How SEO for multilingual websites works in 2026

• How search engines see multilingual websites
• How multilingualism can be implemented on a website
• The hreflang attribute for proper indexing of language versions
• Technical signals for search engines
• How to adapt content for different local markets
• Technical optimization of multilingualism
• Analytics and monitoring of a multilingual website

Until 2014, it was quite common for most Ukrainian websites to exist only in Russian. It was this language that provided traffic, determined the structure of pages, and for years was not perceived as a risk factor — neither for business nor for SEO. After 2014, and especially after the full-scale invasion in 2022, the linguistic landscape began to change. The Ukrainian version started to be added en masse, but the Russian version was often not removed: it was embedded in the architecture of the site, had a large volume of content, and still brought users from search.

At the same time, some businesses began to work with foreign markets. English versions of websites appeared, and later — pages in other European languages. As a result, multilingualism for Ukrainian projects ceased to be a separate option or experiment: it became a normal working state for commercial and content sites.

However, most of these resources were never planned as multilingual. New languages were added gradually, in different years and for different tasks — without a holistic approach to SEO. That is why in 2026, the issue of multilingualism is no longer about choosing languages, but about how search engines interpret these versions: which pages they index, what they consider primary, and what they consider duplicates.

In this context, SEO for multilingual websites has long gone beyond simple translation. It concerns the structure of the site, signals for search engines, traffic distribution between languages, and how the resource appears in search results for different regions and queries.

This request is supported not only by technical arguments but also by practice. According to Suspilne, only in Chernihiv, 525 appeals related to language issues were recorded in 2024. «Detector Media» also notes that the language ombudsman is most often complained about the lack of a Ukrainian version of the website.

At the same time, the need to work with several languages is not limited to the Ukrainian market. For businesses that are entering multiple countries or working with an international audience, localization is a way to speak to the user in their language. Not just in terms of simple text translation, but considering mentality, context, and perception. For example, research on advertising campaigns in India shows that the use of regional languages directly affects brand trust and audience engagement. Localization plays a similar role in digital products — it reduces the distance between the site and the user.

From an SEO perspective, this adds another layer of complexity. It is important to understand how search engines relate multilingual pages to each other: what content they consider relevant for different language queries and how this is reflected in the overall visibility of the site. A separate question is link building: which language version to promote, how weight is distributed between pages, and whether competition arises between them in search results.

In its guidelines, Google explicitly states that the presence of multiple language versions should be clearly indicated. Although search bots can index such pages on their own, in practice this often happens more slowly or less predictably.

How search engines see multilingual websites

Google and Bing distinguish the language and region to which the user belongs. The simplest example is that British and American English correspond to different audiences. Moreover, bots analyze both the technical data provided to them (if we explicitly indicated in the site settings through hreflang and sitemap, etc.) and the context — the language of the user's main search, the language of the browser and system, the region from which the request was made, etc.

Google and Bing analyze:

• linguistics (vocabulary, syntax of the text);
• HTML attribute lang (auxiliary but not decisive);
• internal and external links;
• anchor texts;
• content available without JavaScript.

There are nuances here that you may or may not encounter. For example, in Ahrefs' research, which examines the experience of companies that received over 50% of traffic from language versions, there are cases that might not come to mind immediately. In particular, if we talk about the USA and the audience there, the language that seems logical to target should be English. However, for example, the Spanish-speaking community in the USA is quite large, and if the service is aimed at them, the language and region of targeting may not match, and this could be a very successful strategy. Other interesting cases of mismatch are also described — when a company has services targeting Spanish speakers worldwide who want to migrate to the USA, or English-speaking expats or travel enthusiasts abroad for a long time.

A key marker indicating language versions of the same page will be hreflang, which we will return to shortly. This is an attribute that helps search engines orient themselves and correctly assess the content of the site in terms of the presence of language versions. It also helps indicate the region for which the page is intended. Correctly specifying hreflang allows for accurate traffic distribution. But it is equally important that the content, keywords, and other elements of the site are correctly optimized for both users and search engines. It should be remembered that search engines analyze everything in a complex manner. And if user behavior indicates dissatisfaction, the page will drop in the rankings as well.

