seo and ease of use

[Violetacostas]

Hello, I would like to expand the products in my store to English, but I'm not sure which decision is the best to make. Could you provide the best option from your perspective in Shopify?

1. Our store has products in one specific language. Spanish, and we also have some in English. People who don’t know Spanish won’t want the product in Spanish, and vice versa, those who don’t know English won’t want the product in English. Therefore, the products must be separated by language.

2. Markets don’t help much because, in the United States, there are many people who do speak Spanish and want the product in Spanish. So, if I set up the United States, for example, with a subdomain only in English with English products, I harm my sales. This happens in other countries too because we’ve had customers from Spain living in Germany, the UK, or Switzerland.

3. Right now, I have the language division by folders, using Shopify's option of /en/. However, I think this harms SEO, because the products in English are already in English, and the descriptions aren’t really being translated. The same happens when setting "English" as the language and switching to hardpeach.com/en/, where most of the content remains in Spanish because there is no English version.

What I thought was to continue using subfolders and add a variant to the product, so that in the products where it’s available, customers can freely choose whether they prefer Spanish or English. Would that work? I'm not sure if this is the right approach, or if I should keep adding products in English, or take a different path... Do you think this will be bad for SEO? or more confusing for the client?

[Violetacostas]

Thank you very much for your response; it has been very thorough and will surely help me make a decision on this topic. It is true that it is a complicated decision, and that's why I've asked for help...

With "product listing for each language," do you mean a collection? I didn't understand your option number 3. Because if I create a collection in English and the whole website is in Spanish, will I still have the SEO problem? Because by doing that, how do I tell search engines which section is in another language? And most interestingly, how can I show specific products when selecting the language? Shopify told me it wasn't possible unless I create another Shopify store.

I'm sorry; I feel like all of this is very complicated!

[akshay_bhatt]

Hi @Violetacostas ,

Your situation presents some unique challenges, especially with a diverse customer base that includes both Spanish and English speakers. Here are some thoughts on your approach and how to best manage this in Shopify:

Language Variants

Using product variants for language can work, but it has potential drawbacks:

1. Customer Confusion: Some customers might not realize that they need to select a variant to see the product in their preferred language. This could lead to frustration or abandoned carts.

2. SEO Concerns: While you could theoretically optimize each variant for SEO, it may dilute the focus of your product pages. Search engines might not favor the page if it's trying to rank for multiple languages in the same URL.

Subfolders with Language-Specific Content

Continuing to use subfolders (like /en/ and /es/) is a solid approach, but you should ensure that:

1. Content is fully translated: Each subfolder should have its own fully translated content, including product descriptions, titles, and any other relevant text. This can help improve SEO for both language versions.

2. Canonical tags: Implement canonical tags to tell search engines which version to prioritize. This can help avoid issues with duplicate content.

3. Language Selector: Include a clear language switcher on your site, allowing users to easily switch between languages without confusion.

Ultimately, the best approach depends on your resources, how your customers interact with your site, and your long-term business goals. Testing different strategies can also help you identify what works best for your audience.

Got it! If you found my suggestions helpful, please consider liking or marking it as a solution. Your feedback is appreciated! If you have any more questions or need further assistance, just let me know!

Best Regard,

Akashay Bhatt

[Violetacostas]

Yes, it is a great challenge... and that's why it worries me. Your message has been very helpful, and I will keep it in mind in the coming days while I reflect on what to do about this topic, as it is a somewhat complicated decision. Thank you very much!