Multilingual

Multilingual websites, done properly

Most multilingual sites are a translation plugin bolted onto a single-language site. One URL for every language, missing tags, and search visibility that works in neither. A genuinely multilingual site is built differently, from the start.

  • A dedicated URL per language, indexed separately by Google
  • Reciprocal hreflang tags, the requirement for being found in each language
  • Translation written, not machine-generated

What translation plugins cost you

When every language shares one address, Google indexes one of them. You pay for a translation nobody will find by searching in that language. It is the most common reason a bilingual site earns nothing.

The approach that works

One address per language, hreflang tags that reference each other, a sitemap declaring the alternates, and content written in each language rather than word for word. That is exactly how this site is built: French and English, each prerendered on its own address.

Written, not translated

A sentence that persuades in English often falls flat translated literally into French. I rewrite the argument in the target language instead of transposing it, because the copy is what sells, not the grammar.

FAQ

Working across languages?

Tell me your languages and markets. I will tell you what it involves, and if your current site is set up wrong, what needs fixing.

How many languages can you handle?
Two on most projects, French and English, and more where your market justifies it. The method is the same either way: one URL per language with matching markup.
Can you make an existing site multilingual?
Yes, and it is a common request, usually to repair a plugin-translated version that never ranked.
Do you write the translations?
I write French and English. For other languages I structure the site and integrate the copy you supply.

Get in touch

Ready when you are.

Have a project in mind, or a role you think fits? Send a message and I'll get back to you.