AI search & SEO
International and multilingual SEO in French, English and Arabic
We work every day in French, Arabic and English, mostly for businesses whose site often has to speak two or three languages. Each language gets its own pages, its own addresses and its own research.
Translation is the easy part
Two buyers who speak the same language can call the same flat by two different names, depending on where they live. A word-for-word translation of your page will rank for neither, because nobody in either place types the words it uses.
Every market has its own vocabulary, its own competitors and its own signs of trust: a local phone number, prices in the local currency, payment and delivery terms people recognise. In some markets, searches mix French, Arabic and the local dialect, sometimes written in Latin letters. Research has to start again in each market.
Then the technical work makes sure Google shows the right version to the right person. Get it wrong and your French page competes with your English one, or visitors from one country land on prices in another country’s currency.
What our international SEO covers
Research per market
Search terms, questions and competitors for each country and language, researched separately, never copied across.
Hreflang done right
Every version lists all the others and itself, with a language code such as fr or ar, a country code when a version targets one market, an x-default where useful, and return links that Google requires.
Translated addresses
URLs in the visitor’s language. This site does it: the French version of this page has a French address.
Right-to-left Arabic
Arabic pages with the full layout mirrored, fonts that read well on a phone, and forms that accept Arabic names.
Local listings per country
A separate Google Business Profile for each real location, with a local number and address, in each country where you receive customers.
Local authority
Links and mentions from each country’s press, directories and partners, so every version is known in its own market.
Choosing a site structure
| Structure | Example | Good when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subfolders | example.com/fr/ | One brand, one team, and you want every language to share the domain’s authority | Each market still needs local content and signals |
| Country domains | A country-code domain for each market | Strong separate presence per country, often with separate teams | Each domain builds authority from zero, and costs more to run |
| Subdomains | fr.example.com | Technical constraints force separate hosting | More setup, and rarely an advantage for a growing business |
Arabic and right-to-left pages
Arabic pages fail in small ways that visitors notice at once. Menus and arrows that still point the wrong way. Phone numbers that flip. Latin brand names that break a sentence in two. Fonts that turn to mush at small sizes on a cheap phone.
We set the page direction to right-to-left, mirror the layout, keep numbers and codes left-to-right where they must be, and test on real devices. We also settle two questions with you early: Modern Standard Arabic or a closer, local register for your audience, and Arabic-script or transliterated URLs. Both work technically. The choice depends on who you sell to.
How we run a multilingual project
Research each market
Keywords, questions, competitors and the AI answers buyers get, per country and language.
Choose the structure
Subfolders, country domains or a mix, decided with you on cost, teams and plans for growth.
Write for each market
Key pages written in each language with local terms, prices and proof. Lesser pages adapted from them, then checked by a fluent reader.
Implement and validate
Hreflang, sitemaps, canonicals and language switchers set up, then checked in Search Console and by crawl.
Build local signals
Listings, reviews and links in each country, so every version earns its own trust.
Frequently asked questions
What is hreflang?
An annotation that tells Google which language, and optionally which country, each version of a page is for, so it shows French speakers the French page. Each version must list all the others and itself, or Google may ignore the annotations.
Can one French version serve several countries?
If prices, contact details and terms are the same, yes. If they differ, separate versions tagged with fr plus each country’s code let Google show each market its own page.
Should I translate my URLs?
Yes, where you can. Words in the visitor’s language in the address help people and search engines. Arabic URLs can use Arabic script or Latin transliteration; both work.
Do I need a Google Business Profile in each country?
Only where you have a real location that receives customers. Google does not allow profiles at addresses where you do not operate. Our local SEO service sets them up and keeps them consistent.
Does language matter for AI assistants?
Yes. Assistants answer in the language of the question and tend to cite sources in that language. A business with pages only in French is less likely to be named in an Arabic answer. Our GEO audits test each language.
Where do you work?
Wherever your customers speak French, English or Arabic. Most projects mix two or three of those languages on one site. We handle the technical setup and the writing for each language, then the local signals in each country.
Last updated · By the Napexy team
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