Websites that are available in multiple languages allow you to target people based on their preferred language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Can use multiple languages, on the other hand, have an effect on your organic search rankings?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Continue reading to discover whether there is a relationship between language and higher Google rankings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you want to reach out to people who speak English, create content in English.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The same English content, on the other hand, is unlikely to rank well in markets dominated by Chinese, Arabic, or Spanish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Businesses that want to reach customers who speak different languages in specific countries can do so by creating content in multiple languages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Doesn’t it seem logical that language plays a role in how Google ranks web pages?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Using the methods listed below, you can tell search engines which language and country you want them to target.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first option is to use the hreflang attribute, which tells search engines what language and country the page is targeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The content language meta tag, which informs search engines about the page’s target language and country, is the second option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The hreflang and meta tags in both cases inform search engines that the page is intended for English speakers in the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Top-level domain names, such as https:\/\/domain.it\/ for an Italian website, can be used for specific countries. This informs search engines that the entire website is geared toward Italians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Subdirectories can also be used to categorize content based on language and country. The content at https:\/\/domain.com\/en-us\/, for example, is intended for English speakers in the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Advanced SEO section of Google Search Central contains detailed instructions on how to manage multi-regional and multilingual sites. It explains how to tell Google about different language versions by utilizing the previously discussed HTML tags, meta tags, and URL structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Language is also mentioned in Google’s explanation of how search algorithms work. It says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSearch settings are also an important indicator of which results you\u2019re likely to find useful, such as if you set a preferred language or opted in to SafeSearch (a tool that helps filter out explicit results).\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
If a searcher specifies English as their preferred language and Canada as their location, websites that target English speakers in Canada using the following methods will outrank sites that do not specify a language or a country:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- https:\/\/domain.ca\/en\/<\/li>
- https:\/\/domain.com\/en-ca\/<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
In some cases, Google recommends the use of canonical tags.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf you provide similar or duplicate content on different URLs in the same language as part of a multi-regional site (for instance, if both example.de\/ and example.com\/de\/ show similar German language content), you should pick a preferred version and use the rel=\u201dcanonical\u201d element and hreflang tags to make sure that the correct language or regional URL is served to searchers.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Google’s Advanced SEO documentation on consolidating duplicate URLs discusses the relationship between canonical tags and language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDifferent language versions of a single page are considered duplicates only if the main content is in the same language (that is, if only the header, footer, and other non-critical text is translated, but the body remains the same, then the pages are considered to be duplicates).\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Read SEO Freelancing: 10 Must-Know Facts<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to their canonicalization dos and don’ts, you should:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSpecify a canonical page when using hreflang tags. Specify a canonical page in same language, or the best possible substitute language if a canonical doesn\u2019t exist for the same language.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Our Opinion on Language as a Ranking Factor<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Language is discussed on Google’s page about how search algorithms work. Language is also available in the Advanced SEO documentation on Google Search Central.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although Google has not officially confirmed it as a ranking factor, language and country settings do have an impact on search visibility for users who specify a specific language and location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a result, we believe language is a Google ranking factor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Need help with our free SEO tools? Try our free Website Reviewer<\/a>, Online Ping Website Tool<\/a>, Page Speed Checker<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Learn more from SEO <\/a>and read SEO Best Practices: How to Write Outstanding Meta Descriptions<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Can using multiple languages affect your organic search rankings? Let us see if Google uses language as a ranking factor.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3499,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[173,8],"tags":[210],"class_list":["post-3492","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-seo","category-tech","tag-seo"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fileproinfo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3492","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fileproinfo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fileproinfo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fileproinfo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fileproinfo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3492"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/fileproinfo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3492\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3500,"href":"https:\/\/fileproinfo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3492\/revisions\/3500"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fileproinfo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3499"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fileproinfo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3492"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fileproinfo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3492"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fileproinfo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3492"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}