Expanding a website into a multi-language website has become a necessity in today’s competitive environment. It has become a growth strategy that connects directly with the organic traffic generation, increased conversion rate, and long-term traffic visibility. With the growth of search engines getting more accurate in understanding users’ language based on their location, the need for multilingual SEO has increased.
In this in-depth guide, you’ll get to know what is multilingual SEO? Each section will add more details about why multilingual SEO is so important, and how SEO for a multilingual website will increase the organic traffic of your website with the help of multilingual SEO examples. Let’s start with understanding multilingual SEO.
What is Multilingual SEO?
In simple words, the practice of converting website content into multiple languages will help your website to be visible on the SERP (Search Engine Result Page) of a different location or country. Its objective is to show the correct language version according to the user’s needs and requirements.
Multilingual SEO helps in combining content localization, keyword research, language targeting, and technical SEO. Search engines like Microsoft Edge and Google evaluate content and language from URLs, metadata, internal links, and other tags.
Let’s take an example, if a user searches in the French language, Google gives priority to the content written in French rather than in English, and the same is for Brazil; if the content is written in Portuguese, it will get more preference by Google, which is the reason behind companies shifting to multilingual SEO.
What is Multilingual Search Engine Marketing?
Multilingual SEM is the process of promoting a site with the help of paid search and organic strategies. It is done for engaging viewers outside a limited location by using multiple languages to connect with users who search for the product in their native language.
It simply means the process of running marketing campaigns, both SEO and paid ads, using different languages for different locations.
How Multilingual Search Engine Marketing Works?
Multilingual search engine marketing works while following these points for the growth of the website.
- Targets language-based search queries, not just locations.
- Uses localized keywords instead of direct translations.
- Delivers ads and content in the user’s native language.
- Aligns paid search (PPC) with multilingual SEO efforts.
For example, a brand may run Google Ads in English, Spanish, and French, while also ranking organically with localized content and native languages.
Related: Unbiased Search Engines: 8 Smart Alternatives to Google
Best SEO Multilingual Strategy
A multilingual SEO strategy is a plan that shows how a website will target different languages. The best strategy should answer the following questions:
- Does it boost rankings in each language?
- What are your target markets?
- How will keywords and content be localized for each language?
If a company is trying to expand in Europe, the strategy should focus on the German and French markets. Instead of translating English pages directly, it should focus on local keywords and should structure URLs correctly according to the targeted location.
Step-by-Step Process on How to Do Multilingual SEO
Multilingual SEO helps you to expand to international markets and drive more traffic and sales. Making a multilingual website requires planning and better execution. Follow the steps below to rank internationally.
Step 1: Identify your target market:
First, identify which country you want to expand your business? Consider the place that has a huge demand for your product. You can identify it by analyzing your competitors. If competitors are present in the country, this indicates a higher demand for your product.
Step 2: Conduct keyword research according to the chosen country:
After picking the country. Conduct a strategic keyword analysis. You can use software like SEMrush and Ahrefs to find the high-ranking keywords based on the targeted location.
Step 3: Select the right URL structure:
For a multi-language website, a dedicated URL for each country will help Google index your site properly. Using a separate domain for different countries will help to rank better in international countries. Subdirectory is most popularly used. Three highly used options are:
| URL Structure | Example | SEO Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Subdirectory | example.com/es/ | Strong authority sharing |
| Subdomain | es.example.com | Moderate authority separation |
| ccTLD | example.es | Strong geo signals, higher cost |
Step 4: Optimize and translate your pages
Don’t use automated tools like Google Translate for translation. It often ends with giving you extremely formal and misleading information. Use human resources to do this process. Optimize your page for alt tags, time zones, titles (<60 characters with keywords), meta descriptions, and internal links from the same location. Translate the website’s content into the native language of the country.
Step 5: Implement Hreflang (HTML)
Add tags for every translated page. It can be done by using ISO codes. This gives search engines the right version for every region.
Step 6: Build Backlinks
Add relevant backlinks, both niche and language-wise. Target high authority sites and fix all the broken links. Add links related to the product type. If you are selling a multigrain biscuit, the blog should be related to how multigrain biscuits will help you lose weight.
Also Read: Top B2B SEO Agencies: Beginner’s Guide to SEO and B2B SEO
Benefits of Implementing Multilingual SEO
Implementing multilingual SEO on your website will help not just in increasing the traffic, but also help with:
- Global reach: It helps your website to rank in search engines across different languages, while attracting traffic from the market you are targeting.
- Increased engagement: Native content engages users for a longer time and reduces the bounce rate.
- Better conversion rate: Increase sales and leads through relevant CTAs and payments.
- Increase organic traffic: It is easier to rank on non-English search engines.
- Brand loyalty: Users find it easy to connect with the native brands and will return.
How to Overcome the Challenges in Multilingual SEO?
- Duplicate content across language pages.
- Wrong language pages are appearing in search results.
- Poor keyword localization due to direct translation.
- High translation and localization costs.
- Technical SEO errors, such as incorrect canonicals or hreflang issues.
- Inconsistent content updates across languages.
- Difficulty tracking performance for each language.
Tips to Overcome Multilingual SEO Challenges
- Use accurate hreflang tags to clearly define language versions.
- Conduct separate keyword research for every language.
- Focus on content localization, not word-for-word translation.
- Start with high-priority pages and scale languages gradually.
- Ensure clean URL structures and crawlable language pages.
- Maintain a centralized system to manage updates across languages.
- Track SEO performance separately for each language.
Best SEO Practices for Multilingual Websites: Final Takeaways
To succeed in other countries with multilingual SEO, a strategy should be followed. In which content, technical SEO, keywords, and strategy should work hand in hand. Multilingual SEO looks simple, but just translating pages is not enough to get organic traffic and rank.
Search engines need to be in clear language and should be native so that feels trustworthy for the locals. Use clean URL structures and conduct keyword research separately for each language.
Lastly, multilingual SEO works best when it is well planned, structured, and timely optimized. By following the best practices, websites can grow exponentially and build a strong global presence by improving user experience and achieving long-term ranking in international search results.
Related: Top 10 Free & Paid AI SEO Tools
