Google gives guidance on multiple language websites

John Murray

Website owners with content in multiple languages might be interested in a question Google’s John Mueller answered this week through the Google Search Central YouTube account.

Mueller was asked whether it was good practice to have multiple languages on one page of a website, or whether it was better to keep language to separate pages. He advised that one language per page is the better solution, as Google systems will then be able to recognise the page’s primary language.

In cases where multiple language content needs to be on one page, such as a website teaching English speakers how to learn Spanish, for example, this can still be done successfully, as long as there is a clear primary language on the page. Pages for other languages can be included on the same website.

The video is only 80 seconds long, but sees Mueller breeze through a variety of suggestions, including using the HTML lang attribute on text to help screen readers (which assist visually impaired computer users by converting text into speech or braille) to interpret the content. However, he pointed out that no meta tag is needed to help search engines detect the language.

The video can be seen below:

Who needs to know this?

Aside from language learning websites, businesses that want to attract different language speakers might benefit from this advice. That might be because they attract, or hope to attract, customers whose first language is not English. Companies in the holiday sector might consider this, along with owners of world food shops online, or anyone based in an area of high immigration.

Due to our location at Engage Web, we’ve also known clients based in Wales to want Welsh language content on their site. Mueller’s advice suggests this practice is fine, but it may be advisable not to cluster multiple languages on one page. Instead, a separate page for each would be a better approach.

We’ve given advice in a previous blog on how to attract customers if you need to communicate in several languages. If you’d like any further advice on this, get in touch with us today.

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John Murray

Content Editor at Engage Web

John studied English with Creative Writing at university and went on to write for newspapers in both West Yorkshire and Chester. A published poet, short story writer and music blogger with a flair for quick pun-delivery, John is a genuine word nerd and a member of a Scrabble club, so it was only natural that he went on to work in a wordy position.

Google gives guidance on multiple language websites