Also read: How Google considers links from multilingual versions of the site: together or separately

How multilingualism can be implemented on a website

There are several options. The most complex for normal indexing is dynamic, where there is one page, and the language is changed by a script. It is best if each language version has its own URL. It is advisable to formulate it in a way that is understandable to a person. Links should also be uniform, formed in the same way.

Separate domains

Sometimes, if funds allow, a company can create full mirrors, i.e., separate domains for each language version. This is good because users are used to seeing their national top-level domain (fr, uk, etc.), and will immediately feel a certain trust. Here, a separate design can also be used, more commonly used payment tools in a specific country, everything can be developed for the region. 

Here are a couple of examples. Here is the Domino's Pizza website in Ukraine.

And this is their website in the USA, and I had to use a VPN to access it from Ukraine and take this screenshot.

Different discounts, slightly different menus, and of course, a different currency.

And here is the SPAR chain in Britain, which has a section called "Deli," probably due to the popularity of Indian cuisine.

They in Ukraine — a different design, different products, a different logic on the main page.

However, this is no longer about promoting a multilingual site, but about promoting separate sites in different languages: separate sites will use their own strategy, have separate reputations and search weight.

For such promotion, resources are needed not for one, but for several sites — maintenance, content replenishment, SEO, social media.

In which cases does this make sense:

• when legal regulations in the regional market require buying hosting for such a site separately to register a branch of the business in the country;
• when the language corresponds to the country (for example, Hungarian is predominantly spoken in Hungary, and a separate domain will increase trust and will also be easier for locals);
• very competitive local SEO, so breaking through from the main site with an international top-level domain into this search is simply impossible;
• when a company is very carefully localized in the regional market — separate teams, branding, separate advertising messages for this region or language group, certain differences in the assortment.

Sometimes a separate site allows for better promotion in regional search engines — for example, this applies to China.

Also read: SEO on a budget — what a website owner can do independently to promote a site without involving specialists

Separate subdomains

Links can, for example, look like uk.example.com, meaning multilingualism should be implemented through subdomains. This is an example of Yahoo. There is fr.yahoo.com, hk.yahoo.com — the latter is for Hong Kong, and looks like this:

This is convenient because subdomains allow for a clear separation of language and regional versions of the site at the structural level. Each subdomain can be registered in Google Search Console as a separate property, which simplifies data analysis and SEO management for different markets. The downside is that, according to experts, subdomains must gain search weight independently, as they are considered different sites by search engines. For example, you can read about this in a study on SEOptimer and another one — in the professional publication Search Engine Journal. 

Subdomains can even have their own content management systems, and they need to be maintained separately, so this is still a more expensive way to implement multilingualism.

However, there are cases when having subdomains is optimal:

• each subdomain can be registered in Google Search Console as a separate property, while folders always belong to one property;
• if there is a significant difference in content for each country/language, local messages need to be promoted, separate SEO needs to be done, and even separate teams. This makes sense, especially if different assortments or services are offered in different countries;
• when different subdomains host micro-brands belonging to a large conglomerate, but are still promoted separately.

Once again, we emphasize an important point: Google considers subdomains as separate sites, so the promotion of each of them occurs essentially independently.

Separate folders

The most common and cheapest option for implementing multilingualism on a website is separate folders for each language version. For example, the URL might look like example.com/uk/.

Who does this, despite the quite different content? For example, McDonald's — in this case, it is more about regional localization through folders, rather than just translation.

Here is how they look for Ukraine:

And this is how it looks for the UK:

This is also a relatively cheap and simple method from a promotion perspective: you work with one site, and the weight of pages within the domain is partially redistributed among language versions.

Technically, it is one site with different directories, and it should be maintained and developed as one site, but different language versions, if everything is set up correctly, will be displayed to users with queries in different languages.

It should be noted that this method also has drawbacks — in particular, in case of any issues, the entire site with folders and subfolders will fall under the sanctions of search engines. Moreover, if it concerns local markets where users are used to seeing their local domains, trust is likely to be lower.

However, this method has many advantages: you develop one site, it gains collective weight, which is also transferred to individual pages. At the same time, you gain the advantages of speaking to a particular audience in their language.

A bit of our own experience: here is the Russian version of cityhost.ua, which was the initial one. And here are its metrics in Google

Currently, we are not promoting the Russian version of the site, but it has accumulated some weight over many years, and its positions are still high. 

