Google: Do Not Force Users To A Specific Language

Aug 10, 2012 - 8:11 am 7 by

google multilingualGoogle top guy on localization and internationalization at Google Search, Christopher Semturs, spoke out on one of his pet peeves when it comes to this topic.

He said, he hates it when web sites give him a language and keep him in that language based on his IP. He said:

I encountered quite a few web pages which forced me to a specific language without giving me an option to change this, e.g. by trying to guess the language from my location (and sadly, sometimes guessing it wrong).

Christopher didn't just complain, he decided to outline the main things SEOs and webmasters should consider when deploying sites with multiple languages. He wrote:

  • Verify that your page always returns content for all users, e.g. does not crash for GoogleBot (no Accept-Language header) or on unexpected user settings.
  • Make sure that each language is available under it’s own specific URL (e.g. www.example.com/de/ showing content in German).
  • On the main page, provide links to the language-specific URLs, e.g. as a language switcher somewhere on the page. Pro-Tip: Use symbols (flags), or write the language names in their native language.
  • For search engines, add the rel-alternate-hreflang annotations.

He ended saying that if you follow these recommendations it will make him personally happy but also "allow search engines to see all language variations of your web page."

Forum discussion at Google+.

 

Popular Categories

The Pulse of the search community

Search Video Recaps

 
Video Details More Videos Subscribe to Videos

Most Recent Articles

Search Forum Recap

Daily Search Forum Recap: July 10, 2025

Jul 10, 2025 - 10:00 am
Google Updates

Google June 2025 Core Update Leading To Some Partial HCU Recoveries

Jul 10, 2025 - 7:51 am
Google Search Engine Optimization

Google Search Console Performance Report Average Position Bug?

Jul 10, 2025 - 7:41 am
Google Ads

Google Search Ads People Also Consider Carousel Format

Jul 10, 2025 - 7:31 am
Google Maps

Google Business Profiles Drops Utility Bill As Evidence For Appeal

Jul 10, 2025 - 7:21 am
Google

Google AI Mode Comes To Circle to Search and Lens

Jul 10, 2025 - 7:11 am
Previous Story: Android Neon Lamp