Understanding Multilingual SEO Websites

Understanding Multilingual SEO Websites

Multilingual websites are extending content in multiple languages to empower audiences to access information in their preferred language.

A multilingual website refers to any website that provides content in more than one language. For instance, a Canadian business has English and French versions of its site. Google Search tries to find pages that match the language of the searcher.

Multilingual SEO is essential for global reach, helping in ranking the website in search results for different languages, attracting a broader audience.

Language-specific keyword research: understand cultural nuances and search habits in each target market for identifying the right keywords

Website elements for each language: meta tags, content, URLs, and sitemaps.

In the technical aspects, choosing the right website architecture, ensuring fast loading times and effectively using language switchers and redirects.

Investing in a quality translator avoids machine translations and working with professionals who understand cultural nuances.

Multilingual SEO vs International SEO

Multilingual SEO is all about making your website accessible to people speaking different languages.

Consider a clothing brand, Nike. You want this website to be discoverable by people searching for ‘sneakers’ in English, ‘zapatillas’ in Spanish, or ‘tênis’ in Portuguese. That is multilingual SEO in action.

While, International SEO is associated with tailoring your website for specific countries or regions. For example, Adidas is launching websites specifically for Spain and Mexico.

Further examples:

• The Spanish website (adidas.es) uses European Spanish, targets keywords used in Spain, and references popular local sports such as football and tennis.
• The Mexican website (adidas.mx) uses Mexican Spanish, incorporates local slang, and focuses on sports like football.

The personalized approach makes each audience feel different languages, while international SEO goes a step further by tailoring the entire website experience for specific regions or countries.

Technical SEO Tips

Google recommends using different URLs for each language version of a page rather than using cookies or browser settings to adjust the content language on the page. If you are using different URLs for different languages, use hreflang annotations to help Google Search link to the correct version of a page.

• Focus on the URL Structure

Creating dedicated URLs as per the language and country versions helps search engines to index the website accurately, which increases the chances of your website pages appearing in search results in multiple languages. Thus, improving the rankings in SERP.

Considering approaches to consider while determining the URL structure:

• Separate domains or ccTLDs (country code top-level domains)
• Subdirectories with gTLD (Generic top-Level Domain)
• Subdomains with gTLD
• URL Parameters

• Translate and Optimize the Pages

Accurate page translation and optimization aid in reaching the target audience and communicating the brand message effectively.

Content translation: If you rely on tools such as Google Translate, proofread the content closely for accuracy. While Google has incorporated new AI-powered features for providing accurate translations based on context and intent, do not take any risks.

While proofreading, pay special attention to elements such as:

• Time and data format
• Units of measurement
• Cultural references
• Currency

Finding effective multilingual keywords for the target market and aligning your content can amp up the SEO efforts.

Translating the below shared non-visible content elements, ensuring international SEO efforts are successful. Not doing so can send false information to search engine bots indexing the website.

Use Hreflang Tags

Hreflang refers to an HTML attribute signalling search engines of content variations. It looks like:

<link rel=”alternate”hreflang=”en-us”href=http://myexample.com/>

Since they reflect unique language variations, appropriate hreflang implementation prevents content issues and penalties.

Implementing hreflang tags, remember –

• Placing them either in the <head> section of the HTML page, HTTP headers, or within the <loc> tags of an XML sitemap.
• Consider including a language which should be ISO 639-1 format, and, optionally, a region code which should be in ISO 3166-1 Alpha 2 format.
• Add them to all the pages with language variations, including the main version (self-referential), which is indicating Google the link between the pages, or the search engine might misinterpret the hreflang annotations.
• Including a default page using the “x-default” hreflang tag helps users select a suitable language when they can’t find an appropriate version.

Provide A Language Selector

Language selector empowering users to select a language they prefer while exploring a multilingual website. They help address different language speakers from the same country, distinguish between languages, and communicate effectively with customers.

If a US-based website is aiming to attract Spanish-speaking Canadians and Italian-speaking Americans, there may be better options than using Spanish and Italian flags.

Benefits of Multilingual SEO Strategies

• Increased online visibility and traffic
• Better user experience
• Improved conversion rates
• Competitive edge

Overall, multilingual SEO isn’t just about translation but about connecting with customers on a deeper level, boosting brand reputation, and opening up a world of new opportunities.

How To Do Multilingual SEO

This involves three steps:

       1.Conduct Keyword Research

Words and phrases people use to search for things online can vary significantly from language to language. Strategies to consider while right keyword identification:

• Start with existing keywords by translating them directly to your target language
• Check for keywords that your competitors in the target market are ranking for, giving you a good idea of what terms could hold opportunity
• Think like the target audience. Look for keywords receiving search volume aligning with the target market's needs and products and services that you provide.

After nailing down your target keywords, dive deeper into the cultural nuances and search habits of your audience.

        2.Making on-Page Optimizations

Optimizing website after you have got your multilingual keywords

Focus on:

• Language specific URLs and Sitemaps
• Optimized meta tags
• Translated and localized content
• Implement hreflang tags

          3.Leveraging Off-Page Optimizations

It is the another piece of the puzzle for multilingual success. Boosting the website’s authority in different languages:

• Build high-quality backlinks
• Utilize local directories and listings
• Collaborate with influencers and publishers

           4.Technical Considerations

Some key considerations for getting the technical aspects of your website:

• Website Architecture
• Site Speed and Performance
• Language Switchers and Redirects
• Multilingual Analytics

Conclusion

These tips would make it easier for search engines to find and index your web pages in all languages. Focus on the language-specific search engine behaviour and the SEO best practices of the target countries.

In the context of the SEO front, understand the local culture, language, and how users interact with the search engine.

Content that resonates with the audience in terms of language and relevance drives value for the target audience.