And here is the Ukrainian version:

As you can see, the difference is not very significant. A significant drop usually occurs when work with all language versions of the site ceases.

Let's figure out how to make sure search engines see everything correctly.

The essence is that they must understand: pages with identical content but different languages should be perceived by search engines as translations, not duplicates, provided that the technical implementation is correct. Then the search will work correctly and will not decline.

The hreflang attribute for proper indexing of language versions

Google claims that it determines the language of pages on its own, relying on a sum of factors, including context, search queries that lead to the page, etc. However, it considers hreflang as an additional signal that helps to more accurately determine the language version of the page in search results.

In the long run, correct search results positively impact the site's effectiveness in search, particularly reducing situations where a user immediately leaves the page due to an inappropriate language.

Google has detailed guides on how to correctly create language versions. In short:

• pages must refer to each other; otherwise, the tag may not be taken into account. This is a safeguard against a situation where an external site could "claim" to be an alternative version of your page;
• alternative links must be fully specified, including the protocol (http/https);
• If it is difficult to ensure mutual links for all language versions, it is acceptable for some pages not to have a complete set. Google can consider those language versions that are correctly linked to each other, even if not all pages have a complete set of alternatives. However, in practice, it is recommended to link new language versions to existing ones to make it easier for search engines to understand the relationship between pages. For example, if the site was initially French (.fr), then new Spanish pages (.mx, .es) should ideally be bidirectionally linked to the existing versions of the site, particularly with .fr, not just among themselves.

Finally, there should be a page for users who do not fall under any regional or language output, the so-called fallback page. This can look like this:

<link rel="alternate" href="https://example.com/" hreflang="x-default" />

Technical signals for search engines

In addition to hreflang, search engines consider other so-called signals to compile information about the page in a comprehensive manner.

It is necessary to take into account:

• canonical pages. The rel=canonical attribute should not be used for language versions of pages. To link between languages, we use hreflang, and the canonical of each page should point to itself. If, for example, a canonical from an English page points to a French one, Google will only index the French version, and the English one will disappear from the results;
• XML-sitemap with language variants. An XML map can contain several language versions of one page. This is especially important for a large site, so that search engines update information faster.
• robots.txt. Here, it is necessary to check that search engines have access to all language versions and that there is no prohibition on indexing pages in different languages; otherwise, they will disappear from the results. For example, blocking /fr/ or fr.example.com will make the entire French version invisible.

How to adapt content for different local markets

For those of us living in a complex historical period, it is unnecessary to explain how much local context means to users. Even two pages in Russian created now on different sides of the border will be completely different. 

For pages to work correctly in search, they must not only be translated but ideally take into account the regional context to be understandable and interesting to local residents.

This means that an adapted translation will win over a literal one, regardless of whether it is done manually or using automated tools. It is worth translating not only texts but also considering:

• examples, contexts, memes, images that may have completely different meanings in another language environment;
• cultural traditions, positive and negative symbols, taboos, and even inappropriate sound-alikes in brand names, brands, or models. For example, for the former CIS market, the Chevrolet Kalos car brand was translated as Aveo — guess why;
• local currency, time, metric system, if there are differences from yours, etc.;
• metadata, which must also be translated;
• local keywords.

Content must be qualitatively optimized for SEO and search queries in each language. This means that it is advisable to do this work every time, without skimping on time. Gather your semantic core in each language, see what native speakers search for more, how they refer to it, etc.

Also read: Refusing the Russian direction: how to redirect business to the West

Technical optimization of multilingualism

First of all, it is advisable to have a language switch so that the user can choose the language themselves, rather than just receiving results from Google. However, this is usually not forgotten when implementing multilingualism.

Moreover, if it concerns different regions, it is necessary to ensure that the site loads equally quickly for all users around the world. Sometimes it is worth connecting a CDN (Content Delivery Network) — a network of distributed servers that operate worldwide. They cache static content in such a way that scripts, images, styles are closer to the user, thus allowing sites to load much faster, regardless of where the user connects from. Speed also gives a bonus for SEO. 

