Google’s Martin Splitt Shares Essential SEO Tips for Multilingual Websites

Google’s Martin Splitt recently shared key strategies for optimizing multilingual websites, offering insights on site structure, href lang attributes, and language selection during a Google Search Central video. As more businesses expand globally, managing multiple language versions of a website becomes crucial for maintaining visibility and user experience across diverse audiences. Here’s a breakdown of Splitt’s top recommendations.

According to Splitt, structuring multilingual websites correctly is the first step toward effective international SEO. He highlighted three approaches:

Using specific domains like “.de” for Germany or “.fr” for France can help signal to search engines which country the content is targeting.

This approach, such as “de.example.com,” allows for a clear division between language versions while keeping everything under one main domain.

Another option is to organize language versions under subdirectories, like “example.com/de/.” This method helps consolidate SEO authority for the main domain.

Each option has its benefits and challenges, but selecting the right structure can make it easier for search engines to understand your website’s international intent, ultimately boosting your visibility in target markets.

Splitt emphasized the importance of href lang attributes, which tell search engines the relationship between language versions of a page. Without this, Google might serve the wrong language version to users, leading to a poor user experience. He shared three key guidelines:

Always follow ISO standards for language and country codes to avoid errors.

Pages in different languages should have reciprocal links using href lang, so search engines can see the connections.

Make sure each page links back to itself, specifying that it is the default version for its language.

These href lang attributes can be added via HTML tags, HTTP headers, or XML sitemaps, depending on what suits your website’s setup best.

Splitt’s final tip was to provide visible links to different language versions instead of automatically redirecting visitors based on their perceived preferences. While automatic redirection might seem user-friendly, it can sometimes misinterpret user intent, especially for bilingual or multilingual users. By offering clear links to other language versions, users have more control over their browsing experience, and search engines can easily find all versions of the site.

Splitt suggested, “Instead of making assumptions, let users choose. This way, you ensure better accessibility and search engine visibility for all versions.”

As businesses continue to expand into international markets, ensuring that users have a seamless experience on multilingual websites is key to growth. With Splitt’s insights, companies can better navigate the complexities of multilingual SEO. Effective site structure, proper href lang use, and thoughtful language selection can improve global visibility, attract more traffic, and boost engagement.

These tips also address common pitfalls businesses face when setting up multilingual websites. For example, a poorly structured website might lead to indexing issues, and neglecting href lang attributes can confuse search engines, affecting a site’s ranking.

Splitt’s guidance aligns with Google’s ongoing emphasis on user experience. Businesses aiming to grow their international presence should prioritize high-quality content and thoughtful design over merely expanding their language offerings. Implementing these best practices will lead to better search performance, as well as a more positive experience for users navigating the site in their preferred language.