoo adopted Google as its search engine in Japan and later with the release of the Penguin algorithm in 2012. Additionally, Japan-specific updates in 2017 further diminished the effectiveness of such strategies. Still, remnants of these tactics can sometimes be found on the Japanese web.
[H2] How is Link Building in Japan Different?
While Google’s algorithms are mostly the same from language to language, the market in Japan has some significant differences. That person you reach out to may give you an unexpected response.
Keep in mind that the Japanese business world is a “relationship-based” business culture.
Meanwhile, business cultures in the U.S. and Europe are more Task-oriented. These concepts and many more are discussed in the book, “When Cultures Collide,” by Richard D Lewis. This applies to Link Building, PR, content promotion, or any type of outreach activity.
[H3] Use of Honorific Japanese Language
If you’re a link builder in the U.S. working with a U.S. audience, starting an outreach email with “Dear Sir or Madam…” might seem odd. However, in Japan, politeness is a must in any business interaction. Using perfect honorific business language, or “keigo,” is essential. An email without the proper keigo can be seen as disrespectful, leading to it being ignored, discarded, or even offending the recipient.
That’s why it’s important to have a native Japanese speaker write or proofread your outreach emails before sending them. Non-native speakers or young Japanese speakers without business experience may struggle to use the right tone, and machine translation software often fails to capture the nuances of keigo.
[H3] Japan’s New Stealth Marketing Laws
Japan’s strict Stealth Marketing Laws, effective from October 1, 2023, are designed to protect consumers from misleading advertising. Under the Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations, businesses must clearly disclose paid partnerships and sponsored content to ensure biased promotions do not mislead consumers.
The law targets situations where businesses promote products without revealing they are advertisements. For example, if a company gives products to influencers or consumers to promote on social media without disclosing the sponsorship, it can mislead people into thinking the content is an honest review. Influencers or users paid to promote products must also clearly label their content as sponsored.
To comply with the law and avoid penalties, businesses must prioritize transparency by clearly marking any sponsored content, including influencer collaborations or paid links.  Failure to comply could result in penalties, including fines or other administrative actions.
This impacts Link Building in a big way. So when providing paid placements, including links, many Japanese sites have a “PR” or “Advertising” (広告) moniker at the top of their article indicating that there are paid placements on the page. This can cause frustration for companies that want to build links and not be associated with paying a fee.
[H3] Japan’s Privacy Laws
Japan has its own privacy laws similar to the GDPR in Europe. The Act on the Protection of Personal Information applies to all businesses. Under this law, any information that can identify an individual is considered personal data and must be protected. For example, a surname alone is not protected, but an email address is. You are legally required to obtain permission before collecting personal data and must explain how the data will be used.
As a digital marketer in Japan, you should also be aware of the Act on Regulation of Transmission of Specified Electronic Mail, which outlines the obligations for opting in or out and requires disclosure of the email sender. From our experience, Japan’s privacy laws are stricter than those in the U.S. and align closely with the GDPR.
You can contact publishers, bloggers, and influencers as long as their contact information is publicly available. However, exercise caution when using email finder tools like Hunter.io, which provide assumed email addresses that are not publicly disclosed.
Lastly, we are not legal experts, so this information should not be considered legal advice. If you need assistance, consult a Japanese lawyer.
[H3] Company Outreach May Require Multiple Channels
Due to stricter privacy regulations, reaching the right person on your first outreach can be challenging. Typically, you should contact them through their company email or contact form, following the company’s guidelines. This often results in lower response rates.
To improve results, we use a multi-channel approach. For example, we might start by sending an outreach message through the contact form, and if there’s no response, follow up via social media platforms like Twitter or Instagram. We’ve found that social media often yields better results, but this depends on your business, industry, and the specific site you’re reaching out to.
[H3] Negotiations Are Longer
In Japan, decisions are often made by consensus, which can mean longer negotiations—sometimes two to ten times longer than in Western companies. This also applies to Link Building discussions. It’s often helpful to arrange a call to introduce yourself, clarify your offer, and explain your goals. Be prepared to budget extra time for this process. However, for smaller sites run by individuals, decisions can happen more quickly.
[H3] Even ‘Competitors’ Can Be Well-Connected
In some smaller, well-established industries, many companies that appear to be competitors may actually be closely connected. A seemingly neutral “ratings site” could be a front for a competitor. Sometimes, one company may own several competitors, or there may be hidden business relationships. In Japan, business connections are not always publicly documented, so it’s essential to approach outreach carefully.
[H3] Major News Sites Have Tight Control
In Western markets, major news sites typically have strict control over their content and are unlikely to offer Dofollow backlinks. This trend has been observed in large media outlets like Forbes, which have stopped providing Dofollow or even Nofollow links in recent years.
The same applies in Japan. While you may get featured on major media outlets like Yahoo or ITMedia, they are unlikely to link back to your site or will only provide Nofollow links. However, we still recommend reaching out to major news sites using PR techniques for:
Brand Mentions: Getting featured can provide powerful brand mentions, adding trust to your brand and showcasing your expertise.
SEO Value: Google considers brand mentions and citations valuable for SEO, even if they don’t result in a Dofollow link. Google has acknowledged that Nofollow links can still contribute to SEO ranking as a “hint.”
Secondary Links: If major news outlets don’t