Multilingual Version of a Website

[gamesecure]

Hi All,

We created 'EN' and 'FR' version of a website and translated all labels and message from English to France with the help of Google Translator.

Lets take an example: English version URL -

https://www.sitegeek.com/softlayer

France version URL -

https://fr.sitegeek.com/softlayer

France version also contain same reviews available on English version page. So the reviews content or language is same on both pages.

To eliminate the duplicate content issue we put following meta tags on both 'EN" and 'FR' version pages :

So My question is that (1.)  Is this the correct implementation of  Multilingual  Version of a Website?

(2.)  Is Added meta tags work for both Google and Bing Search engine? (as Bing not indexing all pages)

(3.) We are translated labels and messages from Google Translator. Is this the issue pages not being Indexed in Bing?

(4.) Finally, What would the correct SEO approch if we translate our site in other languages?

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Rajiv

[gfiorelli1]

Bing does not use the rel=”alternate” hreflang=”x” markup.

As written by Duane Forrester in this post, Bing relies over a series of signals, the most important being the meta equiv=”content-language” content=”x-X” tag.

And, yes, you can use the meta equiv and hreflang in the same page

[gamesecure]

Hi Patrick,

Thanks!

We are following the Google resource here from Google guidelines [please notify where we are wrong]  but seems not following Bing. Can we follow both search engine instructions on same page?

---

Rajiv

[PatrickDelehanty]

Hi there

(1) This doesn't look correct to me as you are using apostrophes instead of quotations. I would look at this resource here from Google and follow their directions.

(2) Unforunately no, Bing uses language meta tags - not hreflang tags

(3) That shouldn't have anything to do with it. Make sure your site's sitemap is complete and accurate, uploaded to both Google and Bing Webmaster Tools, and also make sure you have no robots.txt or meta tag issues.

Keep in mind that using automated translator services could be a potentially bad user experience

(4) First - don't use translators from Google or Bing - hire a content writer that can write unique content for the audience and translate it for the audiences you are looking to serve. I would recommend setting up a unique URL structure for different regional focus areas, utilizing hreflang tags and language meta tags, setting up Webmaster Tools accounts for those URLs, and geotargeting them - IF you are doing international SEO. If not, then simply utilize the hreflang tags and language tags.

If you plan on doing International SEO, take a look at these resources:
International SEO (Moz)
The International SEO Checklist (Moz)
5 Dos and Don'ts of International SEO - Whiteboard Friday (Moz)

Let me know if these answered your questions! Hope this all helps - good luck!