You've translated your website into English and German, but visits from abroad are tiny. International guests still arrive almost only through Booking.com. What's missing?
Translating a website isn't enough to appear on Google in Germany, France or the UK. You need real multilingual SEO: correct technical structure, content designed for each market and keywords people in that country actually use. Here's how, step by step.
1. Technical structure
One URL per language
Each language version needs its own indexable pages with a clear URL. The most common solution for a hotel is subfolders:
- yourhotel.com/ (main language)
- yourhotel.com/en/ (English)
- yourhotel.com/de/ (German)
Avoid "on-the-fly" translations done with scripts that change the text without changing the page: Google often only sees the original version.
hreflang tags
They tell Google which page to show people searching in a given language, and link equivalent versions together. Each page must reference its versions in other languages (and itself). Mistakes here are one of the most common reasons foreign-language versions don't appear.
Translated titles and meta descriptions
Each page needs a title and description in its own language, written for that market. Many sites translate the body text but forget the titles, which stay in the original language.
2. Keywords by market, not translations
A German doesn't search the literal translation of "family hotel in Rimini". They might search "Familienhotel Rimini am Strand" or "Hotel Rimini mit Kindern". A British traveller might search "family friendly hotel Rimini". For each market:
- check real searches with Google suggestions in that language and country;
- look at the sites that rank for those searches;
- ask international guests how they searched.
See how to find out which words people search before visiting your hotel website.
3. Adapted content, not just translated
Each market has different questions:
- Germans and Austrians: often very focused on parking, pets, exact distances, meal times;
- British guests: airport transfers, power sockets, cancellation;
- French guests: food, activities, train information;
- long-haul guests: how to get there, safety, what to see nearby.
These are generalisations: watch your guests' real questions by market and adapt content accordingly.
4. Your Google profile in several languages
Your Google Business Profile is shown to users worldwide. Make sure:
- reviews in other languages get replies in the same language;
- the description is clear (Google can translate it automatically);
- the website link goes to the right language version, where possible.
5. Links and mentions from foreign markets
Visibility in a country also grows thanks to sites from that country talking about you: travel blogs, tourism portals, guides, sports associations, clubs. Even a few relevant links help.
6. Consistency with OTAs and foreign channels
If your German description on Booking.com is polished and the one on your website isn't, the German guest will book on Booking.com. Keep the same quality on every channel.
How to measure
- Search Console: filter by country and by page (/de/, /en/) and look at impressions and clicks;
- Analytics: visits and bookings by country and language;
- booking engine: direct bookings by nationality.
Frequently asked questions
Should I use a separate domain for each country?
For an independent hotel, usually not. Subfolders on one domain are simpler to manage and concentrate your site's authority.
Can I use machine translation for multilingual SEO?
As a base, yes, but with human review and keyword adaptation. Poor translations cost trust and conversions.
How many languages can I manage well?
It depends on resources and markets. A few well-maintained languages are better. See multilingual hotel websites: which languages to choose and which pages to translate.
Want more international guests booking direct?
With our free marketing audit we check your website's multilingual structure, hreflang included, and the search opportunities in your main foreign markets.