It is worth considering using a CDN if you are promoting on several continents at once, if your users are located at significant distances from each other, and you are promoting one site for both Japan and Iceland with different folders for different languages/regions. If, for example, it is only about promoting a European brand in Europe, it may be enough to simply host the site where your users live, in Warsaw or Kyiv. On the other hand, a CDN provides very fast loading, which is a bonus for SEO in any case.

Finally, the site must be adapted for mobile viewing.

Analytics and monitoring of a multilingual website

For a multilingual site to work effectively, it needs not only to be set up but also to be constantly monitored — whether there are technical failures, whether the search engine sees all language pages.

Technical monitoring

Services like Screaming Frog, Netpeak allow you to check whether the hreflang attribute works correctly, whether the language and region codes are correctly specified, whether there are "broken" links and non-working pages that return errors 400 or 500, mutual links between pages in different languages, whether there are errors in sitemap.xml and robots.txt, etc. Additionally, these services can integrate with Google Analytics or Google Search Console, using their data for analysis.

Monitoring the site in Google Search Console

In Google Search Console, a site can be added as a Domain property — a type of property that covers the domain name and all its subdomains, regardless of the protocol (http/https) and www/non-www variant. If necessary, such a property will also include language versions if they are placed on subdomains. In this case, Search Console shows the complete picture of data across the entire resource.

To add such a property, it is necessary to confirm rights through a DNS record with the registrar, which confirms control over the domain at the zone level.

This option is advisable to choose:

• for large multilingual sites where language versions are placed on subdomains;
• in case of using different protocols and www/non-www variants;
• if it is important to collect all analytics within one property.

On the other hand, you can add a property with a prefix. Then one property will cover only one path. For example, one property — https://example.com/de/. Then you can analyze properties separately. Confirming ownership with a prefix is easier, through Google Analytics, HTML tags, or just like a regular property, that is, through a record with the registrar. It is worth choosing if:

• different language versions are administered by different teams, and therefore it is more convenient to monitor analytics separately;
• one domain is used with subdirectories for language versions (which is what will be the case in most cases and what is the cheapest to implement).

After confirming ownership, Google Search Console gives you:

• traffic and search query data broken down by country;
• indexing data (whether all language versions made it to Google);
• technical diagnostics (hreflang, canonical, speed, mobile optimization);
• link analytics (who and from where links).

Why do we use both Google Search Console and Screaming Frog or Netpeak? Because Google Search Console gives us the so-called official view of Google on our site, while additional services seem to pass through the eyes of the search bot and find errors.

Google Analytics 4

GA4 allows tracking how users interact with different language versions of the site, provided that the URL structure or analytics is correctly set up. This additionally helps to understand how successful our localization was, whether it is valuable to users.

You can segment all statistics by language version and see which version brings users, whether interaction metrics for a specific language page have worsened, how long users read the pages, etc. This allows you to evaluate key metrics:

• conversions;
• traffic;
• engagement and interaction metrics.

This allows you to think about whether localization needs to be refined, whether a language version needs to be further developed, something needs to be changed, or to consult. You can add segments by geography and see whether in the region you are targeting, the language version intended for that region is indeed being read, or if they prefer, for example, English pages.

Also read: Google Analytics 4 for beginners: what is GA4 and how to use it

Tracking search positions

Here you can also use various services — Ahrefs, Semrush. The essence is that you create projects for domains and directories separately. And you look at the positions of the necessary keywords in different languages in different countries. You can add regional Google — Google.de (Germany), Google.fr (France), Google.ca (Canada), Google.com.mx (Mexico) and see the positions of keywords in specific regions.

This allows you to see how promotion is working, whether the search engine is confusing language versions, and whether your pages are displayed correctly according to the specified language and region. For example, instead of France, the page may be shown more often in Canada, where French is spoken, but this may or may not be what you need.

It is advisable to monitor the situation regularly, for example, monthly.

Thus, making SEO multilingual is somewhat more complex than just adding a translation. A whole strategy can be built on this, and if approached carefully, good results can be achieved.

Also, this strategy is not exhausted simply by specifying hreflang. As always, it is important for search engines that the site is fast, well-optimized, and filled with quality content. If it is useful to people, provides them with something, positions will rise. Language is often also an additional value that makes the experience on the site more comfortable, builds trust in it, and allows people to feel as if they have come into their environment and can expect to be heard and receive exactly the information they need.