Your hotel or workshop website is ready in English, German and Turkish. You put real effort into it and the translations are good. But a customer in Germany searches on Google and lands on your English page. Or does not find you at all. Your site exists in three languages, yet Google has not quite understood that.
I see this often with a multilingual website. The cause is rarely the quality of the translation. More often, Google was never told correctly which page is the German version of which other page. In this article I explain what the problem is, how you can spot it on your own site, and what to ask the person who fixes it.
What exactly is the problem?
Google treats every page on your site as a separate page. To make it connect the same content written in three languages, you have to help it. That help is called hreflang: a small note behind each page saying "the German version of this page is at this address, the English version at that one". Visitors never see it. Only search engines read it.
If the note is missing or wrong, Google may show one language and ignore the others, or show the wrong language to the wrong person. The foreign customer either never finds you, or finds a page in a language they do not understand and leaves.
One thing to know: this note does not push you higher in Google. Its job is to show the right page to the right person.
How can you tell if your site has the problem?
You do not need to be an expert. A few simple checks are enough:
- Search Google for your business name plus your service, then check which language appears. Ask an acquaintance abroad to try the same search.
- A comment from a foreign customer such as "I found your site in English but did not know there was a German version" is the clearest sign.
- If Search Console (Google's free panel showing how your site is doing) reports language or targeting warnings, the setup has errors.
- If the language button on your site sends visitors to the homepage instead of the matching page, the setup is probably incomplete.
The most common mistakes (for the specialist to fix)
You will not fix these yourself, but it helps to recognize them:
- One-way links: the English page points to the German one, but the German page does not point back. Google finds such a relationship unreliable.
- Wrong language or country information: for example mixing up Germany and Austria.
- Missing pages: pages that exist in one language but not in another, or deleted pages still being listed.
- Forcing visitors to a language: sending everyone to the German page because their browser is set to German. Google's robots may then never see the other languages.
- Contradicting Google: naming one address as the main page in one place and a different one somewhere else.
Decide the site structure at the start
A multilingual website can be built in three ways: language folders under your main address (for example yoursite.com/de/), a separate subdomain per language (a prefix before your address, such as de.yoursite.com), or a separate domain per country (yoursite.de). For most small and mid-sized businesses the first is the easiest to manage and benefits most from your existing site's reputation.
| Structure | Example | General character |
|---|---|---|
| Language folder | yoursite.com/de/ | Easy to manage, shares existing reputation |
| Subdomain | de.yoursite.com | Treated like a separate site, needs more upkeep |
| Country domain | yoursite.de | Very clear country target, but each is a separate investment |
Changing this later means changing addresses. Google needs time to relearn them, and rankings can dip in the meantime. So when you commission a new site or add a language, discuss the structure up front, based on the countries you want to grow in.
What should you ask the specialist?
When you talk to a web designer or SEO consultant, ask:
- How will you tell Google about each page's counterparts in other languages, and how will you test it?
- When I add or delete a page, will these links update automatically, or by hand each time?
- What will a visitor whose language you do not cover see?
- Will you check for errors regularly after setup? How often?
- How did you factor my growth plans into the structure?
Someone who cannot answer these plainly is probably doing the work superficially. A good specialist will also report in clear language what changed, which pages had errors and what was fixed.
How long does it take, and what should you expect?
On a small site, checking and fixing is often a matter of days. More pages and languages mean more time. The setup looks like a one-off job, but it needs upkeep as the site grows: each new page or language needs rechecking. After the fix, Google usually takes days or weeks to notice. No result can be guaranteed, but fewer cases of the wrong language appearing is a reasonable expectation.
Frequently asked questions
Can I just translate my site with Google Translate?
Automatic translation satisfies neither readers nor Google. The text that builds customer trust should be written or at least checked by someone who speaks the language.
Should I build a separate site for each language?
For most businesses, no. Language folders on one site are easier to manage and keep your reputation together.
How soon will I notice once it is fixed?
Usually within a few weeks. Google needs time to revisit the site. You can watch for a change in the inquiries you get from abroad.
Should I care if I do not sell abroad?
If you serve tourists, as a hotel, restaurant or clinic does, yes. If you only serve local customers, a multilingual site is often unnecessary.
Your multilingual site is an investment you worked hard on. To make sure each language reaches the right customer, take a look at my SEO services page.