Before we talk about multilingual SEO, let’s understand why it’s needed.
Whenever a website is made in more than one domain, the only difference is that one page is in another language and the other page is in another language. In this type of website, Google can be confused because the essence of both is the same.
So how do we handle such a website and how do we inform Google that the second version of the same page is available in another language.
Many languages are spoken in our own country. These practices not only work for multilingual websites but also help you in international SEO. Because what is international SEO at the end of the day? You are presenting the same content in different locations and in different languages in front of people and you want people from different countries to read your content
By doing multilingual SEO Google should be able to recognize which page is meant for which country or language.
Why Is Multilingual or International SEO Important?
The more languages you target, the more views your website gets. Language is simply a way to communicate. The more people you reach, the more readers and potential customers you get.
By speaking in their language, your chances of selling increase. You’re reaching new audiences and potential buyers who can understand your product better and might be more willing to purchase it.
It also improves customer support. If your support materials and help content are available in different languages, users can get assistance in a language they’re comfortable with. This builds trust and satisfaction.
Even when people understand English, they may prefer content in their native language. Offering multilingual support shows that you care about their comfort. It also improves your brand’s image. You’re going the extra mile—something only serious, customer-focused brands do.
So, multilingual SEO helps you get:
- 1. More views
- 2. More traffic
- 3. More sales
- 4. Better support for users
- 5. Increased brand value
But There Are Challenges Too
Multilingual websites come with their own issues:
1. Pages not being indexed:
Google can get confused with similar content in different languages and may not index all your pages.
2. Ranking problems:
Even if the pages are indexed, Google may not rank them properly because it sees the content as duplicated in different languages.
3. Ranking in the wrong region:
Sometimes, even well-known websites face this issue. They create content for one country, but the content ranks in another.
To solve these problems, let’s understand an important tool—hreflang.
What Is hreflang?
Google launched the hreflang attribute on 9th September 2010. It was created to help Google understand multilingual and international content better.
Hreflang is not a tag, but an attribute added to the <link> tag. Here’s what it means:
- 1. h = hypertext
- 2. ref = reference
- 3. lang = language
Together, it means: a hypertext reference for language.
How Is hreflang Used?
Let’s say you have three versions of a page:
- 1. English: example.com/english
- 2. Hindi: example.com/hindi
- 3. Spanish: example.com/spanish
Each of these pages should contain hreflang attributes for all three versions—English, Hindi, and Spanish.
If you only add the hreflang for Hindi and Spanish on the English page, but forget to include English itself, Google will consider it invalid. Every page must include its own hreflang along with links to the others.
This is similar to using a self-referencing canonical tag. If you miss adding a reference to the page itself, Google will ignore the hreflang.
Where to Use It?
In a custom-coded website, a developer can add it directly. For WordPress sites, you can use plugins like Polylang, which automatically add hreflang attributes. But it’s important to understand the concept yourself so you can catch mistakes.
Common Mistakes When Using hreflang
1. Auto-Redirecting Users by Location
Never redirect users automatically based on their IP address. For example, don’t redirect US visitors to a /us page or Indian visitors to a /in page automatically.
Instead, create a global landing page like /global or /international, and add an x-default hreflang attribute. This tells Google which page to show when no language-specific version is available.
2. Inconsistent URL Slugs
Use consistent URL structures across languages. For example:
- 1. Good: /en/about, /hi/about, /de/about
- 2. Bad: /lang1/about, /lang2/about
The slug should give a clear hint of the language like /en/ for English and /hi/ for Hindi.
Also, keep the entire URL structure the same across languages.
3. Poor Translation
Hreflang is just a hint to Google—not a command. If your translation is poor, Google may ignore the page. So invest in quality translation.
4. Duplicate Content Without Canonicals
If the same content appears on multiple URLs in the same language, you must use canonical tags properly. If Google loses trust in your canonical setup, it may ignore your hreflang as well.
5. Same Metadata Across Languages
Your meta title and description must be in the correct language. If the page is in Spanish, its metadata should be in Spanish too. Don’t use English metadata on non-English pages.
The H1, call-to-action, and even the HTML lang attribute should match the language of the page.
6. Uneven Internal Linking
Make sure all language versions of your site have proper internal links. If only the English pages are well-linked but Spanish and Hindi versions aren’t, Google may not consider them important.
Internal links help Google understand which pages are valuable.
7. Misleading hreflang Codes
Always use correct language and country codes. The first part of the code must represent the language. You can use just the language (en), or language + country (en-in), but never just the country (in).
For example:
✅ en (English)
✅ en-in (English for India)
❌ in (Invalid, just a country code)
Remember: “hreflang” stands for language, not location alone.
Conclusion
Multilingual SEO can give your website a huge boost in visibility, traffic, and trust—but only if done right. Using hreflang correctly ensures that Google knows which version of your content belongs to which language and region. Just follow best practices and avoid common mistakes to make sure your multilingual content is indexed and ranked correctly.
