two languages site

[MaZaGAngeE]

for a site with two languages is it better to do seo using :
1- two domains
2- two subdomains
3- make one language as an index and the other one as link from there ?

[Ferre]

I would keep my 'original' language domain in the root and make a seperate folder for an other language like this;

domain.com/index.html <-- for your 'original' domain, say, for example, it's Chinese

Different langages go in different folders, so for an english version of your site the folder you make could be named 'eng' and your path would look like this;

domain.com/eng/index.html
domain.com/eng/another-page.html
domain.com/eng/yet-another-page.html

This way you can create different folders with their own page structure and even installed cms for other languages, for example;

domain.com/sp/index.html <-- spanish
domain.com/jap/index.html <-- japanese

[MaZaGAngeE]

i did that two seperate folders with two seperate cms's ,,
but what is the optimized case ?

[mhmdkhamis]

how use two domin to same site

[cdx]

Originally Posted by Ferre

I would keep my 'original' language domain in the root and make a seperate folder for an other language like this;

domain.com/index.html <-- for your 'original' domain, say, for example, it's Chinese

Different langages go in different folders, so for an english version of your site the folder you make could be named 'eng' and your path would look like this;

domain.com/eng/index.html
domain.com/eng/another-page.html
domain.com/eng/yet-another-page.html

This way you can create different folders with their own page structure and even installed cms for other languages, for example;

domain.com/sp/index.html <-- spanish
domain.com/jap/index.html <-- japanese

is it better than using a sub domain ?

[WagerX]

I agree with Ferre,
Place your different languages in subfolder from the root directory. Make sure to get some IBL in the corresponding language to your root foreign language.

[Rankenstein]

Personally I'd go for a sub-domain.

[WagerX]

Originally Posted by Rankenstein

Personally I'd go for a sub-domain.

Rankenstein,
Why would you prefer that? I'm curious to know if there's an advantage I haven't seen or considered. Correct me If I'm wrong.. but I thought that developing your multiple languages in one site was better to optimize your IBL's. If you had 8 different languages, then you'd have to increase your relative IBL'S correct?

for example.. WagerX.com hase 8 different languages.. If I used 8 different subdomains wouldn't I have to treat each one like an individual domain?

Cheers

[Rankenstein]

It's mainly a matter of preference but for example, links between your sub-domains would be perceived as links from a separate site and therefore count more than internal links, you can submit different sub-domains to the same directory, things like that. It's rather useful if your site has quite distinct categories. But in this case of having a two language site, you could submit both the sub-domains to directories without violating any terms of service and this would imrove your IBL weight more than submitting as part of the same domain. You can still get other IBLs to your homepage and guide visitors to the sub-domains from there from there.

Don't think I'm saying that's the right way to do it, it's just something to consider.

[MaZaGAngeE]

how about this :
xxxxx.com for language one
xxxxx.net for language two
and link exchange between them ?

[referencement]

- this is a duplicate content problem avoid it.
- you should have different content to each one of them.

[MaZaGAngeE]

Originally Posted by referencement

- this is a duplicate content problem avoid it.
- you should have different content to each one of them.

it well be same content but in two different languages
it is not duplication
two different clients to each site

[nigelaxis]

I would not consider 2 domains unless the business trades under a different name in the other language. One concern is about splitting links between 2 sites as this won't assist you in a links war. It also means that you are dividing your efforts for each site.

On the site design topic I would show a flag for each language at the top of the screen. Users are now happy with this facilty to switch languages even when they arrive at the wrong language version of the site initially.

[Johan007]

Originally Posted by referencement

- this is a duplicate content problem avoid it.
- you should have different content to each one of them.

Rubbish I agree with MaZaGAngeE it is not at all duplicate content.

Traditionally with CMS and like the use of a variable ?lan=en was common but it is now considered best practice to use subdomains see www.visitwales.com and use the main domain to select language.

[MaZaGAngeE]

it'll be twice of optimization work on each site but it is nessesary due to limitations of title, description, and keywords length ......

[referencement]

- it's two different customers, how he/she can use subdomain,
- another point: with subdomain it is hard to get rank well, it is not the same if you have domain for every language and every one host in their region such as if your target audience all from deutsch it is more (i say more) important to get your hosting in deutschland.
- meta tag language and all other meta tag except (meta tag description) did not have any thing to do for search engine ranking.Because search engine spider detect information about any web page and determine which is suitable or not.

[John Scott]

For a few pages I wouldn't use a subdomain.

[MaZaGAngeE]

for many customers i gave each language a folder and cms for it , but after i here about seo ,,,, i want to change that to a domain each due to lenght of description, keywords, and title ...
i like to do it more than subdomain or the old one i did....

[MaZaGAngeE]

i'll make a test on this :
use two languages in subdomains for a testing website
and
the same with folders for another testing site
both in the same subject with different sitemaps ...

what do thinck two moths well be enough ?