ARSXMEDIATranslating a website is the easy part. Making sure Google understands which version belongs to which language — and shows the right one to each visitor — is where most multilingual sites go wrong. In this guide we explain the building blocks of international SEO, using our own site (available in Turkish, English and German) as a real example.
1. Choose a clear URL structure
Each language version needs its own URL. The three common options are separate domains (example.de), subdomains (de.example.com) and subfolders (example.com/de/). For most businesses, subfolders are the simplest: one domain, one authority, easy maintenance. We use subfolders: Turkish at the root, English under /en/ and German under /de/.
Localise the URLs themselves where it helps the reader. Our services section lives at /hizmetler/ in Turkish, /en/services/ in English and /de/leistungen/ in German.
2. Tell browsers and search engines the language
Every page should declare its language in the HTML, for example <html lang="de">. It sounds trivial, but on many sites built with a single shared template every page claims to be in the same language. We give each language its own root layout so the attribute is always correct.
3. Hreflang: connect the versions
Hreflang annotations tell Google that several pages are versions of the same content in different languages. The rules that matter:
- Every version lists all versions — including itself.
- Links must be reciprocal. If the English page points to the German page, the German page must point back. Missing return links are the most common hreflang error.
- Use x-default for the version shown when no language matches. For us that is the Turkish page.
- Only reference pages that exist. If an article is only available in English, it should not claim German or Turkish alternates.
- Use absolute URLs and the canonical version of each page.
4. Canonicals: one per language
Each language version should have a self-referencing canonical. A common mistake is pointing all language versions to the original-language page as canonical — that tells Google to ignore the translations.
5. A multilingual sitemap
Hreflang can also be declared in the XML sitemap. We generate ours automatically on every build: every page in every language, each with its alternates. This keeps hundreds of annotations consistent without manual work.
6. Don't force-redirect visitors
Automatically redirecting users based on their IP address or browser language seems helpful, but it can prevent search engines (which often crawl from one location) from seeing all versions, and it frustrates users who want a different language. Google recommends against it. Instead, offer a visible language switcher.
7. Make the language switcher smart
A switcher that always sends people to the homepage of the other language is a missed opportunity. Ours links each page to its exact counterpart: switching to German on the English web design page opens the German web design page. If a page doesn't exist in a language, it falls back to the closest section, such as the blog overview.
8. Translate everything — not just the body text
- Page titles and meta descriptions
- Navigation, buttons, forms and error messages
- Structured data (for example FAQ and breadcrumb schema)
- Image alt text and text inside graphics
- Dates, number formats and legal pages
9. Localise, don't just translate
Search behaviour differs between markets. German users may search with different terms than English speakers for the same service, and they expect different things — local legal pages, local payment methods, a different tone. Machine translation is a useful starting point, but content that ranks and converts needs review by someone who knows the market.
A quick checklist
- One URL per language, consistent structure
- Correct lang attribute on every page
- Reciprocal hreflang including x-default
- Self-referencing canonicals
- Hreflang-enabled sitemap
- No forced redirects; a page-to-page language switcher
- Translated metadata, structured data and UI
- Localised content and keywords per market
For the technical basics beyond multilingual setup, see our technical SEO checklist.
Conclusion
International SEO is mostly about consistency: every version clearly labelled, correctly connected and genuinely useful for its audience. If you're planning to take your site into new markets, have a look at our SEO & AI search service or talk to us.