Multilingual SEO

[onlinehustla]

Let's talk SEO for websites with content translated into other languages. Besides the standard HTML link element: <link rel="alternate" hreflang="es" href="http://es.example.com/" /> what are some good strategies to get your translated content ranking on Google? My biggest questions is how much better is a backlink from a webpage written in that same language than say a backlink from an English webpage? Anyone have any insight?

 

[evolutionvision]

You can host the subdomains in each relevant country. The ip location of the content is a big ranking factor. So put de.website.com in Germany. Es.website.com in Spain, etc.

 

[GoldMarketing]

While it may help you a little, I don't want to agree with the hosting location factor. Yes, it may give some "SEO score" benefit, but as not much as you think. Why would I need to put a server in Germany (as target market) when in fact I can put it on Netherlands (Digitalocean VPS, as example) and get practically the same ping speed.

Just put the HTML tag in header, get new ccTLD preferably (I wouldn't go the sub-domain path) and Google will know the target audience.
As to backlinks, yes, you will benefit far more getting backlinks from the same language content and/or domain extension.

 

[bauss]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ce9jv91beQ[/ame]

If you think that sounds insane you should read over some of the patents Google files in regards to their search algorithm. But yes it's been pretty commonly known in the community for awhile via speculation, patent sleuthing, and from the hand itself (below).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXt23AXlJJU

Not too long ago you could pick up a .ca for example, an IP in Toronto, and nearly instantly rank lower first page for reasonable commercial terms.

 

[Kempeelio]

This is a unique situation I know but...

For targeting different versions of english (say you have an english-UK page and english-US page) you need to go to greater lengths to strengthen the regional signals.
To do this I:
1. Added in separate webmaster tool profiles for each languages sub directory
2. Make sure the small discrepancies in US vs UK spoken word are used.

This works.

 

[bauss]

While it may help you a little, I don't want to agree with the hosting location factor. Yes, it may give some "SEO score" benefit, but as not much as you think. Why would I need to put a server in Germany (as target market) when in fact I can put it on Netherlands (Digitalocean VPS, as example) and get practically the same ping speed.

Just put the HTML tag in header, get new ccTLD preferably (I wouldn't go the sub-domain path) and Google will know the target audience.
As to backlinks, yes, you will benefit far more getting backlinks from the same language content and/or domain extension.

Tried to edit my prior post but ran out of time. I'd consider IP location even more beneficial in this case. For the fact we're dealing with alternative languages themselves, but also that other geographic regions of Google can be far less competitive. Something as simple as IP location can be a notable factor.