Last updated on Sep 11, 2024

You're facing indexing issues on multilingual web pages. How can you boost your global search presence?

When your multilingual web pages aren't being properly indexed by search engines, it can feel like you're shouting into the void. But fear not, there are strategies to enhance your visibility and ensure that users around the globe can find your content. In this article, you'll learn how to address indexing issues and boost your global search presence, making sure that language barriers don't keep your website from reaching its full potential.

1 Assess Setup

To tackle indexing issues on multilingual sites, start by evaluating your website's structure. Ensure you're using language-specific URLs, which could be in the form of subdomains or subdirectories with language codes. This clear structure signals to search engines the intended audience for each page. Additionally, check that you have implemented 'hreflang' tags correctly. These tags inform search engines about the language and geographical targeting of a page, helping to serve the most appropriate version to users based on their location and language preferences.

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Davide Serafini

SEO, Ads, Strategy, Data | CoFounder @ Modic | We believe digital improves people's lives
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The bare minimum a website should have to be set up for multilingual is: - international domain (helps a lot) - well structured language directories - correct hreflang tags that link together the translations of a page - no geo redirect

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Vikas Shrivastav

Top Search Engines Voice ðŸ†| SEO Analyst at The Good Glamm Group | Ex - Techmagnate | Ex- NVD | Blogger | Passionate SEO Expert | Digital Marketer
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When dealing with multilingual web pages, indexing issues can significantly hinder your global search presence. This is because search engines often struggle to understand and categorize content in multiple languages. To overcome this, you need to implement a strategic approach that addresses both content and technical factors. Language Tagging: Ensure that each page is correctly tagged with its primary language using the lang attribute in the <html> tag. URL Structure: Consider using language-specific subdomains or directories in your URLs to clearly indicate the language of each page. Sitemaps: Create separate sitemaps for each language version of your website to help search engines understand your content structure.

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Yogesh Saini

Senior Search Engine Executive
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Assessing your setup is crucial for resolving indexing issues on multilingual web pages and improving global search presence. Begin by reviewing your hreflang tags to ensure they are correctly implemented and accurately reflect the language and regional targeting of your content. Check your siteâ€™s technical setup for any issues, such as incorrect URL structures or missing sitemaps, that might affect indexing. Evaluate your CMS to confirm it supports multilingual functionality effectively. Additionally, monitor for any crawl errors and fix them promptly to enhance overall visibility and search engine performance across different languages and regions.

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Harshal Jani

Certified Digital Marketer | SEO/ASO Expert | B2B & B2C Specialist | Startup Growth Accelerator
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Assess your setup by reviewing your website's multilingual structure, ensuring proper use of hreflang tags to indicate language and regional targeting to search engines. Check for crawl errors, duplicate content, and correct indexing in Google Search Console. Validate that each language version has unique, localized URLs and that your sitemap reflects all language variations, enhancing visibility and search presence globally.

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2 Content Translation

Quality translation is crucial for multilingual websites. Avoid automated translation tools that can lead to inaccurate or unnatural content, potentially harming your site's credibility and search ranking. Instead, invest in professional translation services to ensure that your content resonates with the intended audience. Remember, search engines prioritize content that provides value to users, so culturally relevant, well-translated content is more likely to be indexed and ranked favorably.

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Davide Serafini

SEO, Ads, Strategy, Data | CoFounder @ Modic | We believe digital improves people's lives
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Translating is good, localizing is better. Remember that different countries can have the same language but different words (e.g. flat and apartment, lift and elevator) so you should work with professional translators that know these difference.

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Vikas Shrivastav

Top Search Engines Voice ðŸ†| SEO Analyst at The Good Glamm Group | Ex - Techmagnate | Ex- NVD | Blogger | Passionate SEO Expert | Digital Marketer
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Quality Translations: Invest in professional translations to ensure that your content is accurate, culturally relevant, and engaging for your target audience. Localized Content: Tailor your content to the specific needs and preferences of each region. Consider factors like cultural nuances, local terminology, and regional events. Keyword Research: Conduct keyword research in each target language to identify relevant terms and phrases that users are searching for.

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Yogesh Saini

Senior Search Engine Executive
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Start by ensuring that translations are accurate and culturally relevant, not just literal, to resonate with local audiences. Use professional translation services or native speakers to avoid common pitfalls and ensure quality. Implement hreflang tags correctly to indicate the language and regional variations to search engines. Additionally, review and optimize translated content for local SEO, including keyword adjustments and localized metadata.

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Harshal Jani

Certified Digital Marketer | SEO/ASO Expert | B2B & B2C Specialist | Startup Growth Accelerator
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Optimize your global search presence by translating content accurately, ensuring it is culturally relevant and contextually appropriate for each target audience. Avoid automated translations; instead, use professional translators or native speakers to capture nuances and local idioms. Implement localized keywords and phrases in meta tags, headings, and body text to improve SEO for each language version, driving higher engagement and search rankings worldwide.

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3 Technical SEO

Technical SEO is vital for multilingual sites. Ensure that each version of your site is accessible to search engine crawlers. Use a robots.txt file to guide them and avoid duplicate content issues by specifying canonical URLs. This tells search engines which version of a page is the original and should be indexed. Also, improve site speed and mobile responsiveness as these factors influence indexing and user experience, which are important for global search presence.

