1. Decide what will be translated
Identify audiences and the pages they need in each language. Translate complete, useful page experiences instead of changing only navigation around otherwise untranslated content.
Prioritize pages by audience need, such as product details, support, pricing, and key conversion steps. A translated homepage surrounded by unavailable or inconsistent follow-up information can frustrate visitors.
2. Give each language a stable URL
Use distinct URLs for language versions so people can share and search engines can discover them. Avoid relying only on cookies or browser-based changes that leave versions difficult to crawl or revisit.
Keep each language version directly addressable and make the language clear in the URL structure. Avoid serving different copy at the same URL solely according to a visitor’s browser settings.
3. Connect equivalent pages
Where applicable, use reciprocal hreflang annotations to identify alternate language or regional versions. Keep each page’s canonical and language references internally consistent, and do not label pages as translations when their content is not equivalent.
Use reciprocal hreflang references only between genuine equivalents, including a self-reference. Each version should normally identify itself as canonical; hreflang does not replace canonical links or translation quality.
4. Let readers choose and review
Provide visible links to other available language versions without forcing visitors through a language redirect. Have a fluent reviewer check meaning, dates, currency, and culturally specific details before publishing.
Ask a fluent reviewer to test real tasks in each language, including menus, forms, date formats, and mobile layouts. Link language choices visibly so readers can switch without losing their place. Assign a page owner for these reviews using the content governance workflow.
Related official guidance: Google Search Central: multilingual and multi-regional sites.