𝘈𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘹 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦: 3 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘴🕒
Expanding your reach beyond borders is crucial for many businesses, especially online.
This is where multilingual SEO comes in – a powerful tool to ensure your website is discoverable by international audiences in search engines and to reach a wider audience to increase the chances of sales.
It is one of the ways you can maximise the potential of your website and is certainly worth knowing more about.
In this blog, we will use our experience of working on hundreds of multilingual SEO projects to explain:
- What multilingual SEO actually means
- Why it matters in 2025
- Some key considerations for using SEO on an international scale
Keep reading to find out everything you need to know.
What is multilingual SEO?
Simply put, multilingual SEO optimises your website for search engines in various languages. It involves translating content, using relevant keywords, and tailoring your website structure to target specific regions. Localisation is also highly important, as different markets will have different keywords, UX preferences, and beyond.
Why multilingual SEO matters in 2025
The internet has become a global marketplace, and multilingual SEO is more important than ever in 2025.
Here's why:
- Reach a wider audience: Attract potential customers who wouldn't find your website otherwise. By speaking a user's language, you build trust and increase engagement/conversions.
- Improved search rankings: Optimise your content with localised keywords and translated website content to rank higher in regional search results.
- Enhanced user experience: 76% of users prefer websites in their native language, leading to better user experience and potentially higher conversions.
- Boost sales and brand awareness: Expand your market reach, generate more leads, and establish your brand as a global player.
Based on a survey of 8,709 global consumers in 29 countries in Europe, Asia, North America, and South America, CSA Research found that 76% of online shoppers prefer to buy products with information in their native language.
Key considerations for international SEO
- Prioritise translating key webpages with essential information about your company and products.
- Further to the above, consider translating your top markets first for maximum results.
- When translating website content, use native speakers who understand cultural nuances and regional search trends. Of course, we'll note here that Wolfestone uses native-tongue linguists.
- Consider ongoing content updates to maintain a fresh and relevant website.
- Identify high-volume, relevant keywords in your target languages. This can be difficult, and often keywords need to be localised. Always consider speaking to and using an expert.
- Choose a domain structure that suits your needs (ccTLD, subdirectory, or subdomain) based on factors like brand consistency and search engine optimisation. We will explore this in more detail below.
- Ensure proper website structure, hreflang tags and mobile-friendliness for all language versions.
- Build backlinks from reputable websites in your target regions. As an example, seek links from French-language websites if you wanted to build up the authority of your French website.
- Use analytics tools to track website traffic and user behaviour across different languages and regions. Segment, as each market will have different preferences and metrics.
Domain and URL structure: in more detail
When creating a website for global markets, or translating for multi-language variants, you need to consider more than the content itself.
You also need to think about the type of web domain you’ll be using.
There are three options to consider when launching your website in another country.
The first is CcTLD – Country Code Top-Level Domain (e.g., webname.fr). Using the ccTLD indicates that you are targeting a specific country. As as example, co.uk represents the UK.
However, since it its own separate entity, it may not benefit from sharing the link authority of any parent top-level domain.
The second option is a sub-folder (e.g., webname.com/fr). Using a sub-folder benefits from the shared link authority of the top level domain and is good for your search rankings. However, there are cases where is may not establish the same level of trust as a CcTLD.
Thirdly, there is the sub-domain (e.g., fr.webname.com) option. This approach is a good compromise if you don’t want to use the above. A sub-domain can be separately hosted in different countries, potentially boosting your ranking in that country.
Note that it is important to decide which domain you are going to use before you carry out your multilingual SEO in order to avoid extensive (and perhaps costly) revisions later on.
It's important to seek advice from both an SEO expert and a localisation agency.
Conclusion
Multilingual SEO is a powerful tool for businesses aiming for international success.
By optimising your website for different languages, you can reach more customers, boost sales and establish a global presence. Don't underestimate the power of speaking to your audience in their native language!
Contact us today for a free quote. We offer solutions for international SEO and website translation, as well as free consultations.
𝘒𝘦𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 2021 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘨𝘰 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵. 𝘏𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦, 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴.
