Creating a multilingual (multi-language) website with WordPress can be done in several ways. A multilingual setup allows visitors to view content in their preferred language.
1️⃣ Three Main Methods to Create a Multilingual Website
There are three primary ways to build a multilingual site in WordPress:
Method | Description | Recommended For |
---|---|---|
Using a Plugin | The easiest method, with automatic translation support | 🔹 Quick and easy setup |
Using Multisite | Each language operates as a separate site | 🔹 Full independence for translations |
Manual Translation (Subdomain/Subdirectory) | Separate pages for each language | 🔹 Best for SEO and performance |
2️⃣ Creating a Multilingual Site with a Plugin (Easiest Method)
💡 Recommended Plugins:
WordPress offers powerful multilingual plugins.
Plugin | Pricing | Features |
---|---|---|
WPML | Paid | Most powerful multilingual plugin (SEO-friendly) |
Polylang | Free/Paid | Lightweight and simple |
TranslatePress | Free/Paid | Real-time front-end translation |
Weglot | Paid | AI-powered automatic translation |
🚀 Easiest Option: TranslatePress or Polylang
✅ Method 1: Creating a Multilingual Site with Polylang (Free)
📌 Features:
- Free version offers powerful functionality
- Simple to use, with a language switcher
- Requires manual content translation
📌 Installation & Setup: 1️⃣ Install Polylang Plugin
- Go to WordPress Admin > Plugins > Add New
- Search for Polylang, install, and activate
2️⃣ Add Languages
- Go to Settings > Languages
- Add languages (e.g., Korean 🇰🇷, English 🇺🇸, Japanese 🇯🇵)
3️⃣ Translate Content
- Go to Pages > Add New
- Copy existing pages and manually translate them
4️⃣ Add a Language Switcher
- Go to Widgets > Add Language Switcher
- Place it in the menu or sidebar
5️⃣ SEO Optimization
- Use Yoast SEO or RankMath to optimize multilingual SEO
✅ Method 2: Creating a Multilingual Site with TranslatePress (Free)
📌 Features:
- Real-time front-end translation
- AI-powered translation (Google Translate API)
- Easy to use for beginners
📌 Installation & Setup: 1️⃣ Install TranslatePress Plugin
- Go to WordPress Admin > Plugins > Add New
- Search for TranslatePress, install, and activate
2️⃣ Add Languages
- Go to Settings > TranslatePress
- Set a default language and add additional languages
3️⃣ Translate Content in Real-Time
- Click “Translate Site” from the top admin bar
- Manually translate content on the front-end
4️⃣ Enable Automatic Translation (Optional)
- Connect to Google Translate API for automatic translation
5️⃣ Add a Language Switcher
- Go to Settings > Language Switcher
- Add a switcher to the menu or widget area
✅ Method 3: Creating a Multilingual Site with WPML (Paid)
📌 Features:
- Most powerful multilingual plugin (recommended for businesses)
- Supports WooCommerce (multilingual eCommerce)
- SEO-friendly
📌 Installation & Setup: 1️⃣ Purchase & Install WPML
- Buy WPML from the official website
- Install and activate it in WordPress
2️⃣ Add Languages
- Go to Settings > Languages
- Configure multilingual settings
3️⃣ Translate Content
- Use manual translation or the WPML Translation Manager
4️⃣ SEO Optimization
- Integrate with Yoast SEO or RankMath
3️⃣ Multilingual SEO Optimization (Search Engine Optimization)
SEO is crucial for multilingual websites.
✅ Recommended URL Structure (Best for SEO)
Structure | Example | Recommended |
---|---|---|
Subdirectory | example.com/en/ , example.com/ko/ | ✅ Best SEO practice |
Subdomain | en.example.com , ko.example.com | ⚠️ Requires extra domain setup |
Separate Domains | example.kr , example.com | ✅ Best for independent markets |
✅ Adding hreflang Tags
Hreflang tags help search engines identify the correct language for users.
📌 Example Code:
html복사편집<link rel="alternate" hreflang="ko" href="https://example.com/ko/" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://example.com/en/" />
✅ Using SEO Plugins
- Yoast SEO or RankMath provide multilingual SEO support
4️⃣ Performance Optimization for Multilingual Websites
Multilingual sites can slow down due to multiple translations. Optimize speed using the following:
1️⃣ Caching Plugins → Use LiteSpeed Cache or WP Rocket
2️⃣ Content Delivery Network (CDN) → Use Cloudflare
3️⃣ Image Optimization → Use Smush or ShortPixel
4️⃣ Remove Unnecessary Plugins
5️⃣ Recommended Approaches for Different Use Cases
Recommended Method | Description | Best For |
---|---|---|
Polylang | Free, requires manual translation | 🔹 Personal blogs, small websites |
TranslatePress | Real-time translation, AI-supported | 🔹 Easy translation for business sites |
WPML | Powerful features, WooCommerce support | 🔹 Large businesses, eCommerce |
👉 Easiest Option: TranslatePress + Google Translate API 🚀
🔥 Final Summary
✅ Easiest Method: Use Polylang or TranslatePress
✅ Need Automatic Translation? Use TranslatePress + Google API
✅ For a Fully Professional Multilingual Site: Use WPML
✅ SEO Optimization is Essential: Add hreflang tags, use SEO plugins
✅ Speed Optimization: Use caching, CDN, image compression
🚀 Now you can easily create a multilingual WordPress site! 🌍