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Harshal Jani

Certified Digital Marketer | SEO/ASO Expert | B2B & B2C Specialist | Startup Growth Accelerator
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Enhance your multilingual site's global search presence with technical SEO by ensuring fast page loading times, mobile-friendliness, and a clean, crawlable structure. Implement hreflang tags correctly to guide search engines on language and regional targeting. Use language-specific URLs (e.g., subdirectories or subdomains), optimize robots.txt files, and create comprehensive sitemaps for each language version to improve indexing and visibility in international search results.

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Vikas Shrivastav

Top Search Engines Voice ðŸ†| SEO Analyst at The Good Glamm Group | Ex - Techmagnate | Ex- NVD | Blogger | Passionate SEO Expert | Digital Marketer
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Hreflang Tags: Implement hreflang tags to inform search engines about the relationship between different language versions of your pages. Mobile Optimization: Ensure that your website is fully optimized for mobile devices to cater to the growing number of mobile users worldwide. Page Speed: Optimize your website's loading speed to improve user experience and search engine rankings. Canonical Tags: Use canonical tags to specify the preferred version of a page, especially if you have multiple language versions with similar content.

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Abdel Zairi

Lead SEO
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Verifiez les codes alternate Hreflang. Sâ€™assurez que les robots peuvent acceder aux bonnes pages. Ne pas faire de redirection sur la langue du navigateur, laissez les robots envoyer les internautes vers les bonnes versions.

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Davide Serafini

SEO, Ads, Strategy, Data | CoFounder @ Modic | We believe digital improves people's lives
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One thing we sometimes see with some headless website not set up correctly: give every translated page its own fully translated URL. It's vital to have all the content indexed correctly.

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Yogesh Saini

Senior Search Engine Executive
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Start by ensuring hreflang tags are correctly implemented to guide search engines on the language and regional targeting of each page. Review your siteâ€™s URL structure to confirm it is optimized for multilingual content, using subdirectories or subdomains as needed. Check for crawl errors and fix them promptly, and ensure your XML sitemaps are updated and submitted for each language version. Additionally, optimize site speed and mobile performance to enhance overall search visibility and user experience across all regions.

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4 User Experience

Optimizing user experience (UX) on your multilingual site also aids indexing. Search engines favor sites that provide a good UX, which includes fast loading times, easy navigation, and content that meets user intent. Make sure that users can easily switch between different language versions of your site with visible language selection options. A seamless UX ensures that visitors stay longer on your site, reducing bounce rates and signaling to search engines that your site is valuable.

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Vikas Shrivastav

Top Search Engines Voice ðŸ†| SEO Analyst at The Good Glamm Group | Ex - Techmagnate | Ex- NVD | Blogger | Passionate SEO Expert | Digital Marketer
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Language Selector: Provide a clear and easily accessible language selector on your website to allow users to choose their preferred language. Consistent Navigation: Maintain a consistent navigation structure across all language versions to improve user experience. Country-Specific Content: Consider offering country-specific content, such as localized product information or shipping options, to enhance relevance for users in different regions.

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5 Localize SEO

Localizing your SEO strategy is more than just translating keywords. Understand the search behavior in each target market and adapt your SEO practices accordingly. Conduct keyword research to find out how people search in different languages and customize meta tags, headings, and descriptions to reflect these nuances. Localized content that aligns with cultural contexts and search habits will improve your site's relevance and visibility in global search results.

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Vikas Shrivastav

Top Search Engines Voice ðŸ†| SEO Analyst at The Good Glamm Group | Ex - Techmagnate | Ex- NVD | Blogger | Passionate SEO Expert | Digital Marketer
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Geo-Targeting: Use Google My Business to create listings for your business in each target region. Local Citations: Build citations for your business on local directories and websites. Country-Specific Domain Names: If your target audience is primarily located in specific countries, consider registering country-specific domain names (.co.uk, .fr, etc.).

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Yogesh Saini

Senior Search Engine Executive
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Localize SEO to effectively address indexing issues on multilingual web pages and enhance global search presence. Begin by optimizing each language version of your site with local keywords relevant to the target market. Ensure content is not only translated but also culturally adapted to fit regional preferences and search behaviors. Implement hreflang tags to correctly signal language and regional versions to search engines. Additionally, build local backlinks and set up regional Google My Business listings where applicable. This approach helps improve visibility in local search results and better engages users across different markets.

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6 Monitor Performance

Finally, monitor your site's performance regularly using tools like Google Search Console. This will help you identify which pages are being indexed and which aren't. Pay attention to Search Console's coverage report and look for any crawl errors that could be preventing indexing. Staying on top of these metrics allows you to make informed adjustments to your SEO strategy and resolve issues as they arise, maintaining a strong global search presence.

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Vikas Shrivastav

Top Search Engines Voice ðŸ†| SEO Analyst at The Good Glamm Group | Ex - Techmagnate | Ex- NVD | Blogger | Passionate SEO Expert | Digital Marketer
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Search Console: Use Google Search Console to track your website's performance in different languages. Analytics: Monitor key metrics like organic traffic, bounce rate, and time on site to assess the effectiveness of your multilingual SEO efforts. User Feedback: Gather feedback from users to identify areas for improvement and ensure that your website meets their needs. By following these guidelines and continuously monitoring your performance, you can effectively boost your global search presence and reach a wider audience.

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Directory

You're facing indexing issues on multilingual web pages. How can you boost your global search presence?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Assess Setup

2 Content Translation

3 Technical SEO

4 User Experience

5 Localize SEO

6 Monitor Performance

Search Engines

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Directory

You're facing indexing issues on multilingual web pages. How can you boost your global search presence?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Assess Setup

2 Content Translation

3 Technical SEO

4 User Experience

5 Localize SEO

6 Monitor Performance

Search Engines

Rate this article

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