SEO for translated pages
On this page
Visitors and search engines do not see the same thing. A visitor can click a language switcher. A search engine needs a separate address for each language version.
Google recommends separate addresses for each language version rather than cookies or browser settings. See Google's guide to multi-regional sites.
What you get on each path#
| Path | Separate language addresses | hreflang | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| WordPress plugin | Yes, such as /fr/page | Yes, automatic | Built and tested in isolation. Not yet run inside a real WordPress with the core: OPEN. |
| Shopify | Yes, made by Shopify | Made by Shopify | For content written through Shopify's translation interface. |
| Framework kits and static sites | Yes, written at build time | Yes, automatic | No real crawl of the output has been done: OPEN. |
| Script tag | No | No | The text changes in the browser. See SEO and the script tag. |
What WordPress and the kits add to each translated page#
- The right language and direction on the page.
- A link to every language version, including itself, plus a default. See hreflang.
- One canonical tag that points to the page itself.
- A sitemap that lists the translated pages (WordPress and the kits).
What the product does not do#
- It does not redirect visitors by their language or location. Google advises against that.
- It does not promise rankings. Nobody can.
- It does not translate page titles and descriptions for you unless they pass through the plugin or the kit. With the script tag they are not translated for search engines.
Pages with little translated text#
Pages that are mostly in the original language are kept out of search results. See Thin pages.
Google's own words#
The statements about Google on these pages were checked against Google's documentation on 2026-10-28. Search engines change. Re-check every six months.