How Does Google Handle Multilingual SEO? English Google Webmaster Central IRL Office-Hours Hangout

TL;DR

Google tries to recognize synonyms automatically, with its systems learning over time rather than relying on a fixed database. Direct connections between languages are trickier because Google generally does not show content from another language, while regional language variants may be learned when people use terms interchangeably. Read on for practical guidance about choosing words for multilingual pages.

Transcript

JOHN MUELLER: OK. All right. Welcome everyone to today's Webmaster Central office hours Hangout. My name is John Mueller. I am a webmaster trends analyst in Switzerland, and I'm here with a bunch of awesome other people who are joining us live, in person for the Hangout. Do you want to introduce yourself, briefly? EDUARDO: Yeah, sure. So, my name i... Read More

Key Insights

• RankBrain learns synonyms over time, not through a static database.
• Google recognizes multilingual synonyms automatically.
• SEO should focus on user search behavior, not just keywords.
• Google doesn't link between languages directly but learns from interactions.
• Speed is not measured by a single metric; gradual improvements help.
• Having 'near me' in titles is not sustainable for SEO.
• Press releases are not an effective link-building strategy.
• Web spam reports help Google identify and address problematic tactics.
• "So I think in general we do try to recognize when things are synonyms, which we try to do automatically." (5:36)
• "It's more a matter of our systems learning this over time." (5:54)
• "So that's something that is learned over time." (6:21)
• "Because ultimately, from the SEO side, we do try to figure out which ones belong together." (7:43)

Questions & Answers

Q: How does Google recognize synonyms in different languages?

Google tries to recognize synonyms automatically. Its systems learn over time instead of relying on people to list every matching word in each language.

Q: Does Google use a fixed database of synonyms?

No. John Mueller says Google does not have a specific database that defines how many words it has or how each word should be treated.

Q: How does Google handle a new word that becomes popular?

A new word may initially be treated as completely separate. Over time, Google's systems can learn that it belongs with another word or topic.

Q: Should Portuguese pages include every synonym for a word in the URL and title?

The transcript does not prescribe putting every synonym in the URL and title. Mueller says Google tries to determine which terms belong together, while page wording should be chosen with the target audience in mind.

Q: Does Google directly connect searches and content across different languages?

Google tends not to have a direct link between languages. It generally does not take a search in one language and decide to show content from another language.

Q: How might Google handle Latin American Spanish differently from Spanish used in Spain?

Google may try to learn regional synonyms. Mueller gives the example of users whose browsers are set to Spanish and who use different terms interchangeably.

Q: What should multilingual SEO teams consider when choosing words for a page?

They should consider how the target audience searches and what people want to find on the page. They should also ask which form of writing makes visitors comfortable and whether those visitors search using a different form.

Q: Does synonym recognition happen immediately?

Not necessarily. The transcript says a new word can begin as a separate term and only later become associated with another word or topic.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• RankBrain learns synonyms over time without a static database, enhancing multilingual SEO by recognizing synonyms automatically. SEO strategies should focus on user behavior rather than just keyword variations. Google does not directly link between languages but learns through user interactions.

• Speed in search ranking is not determined by a single metric; gradual improvements can positively impact rankings. Using 'near me' in titles is not a sustainable SEO strategy. Press releases are generally ineffective for building backlinks as Google tends to ignore them.

• Web spam reports are useful for Google to identify and address problematic tactics, although action is not immediate. Focusing on improving your own site is more beneficial than monitoring competitors' tactics. Google values user-friendly content over keyword stuffing.