Bilingual website for a small business: how to set it up so Google shows the right version
A bilingual website works when each language has its own pages, written for that reader and linked to each other, so Google shows the Spanish version to people searching in Spanish and the English version to people searching in English.
A bilingual website works when each language has its own pages, written for that reader and linked to each other. That way Google shows the Spanish version to people searching in Spanish and the English version to people searching in English, and visitors can switch between them without losing their place.
I'm speaking from experience here: both of my products, Recorrido 3D and Estructuras 3D, have Spanish and English versions, with articles written for each language. Below I'll cover how it's organized, the usual mistakes, and when it's worth doing.
Who actually needs a website in two languages?
There are three common cases. First, a business that sells abroad or wants to: a manufacturer that exports, a professional with clients in other countries, a firm that serves foreign companies. Second, a business that gets tourists or visitors: a small hotel, vacation cabins, a winery, a language school, a restaurant in a tourist area. Third, a local business that serves a community speaking another language, like a US dental office with a lot of Spanish-speaking patients.
If none of those fit, you probably don't need it yet, and that's fine. One language done well beats two done halfway.
How to set it up so Google gets it
Skipping the technical side, these are the decisions that matter, and the ones to ask whoever builds your site about:
- Each language at its own address. For example, yoursite.com/services in English and yoursite.com/es/servicios in Spanish. If both versions share one address and swap with a button, Google only sees one.
- Each page tells Google which page is its twin in the other language. That way they're not treated as duplicate content, and Google shows the right one to each searcher.
- Visitors choose. You can suggest a language, but don't force people into one based on where they're browsing from. A Spanish speaker living in Chicago, or an American traveling in Mexico, would get stuck in the wrong one.
- The language switch keeps you on the same page. If you're reading about a service and switch languages, you should see that same service, not get bounced to the homepage.
- Addresses in the right language too. “/es/servicios” reads better than “/es/services” for someone searching in Spanish.
Write it, don't translate it
This is the part that makes the biggest difference, and the one most people skip. Someone searching in another language uses different words, has different questions and expects different details. An American looking for a farm building searches for “pole barn” or “metal building,” not a literal translation of the Spanish term, and wants sizes in feet. A European tourist booking a cabin wants to know how to get there from the airport, not from the highway locals use.
So each version is written for its reader. The ideas stay the same, but the examples, units, names for things and even the order can change. Same with contact details: phone number with country code, the time difference spelled out, and a line saying you answer in both languages. If you want to work on your copy, I have a guide on writing your website copy.
Common mistakes and what to do instead
| Mistake | What happens | Do this instead |
|---|---|---|
| Live auto-translation | Google doesn't show it, and the text reads oddly | Real pages written in each language |
| Redirecting by country | People stuck in the wrong language | Suggest, and let them choose |
| Half the site translated | Visitors land on a page they can't read | Fewer pages, but complete ones |
| Same text with swapped words | It doesn't show up for searches in the other language | Use the words that audience actually searches |
| Contact form in one language only | You lose the inquiry at the very last step | Forms, buttons and messages in both languages |
Estructuras 3D in Spanish and English
Estructuras 3D is my own demo: a 3D configurator for metal buildings, carports, industrial buildings, horse stalls and modular homes, built to show a manufacturer what theirs could look like. It runs in both languages because it's just as useful to a factory in Argentina as to one in the US, and both need to try it in their own language.
It's not the same page with the words swapped. The English version uses the terms people search for in the US and has its own blog, with articles written for that audience. There's a post about it on the project's blog: multilingual 3D configurator.
See Estructuras 3DHow we'd work
I work on my own, remotely from Buenos Aires, Argentina (UTC−3), in English and Spanish. We start by deciding which pages your second audience needs and what they search for. I write both versions with you, share progress by link, and after launch we check that Google is showing each one where it should. If you need a third language, I set up the structure and you bring the copy.
If you're weighing a developer in another country, working with a remote developer might help. I quote each project separately; see what I do in services.
Frequently asked questions
Isn't the browser's translate button enough?
For a visitor to get the gist, maybe. But Google doesn't show that translation in search results, so nobody finds you searching in the other language. And machine translation shows: for a business that sells on trust, it works against you.
Who writes the second language?
I work in English and Spanish, so I can write both versions from what you tell me. If you need another language, like Portuguese or French, I can set the site up for it with copy you provide.
Do I have to translate the whole site?
Not necessarily. It often makes sense to start with the pages that matter to that audience: the homepage, your main products or services, and contact. The rest can come later.
Is it a lot of work to keep both versions up to date?
It depends on how often your content changes. The key is an admin panel that shows both versions side by side, so when you change one you remember the other.
If you want your website to speak a second language, message me on WhatsApp at +54 9 11 6193-3176 or email contacto@facundocampo.com.ar. I answer in English and Spanish. Tell me who you want to reach and I'll tell you which pages I'd start with.