Why automatic product translation is not enough: 3 hidden problems of localization
An analysis of 141,113 products translated by AI showed: even if you have products translated, you lose 20-30% of the potential. The problem is not the translation - it's the localisation.
Home: Translation ≠ Localization
In recent months, we've analysed 141,113 product descriptions in 72 languages - all translated using AI. We wanted to find out: Is automatic translation enough for international expansion?
The answer? No.
The average localization quality score was 70 out of 100. This means that even if you have products "translated", you are losing approximately 30% of your potential in foreign markets.
Why? Because basic AI translation only solves the language - not the business.
He's not thinking about:
🟣 SEO for local market
🟣 Terminological consistency
🟣 Cultural specifics
🟣 Conversion optimization
The result? You have a "translated" e-shop that:
🔺 Not visible in searches (poor SEO)
🔺 Appears unprofessional (inconsistent terminology)
🔺 Has not gained customer trust (culturally inappropriate text)
And the worst part? 80% of e-shops don't even know about these problems.
Let's go over the 3 biggest differences between translation and localization - and how to solve them with AI agents.
🔴 Issue #1: AI translation ignores local SEO (56/100)
What we found
SEO was the worst of all categories, with an average score of just 56 out of 100.
Why? Because basic AI translation does a literal translation of URLs and meta tags, regardless:
🟣 Local keywords
🟣 Search volume in target country
🟣 Competition in SERPs
🟣 Search habits of local customers
AI translation thinks linguistically. It doesn't think about business.
Specific example
🧸 E-shop with children's goods expanded to Germany using AI translation. The result?
❌ Baseline AI translation (verbatim):
URL: /kinderwagen-premium-blau-mit-zubehoer
Meta title: Kinderwagen Premium Blau mit Zubehör
Meta description: Kinderwagen Premium in der Farbe Blau mit Zubehör.
Problem: The translation is linguistically correct, but it does not take into account how Germans search.
✅ AI localization (SEO optimized):
URL: /kinderwagen-premium
Meta title: Premium Kinderwagen kaufen | [Značka]
Meta description: Hochwertige Kinderwagen mit Zubehör. Jetzt online bestellen - Versand gratis ✓ 5 Jahre Garantie ✓
🔍 What has changed?
- Short and clean URL - matches the search term "kinderwagen premium"
- Title contains keyword + call to action ("kaufen")
- Description targets trust and benefits (free shipping, guarantee)
📊 Difference in impact:
The SEO optimized version brings 20-30% more organic traffic and has a higher conversion rate due to better copy.
Solution: AI SEO Agent
🟣 Does keyword research for target market
🟣 Optimizes URLs according to best practices
🟣 Validates lengths and duplicates
🟣 Tracks SERP positions
= AI that thinks about business, not just language
🟡 Problem #2: AI translation without context = terminological chaos (30-40% errors)
What we found
Every third to fourth problem in the catalogues is related to inconsistent terminology.
What does that mean? AI has translated the same product differently because:
- Did not have the context of the entire catalogue
- Processed each product in isolation
- No memory of previous translations
- No glossary or glossary of terminology
Baseline AI thinks in terms of products. It doesn't think about the catalog as a whole.
Specific example
Slovak e-shop with kitchen utensils expanded to Hungary:
Product: silicone boiling pot with non-stick surface
❌ 3 different translations:
1. Szilikon főzőedény tapadásmentes bevonattal (67 products)
2. Szilikon serpenyő tapadásgátló réteggel (34 products)
3. Szilikon tál nem tapadó felülettel (12 products)
✅ Localization:
Szilikon főzőedény tapadásmentes bevonattal (all products)
Why is this a problem?
Brand looks unprofessional
Keywords are distracting
Customers don't know if they are buying the same product
A real case
The e-shop had "silicone strap" translated three different ways across 247 products.
📉 Customers searched for "szilikon szíj" → found only 67% of the offer
📉 33% of the products were virtually invisible
💸 Loss: -15% of sales in this category
🟠 Problem #3: Hidden errors (clients don't know about them)
What we found
This is the most treacherous problem - most e-shops don't even know they have bugs.
🟣 Translation is uploaded and no more is done
🟣 Operator does not know the target language
🟣 Lack of quality control tool
A specific case
Czech cosmetics e-shop expanded to Croatia. 6,105 texts - and some of them remained in Czech.
❌ Example: this shampoo is made from natural rose water...
✅ Right: Ovaj shampoo je proizveden od prirodne ružine vode...
How did this happen?
Error when importing from CSV
Fallback displayed Czech text
No one noticed
📉 Impact:
Bounce rate: 67% (vs. 34% Czech version)
Average time on page: 12 s (vs. 2:34)
Conversion rate: 0.3% (vs. 2.1%)
💸 Loss: -27 000 CZK per month on Croatian market
🎯 Conclusion: translation is the beginning. Localization is a gamechanger.
Basic AI translation is like building a house with only bricks - you have walls, but no doors, windows or roof.
🔥 What do you need?
🟣 Quality localization experts or AI that thinks about business
🟣 Agent system that works 24/7
🟣 Localization that makes money
🎁 Want to know how your e-shop is doing?
Get a free localization quality analysis:
- SEO Score
- Top 10 worst products
- Estimate of lost sales
👇 Just enter the URL of your e-shop:
https://www.locoglobal.ai/quality-check
Petr Sedláček
Petr runs LOCO as an autonomous AI platform that makes it easier for e-shops to expand by taking over the entire localization process - quickly, efficiently and without manual work.
