When you perform a search, you expect the results to be in a language you can understand. That’s why every major search engine, including Google and Bing, prioritizes showing content that matches the user’s language preferences. This is a fundamental part of how search engine languages work. A search engine’s algorithm is smart enough to figure out a user’s language preferences from a few different signals:
- Explicit settings: Users can set their preferred languages in their account settings. For example, you can tell Google that you want to see results in English and Dutch.
- Region: If a user hasn’t specified a language, a search engine will often serve results based on their location.
- Account activity: A search engine also uses your search history and account activity to figure out what languages you prefer.
However, a search engine is not a strict filter. If it thinks it has found a very relevant result in a different language, it might still include it.
How Do Search Engines Know the Language of a Page?
A search engine uses a combination of factors to determine the language of a page. By applying the right settings and signals, you can ensure your site is included for the right audience.
Google Search Console’s International Targeting Report
If you have verified ownership of your site in Google Search Console, you can specify which country your website targets. For example, if you have a website for the United Kingdom, you can tell Google that your site is for users in the UK. This is a very strong signal to a search engine.
Domain Extensions
A country-specific top-level domain, like .de for Germany or .nl for The Netherlands, is a strong signal to a search engine that your website is for a specific country. This is the clearest signal you can give a search engine about your website’s location. However, generic top-level domains, like .com or .info, do not belong to any country.
Hreflang Tags
Hreflang tags are a small piece of code that tells a search engine which language and country a page is meant for. They are a must-have for any website that is targeting multiple countries or languages. For example, an hreflang tag on your English page would tell a search engine that a German version of the page exists.
Language Recognition
A search engine’s crawler is very smart. It can identify the language a page is written in just by looking at the content. It doesn’t rely on tags or headers alone. It’s a very powerful tool that helps a search engine understand your content.
Other Signals
A search engine may also use the IP address of the server to determine the location, as well as specific data in your Google Business Profile to find out the language and location.
How ClickRank Can Help with Search Engine Languages
The best way to ensure your website is set up for international success is to analyze your audience and your business goals. A professional SEO platform ClickRank can help you with this. The platform can analyze your website and provide a prioritized list of tasks to fix your international SEO issues. This allows you to focus on your content and other SEO tasks while the platform takes care of the technical side.
How do search engines know what language my page is in?
Search engines use a combination of factors, including the content of your page, your domain extension, and hreflang tags.
How do I ensure my website is included in the right search results?
You can ensure your website is included in the right search results by using hreflang tags and by specifying which country your website targets in your search console.
Do domain extensions matter for international SEO?
Yes, they do. A country-specific top-level domain, like .de for Germany, is a strong signal to a search engine that your website is for a specific country.
