Multilingual SEO
Optimising a website for multiple languages. Includes translations, hreflang, and content localisation.
In brief
Multilingual SEO is the set of measures that allows a website to rank in search engines for audiences speaking different languages. It includes URL structure selection (subdirectories / subdomains / ccTLDs), hreflang setup, quality translation, and cultural localisation.
What is Multilingual SEO
Multilingual SEO is not just translating pages. It requires technical setup (hreflang, URL structure) and content adaptation (image localisation, currency, units, cultural references).
URL structure
Choosing the right structure:
- Subdirectories (recommended) — example.com/en/, example.com/ru/, example.com/de/
- Subdomains — en.example.com, ru.example.com, de.example.com
- ccTLD — example.com (English), example.ru (Russian), example.de (German)
What to translate
- Content — all page text is mandatory
- Title — with local keywords
- Description — unique for each language
- URL slug — transliterate or translate
- Alt text — for all images
- Navigation — menus, buttons, forms
- Text‑containing images — localised versions
Language switcher
- Position — header (top right corner)
- Format — flags + language names in native script (English, Русский, Deutsch)
- Current language — visually highlighted
- URL preservation — links to the equivalent page
SEO checklist
- Choose a URL structure (subdirectories recommended)
- Set up hreflang for all pages
- Add x-default
- Translate all elements (content, meta tags, navigation)
- Localise images with text
- Create a sitemap for each language
- Configure the language switcher
- Check in GSC → International Targeting
Mistake: different language versions but no hreflang → Google may treat them as duplicates and show the wrong version in results.
FAQ
Common questions
Google recommends subdirectories (example.com/en/). It’s the cleanest and easiest to manage. ccTLD (example.ru) is the strongest signal but requires buying multiple domains.
All languages, including regional variants (en-US, en-GB). Also add x-default for a language selection page or the homepage.
Create duplicate images with translated text. Do not use images with non‑localised text for another language audience — it hurts UX.
Direct contacts
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