In a digital world where borders are disappearing, having a multilingual website has become essential to reach new markets. But translating your website is about more than just changing a few words. It can significantly improve your search engine optimization (SEO), your international visibility and, most importantly, your revenue. This article explores how translating your website can boost your SEO, while avoiding common mistakes and maximizing your return on investment (ROI).
Why translate your website?
Translating your website is more than just speaking the language of your potential customers. It’s a powerful SEO strategy that allows you to:
• Target international markets and increase your organic reach.
• Reduce bounce rate by providing a user experience tailored to each region.
• Generate more conversions by speaking your customers' language.
• Strengthen your online authority with multilingual backlinks.
But be careful, translating a site without taking SEO into account can have the opposite effect. Here's how to avoid the pitfalls and maximize your results.
Technical aspects of multilingual SEO
To properly reference a multilingual site, it is crucial to respect certain technical practices:
Site Structure and URLs
• Use separate URLs for each language : This helps search engines understand and correctly index each version of your site.
• Favor subfolders or subdomains : For example, example.com/fr/ for French and example.com/en/ for English. Subdomains like fr.example.com also work well for SEO.
Hreflang tags
• Implement hreflang tags to tell search engines the target language and region of each page.
• Avoid common mistakes like missing or misconfigured hreflang tags, which can lead to duplicate content and hurt your SEO.
Example of correct implementation:
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="fr-CA" href="https://exemple.com/fr-ca/" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-CA" href="https://exemple.com/en-ca/" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="es-US" href="https://exemple.com/es-us/" />Localized content
• Adapt content to cultural specificities : Don't just translate the text, adapt examples, cultural references and even calls to action.
• Avoid full machine translations : They can harm the user experience and affect your credibility.
Local and international SEO
Impact of local SEO
A multilingual site can boost your local SEO by appearing in search results for each targeted region. For example:
• In Quebec , a site in French and English effectively covers the Canadian bilingual market.
• In the United States , a site in English and Spanish is reaching a growing Spanish-speaking audience.
International SEO: adapting your strategy
• Do a language and region specific keyword search . Search terms vary from country to country, even within the same language.
• Create content that is tailored to local preferences . For example, in Spain, the writing style is often more informal than in Latin America.
Recent data and statistics on multilingual SEO
• 75% of Internet users prefer to browse sites in their native language ( CSA Research ).
• 60% of consumers never buy from English-only sites , even if they speak the language.
• Businesses with multilingual sites see an average 70% increase in conversion rates ( BrightEdge ).
• Sites with properly implemented hreflang tags are 50% more likely to rank in local searches ( Search Engine Journal ).
ROI of website translation
Translating your website is not just a cost, it’s a strategic investment. To measure ROI, track these essential KPIs :
• Organic traffic by language : Measure the increase in traffic from target countries.
• Conversion Rate : Compare the conversion rate of local and international visitors.
• User Engagement : Analyze time on site and bounce rate by language.
• Regional Backlinks : Get backlinks from local sites to boost your international SEO.
Legal and legal information
Legal obligations regarding translation
• Law 101 in Quebec : Any site intended for Quebec consumers must be available in French.
• GDPR in Europe : Translation of privacy policies and terms of use is mandatory for European Union countries.
Cultural and ethical considerations
• Avoid cultural faux pas : A bad translation can harm your brand image.
• Localize expressions and cultural references : A slogan that is effective in one language may be meaningless or even offensive in another.
Recommended tools for website translation
Shopify Translate & Adapt
• Highlights : Ease of use, Shopify compatible, multilingual SEO support.
• Limitation : Machine translation limited to two free languages.
Weglot
• Highlights : Cross-platform compatible, automatic hreflang tags, SEO optimized.
• Limitation : Higher monthly cost for large multilingual sites.
Langify
• Highlights : Suitable for Shopify stores, supports manual and automatic translations.
• Limitation : No automatic hreflang tags, need manual optimization.
WPML (WordPress)
• Highlights : Powerful for WordPress sites, compatible with most themes and plugins.
• Limitation : Higher learning curve, requiring WordPress skills.
Frenglish.ai
• Highlights : AI-assisted translation , speed and accuracy of translations.
• Limitation : Price structure per word
Why choose Bofu Marketing Agency?
At Bofu Marketing Agency , we understand the challenges of multilingual SEO and we know how to translate your website while maximizing your online visibility.
• Multilingual SEO audit to identify expansion opportunities.
• Localized content strategy for each targeted region.
• Optimizing hreflang tags for effective international SEO.
• Managing regional backlinks to strengthen your domain authority.
Conclusion
Translating your website is a strategic opportunity to expand your audience and boost your SEO. By avoiding common mistakes and using the right tools, you can turn this investment into a real lever for international growth .
Ready to get started? Contact Bofu Marketing Agency today to find out how to take your website to the international stage.
