Multilangual website, plugin vs subdomains

  • Resolved hichem00b

    (@hichem00b)


    1 year, 12 months ago

    Hello everyone,

    I’m feeling very confused because I’ve come across conflicting information.

    I’m wondering about the best way to make a WordPress website multilingual so that it ranks well in search engine results. Should I use a plugin like WPML, or create subdomains for each language version?

    I’ve found that some sources say using subdomains is not good for SEO because search engines may not understand the connection between them and treat them as completely separate websites. However, others say that because subdomains look like separate websites, it’s actually better for each language’s ranking.

    Can you help me understand which approach is best?

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)
  • Moderator bcworkz

    (@bcworkz)

    TBH, I don’t think it matters much these days. What multilingual plugin do you prefer? You may not have a choice in URL style. If there is a choice, what do you think would be most accessible to your target audience? As for SEO, what’s important is to get the related structured data right. WP core doesn’t do structured data. If you multilingual plugin doesn’t already do so, any good SEO plugin will.

    Thread Starter hichem00b

    (@hichem00b)

    Thank you for your response.

    Currently, I am only using a single site and have not yet made it multilingual. Additionally, I have not utilized any translation plugins.

    My target audience is concentrated in a specific geographic location but speaks different languages, so I am looking to expand my reach. I am currently using Rank Math for SEO on my single site.

    I find using subdomains to be more appealing, as many others are using them for translations in the geographic area I am targeting. Some are also using subdirectories. Therefore, I believe using subdomains is a suitable option, and the URL looks good to me.

    I am unsure if the free license for Rank Math will suffice though, once I make my website multilingual using subdomains! If not, do you know any alternative btw?

    My primary concern is how Google will react to this practice. Will it have any negative consequences?

    Thank you in advance

    • This reply was modified 1 year, 11 months ago by hichem00b.
    Moderator bcworkz

    (@bcworkz)

    There are many SEO plugin options. I don’t have a specific recommendation. Yoast is very popular. A SEO expert I know likes All in One even though the UI is kind of clunky.

    I cannot predict how Google will react, but I don’t think subdomain vs. subdirectory will make a difference. Furthermore, Google Search Console will generally reveal any issues Google has with your content and give you a chance to correct and refine things.

    Thread Starter hichem00b

    (@hichem00b)

    Thank you for your insight

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)
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