In an increasingly globalised world, having a multi language website is essential for businesses aiming to reach international audiences. However, it’s not enough to simply translate your content; your website needs to be tailored to meet the specific needs of users from different regions. Here we explore how to build multilingual websites, focusing on what Google requires from your website’s architecture, how to set up a multi-region infrastructure with a CDN and how to address specific challenges like accommodating right-to-left (RTL) languages.
What Google needs from your multi language website architecture
Creating a multilingual website that Google can effectively index and rank requires strategic planning. Here are the main considerations to keep in mind to create your multi language website in a way that aligns with Google’s guidelines.
1. Correct use of hreflang tags
Google uses hreflang tags to understand which version of your multi language website to serve to different users based on their region and language. The hreflang attribute is crucial in avoiding duplicate content issues and ensuring the right version of your page is displayed to users in the correct language. For example, a page targeting French users in France would use the following tag:
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="fr-fr" href="https:
This is a critical step in the process of optimising your multilingual website for search engines.
2. Canonical tags for avoiding duplication
When building a multi language website, each translated version of your site should include a self-referencing canonical tag. A canonical tag tells search engines that this specific page is the primary version, which helps Google understand that different language versions are unique, even if the content is similar. This is crucial because search engines may otherwise perceive these pages as duplicate content, which can hurt your SEO rankings. By using a self-referencing canonical tag, you prevent Google from confusing the different language versions so that each page is indexed and ranked appropriately for its target audience.
Additionally, these canonical tags should not point back to the original language version, as this would negate the visibility of the translated pages in local search results. Instead, each page should direct the canonical tag to itself, ensuring search engines recognise the individual relevance of each language-specific version of your multilingual website.
3. Geo-targeting in Google Search Console
Geo-targeting in Google Search Console is an essential step when you’re learning how to make multilingual websites that perform well in different regions. This tool allows you to specify which country or region each version of your multi language website should target, helping search engines serve the correct content to users in those areas. By doing this, you can tailor your digital strategy to focus on specific geographic regions, in order for users from those areas to be more likely to see your site in search results.
To implement geo-targeting, navigate to the international targeted section within Google Search Console, where you can associate specific language or country codes with particular versions of your site. This will ensure that search engines know which regional version to show to users, improving the visibility and relevance of your multilingual website to local audiences.
4. Choosing a URL structure for a multilingual website
When you build a multilingual website, the URL structure plays an important role in how users and search engines navigate the different language versions. Google supports three main URL structures:
- Subdirectories (example.com/en/)
- Subdomains (en.example.com)
- Country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) (example.com.au)
Each of these has its own pros and cons. For instance, subdirectories are easier to manage when building a multi language website, whereas ccTLDs provide more local relevance but require separate hosting and domain registration.
5. Sitemaps for multi language websites
Creating and submitting language-specific sitemaps is a critical but often overlooked step when building a multilingual website. A sitemap is a roadmap that helps search engines like Google discover and index all the pages on your site. When you have multiple language versions of your site, it’s essential to create separate sitemaps for each language so that all of your content is indexed correctly. These language-specific sitemaps signal to Google that different versions of your pages exist for different regions or languages, preventing any language version from being missed during the indexing process.
By submitting individual sitemaps for each language, you improve the likelihood that your content will appear in international search results, boosting the visibility of your multi language website across regions. Each sitemap should reflect the unique URLs for its respective language version, ensuring Google properly recognises and ranks these pages for the right audience. Additionally, submitting language-specific sitemaps through Google Search Console gives you insights into how well each version of your site is performing in search, allowing you to optimise your website for better international reach.
Setting up website infrastructure and CDN for multi-region setups
Once you’ve addressed the SEO website design and Google requirements, the next step in customising your multi language website for international audiences is to optimise the technical infrastructure to allow for traffic from different regions. Here’s how to set up the necessary infrastructure to support a multilingual website with a global audience.
1. Choosing a hosting provider with multi-region capabilities
A good website hosting provider is essential when learning how to make a multilingual website. You’ll want to choose a provider with data centres in multiple regions to reduce latency for your international users. Cloud providers such as AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure offer the flexibility and scalability needed for multi language websites with global traffic.
Read more about the best website hosting for businesses.
2. Implementing a Content Delivery Network (CDN)
A CDN is a network of servers that deliver content based on a user’s location. When building a multilingual website, a CDN can significantly improve load times by serving static content like images and scripts from a server that is geographically closer to the user.
Key considerations for implementing a CDN include:
- Global reach: Ensure that the CDN provider has a strong presence in all your target regions.
- Caching policies: Configure your caching policies so that static content is delivered quickly, while dynamic content is fetched from the origin server.
- GEO-DNS routing: Use GEO-DNS routing to serve content from the nearest data centre, improving the speed and performance of your multi language website.
3. Multi-region database management
If your multilingual website stores dynamic data such as user profiles or transactions, database management becomes a critical part of the setup. Implement a multi-region database solution with replication and read replicas to reduce latency for users in different regions.
4. Load balancing for global audiences
Load balancing is vital to ensure that traffic is evenly distributed across your servers, preventing any one server from becoming overwhelmed. A well-configured load balancer will ensure that your multi language website remains responsive, even during periods of high traffic.
Adapting your multi language website for right-to-left (RTL) languages
When creating a custom website design to accommodate right-to-left (RTL) languages such as Arabic, modern CSS simplifies the process, making layout adaptation more intuitive. While additional considerations remain for specific design elements, CSS now offers properties that dynamically adjust based on text direction, significantly reducing the need for manual styling.
1. Leveraging modern CSS for RTL layout
Modern CSS includes layout properties that automatically adapt based on the writing direction of the content. The direction and writing-mode properties allow you to set text and UI components to flow naturally in RTL languages without needing separate RTL-specific stylesheets. For example:
html {
direction: rtl;
}
This will automatically adapt the layout for RTL, adjusting not only the text alignment but also block elements like navigation, lists, and forms. Many CSS grid and flexbox layouts now also adapt seamlessly when the direction property is set, without the need for extensive manual adjustments.
2. Adapting interactive elements with logical properties
Rather than manually mirroring layouts, modern CSS introduces logical properties like margin-inline-start, padding-inline-end, float: inline-start, and text-align: start, which dynamically adjust based on whether the content is RTL or LTR. This eliminates the need to flip elements manually. For example, to adapt your navigation or buttons:
.nav {
padding-inline-start: 20px;
}</code<
By doing this, you ensure that the multi language website builder accommodates RTL languages properly and provides a seamless user experience.
3. Font selection for RTL languages
Font choice remains an important consideration. While CSS can manage layout, some fonts are not optimised for RTL scripts. Choose fonts that are designed for readability in RTL languages and have full character support. Google Fonts offers many options that support both LTR and RTL scripts, ensuring visual consistency across languages.
4. Thorough testing of the RTL version
Even with modern CSS properties handling much of the adaptation, thorough testing is crucial. Test your multilingual website in RTL mode across different devices and browsers to ensure all elements – from text to forms and interactive components – display and function correctly. Pay special attention to navigation menus, form inputs, and user interactions to ensure they behave seamlessly across both RTL and LTR versions.
By leveraging modern CSS properties and testing your multi language website, you can create an intuitive experience for RTL language users while significantly reducing the need for manual layout adjustments.