Loading ...Not every website is in only one language. It’s true that a lot are, but not everyone is. Particularly if you have an English-based website with a strong multinational angle, there’s a big chance that you’re going to have to dip into other languages to reach the right audience. This can put a big rock in the otherwise smooth path of your SEO.
If your site is a multi-language site, you’re probably already familiar with the search engine difficulties you face. Without your content supporting keywords in one language, it can be very difficult to keep your search engine optimisation focussed.
It is a good idea to make distinctions between the different content your site hosts if you are multilingual. You can talk to our experts at SEO Consult Australia about your options, but here are some things to consider:
*Write in one language per page: This is something that should happen naturally, although some sites try to cater to their various customer groups on the one page. If, for example, your site services Hong Kong, you might be tempted to feature pages with one half English content and one half Cantonese. Aside from the design issues this would present, you also risk confusing the search engines.
Google is going to try to determine the main language of each of your pages. If the language swaps back and forth, the search engine has to spend more time calculating which is the main language, and might come up with an answer you don’t like. It’s best to stick with one, and use other pages for second languages.
*Make things easier for your users: If you’re featuring multiple languages as more than just a nod at multinationalism, then it’s probably a good idea to provide definite language areas. Most companies achieve this by placing different language pages in sub-folders. The standard format for the web address of such a site helps make things even clearer, for instance, www.hongkongfun.com/en/menu.htm. It’s not difficult for an internet user perusing the search results to discern that this will lead to the English-language pages of Hong Kong Fun.
Setting your pages out in this manner makes things clearer for the search engines as well. By separating out the different streams of your site at the earliest possible stage of your site address, you increase the likelihood of the two streams to be treated as sub-sites. This opens up the opportunity for pages within your multi-national site to be listed in local search results as well.
One added bonus of separating out the different languages on your site in this way is that it’s much easier to track which sections are working well for SEO, and which pages need more work.
*Interlink: Although your main aim with a multilingual site is to distinguish between the various pages, it’s important to use the strength of your site as a whole to help your search engine optimisation. Having these links also allows users to jump between languages, increasing your site’s usability.
No related posts.
Tags: content, Keywords, Search Engine Optimisation, SEO, SEO Consult
Link to us
If you want to link to this blog, copy and paste the following HTML code to your website.
