sub directory landing page not showing in translated countires

3 min read 24-01-2025

sub directory landing page not showing in translated countires

Meta Description: Is your subdirectory landing page failing to appear in translated versions of your website? This comprehensive guide dives into the common causes, offering practical solutions to ensure your content reaches a global audience. We'll cover technical issues, SEO considerations, and best practices for multilingual websites. Learn how to fix this frustrating problem and expand your reach! (157 characters)

Understanding the Problem: Missing Translated Landing Pages

Creating a multilingual website is crucial for reaching international markets. However, a common issue arises when subdirectory landing pages, designed for specific campaigns or product lines, fail to appear in translated versions of your website. This means users in certain countries won't see the relevant content, hindering your marketing efforts and potentially losing valuable leads.

Why is this happening?

This problem stems from a mismatch between how your website's structure is set up and how your translation system is implemented. The root cause is often one (or a combination) of the following:

Incorrect URL Structure: Your translation system might not be properly configured to handle subdirectories. It may only translate the root domain, leaving subdirectories untouched.
Missing or Incomplete Translation Files: The specific content and assets within your subdirectory landing page may not have been included in the translation process.
Server-Side Configuration Issues: Your web server or hosting provider may have restrictions that prevent the translated version from accessing or displaying the subdirectory content.
.htaccess or robots.txt Errors: Incorrect rules within these files could block access to the translated subdirectory pages, making them invisible to search engines and users alike.
Plugin Conflicts (if applicable): If you’re using plugins for multilingual support, conflicts between plugins or incorrect plugin configurations can easily cause this issue.
SEO Issues (Canonicalization Errors): Incorrect canonicalization tags can cause search engines to prioritize one version of the page (e.g., the English version) over translated versions in other subdirectories. This would lead to the subdirectories not showing up in search results or being indexed.

Troubleshooting and Solutions

Let's explore how to diagnose and fix this problem, step-by-step:

1. Verify URL Structure and Translation Configuration

Inspect the URL: Carefully examine the URLs of your translated pages. Do they correctly reflect the language and subdirectory structure? For example, if your English page is at example.com/en/landing-page, the French version should be something like example.com/fr/landing-page, not example.com/fr or example.com/en/landing-page with a translated text body only.
Check Translation Plugin Settings: If you’re using a translation plugin (like WPML, Polylang, or similar), double-check its settings. Ensure that it's correctly configured to translate subdirectories and that the necessary language files are present for each language and page type.
Inspect your CMS Settings: Look for any CMS-specific settings that might be limiting the translation capabilities of subdirectories.

2. Review Translation Files and Assets

Complete Translations: Ensure that all content within the subdirectory (text, images, meta descriptions, etc.) has been translated.
Asset Management: Verify that translated images and other assets are correctly linked and accessible within the translated subdirectories.

3. Examine Server-Side Configuration

.htaccess and robots.txt: Carefully review these files for any rules that may be inadvertently blocking access to your translated subdirectories. Ensure that these files allow crawling and indexing of all intended languages and subdirectories.
Contact Your Hosting Provider: If you're unsure about server-side configurations, contact your hosting provider for assistance.

4. Resolve Plugin Conflicts (if applicable)

Deactivate plugins: Try deactivating plugins one by one to identify any conflicting plugins. This is especially important if you use multiple plugins for multilingual support or SEO.
Update plugins: Keep your plugins updated to the latest versions to avoid known bugs and compatibility issues.

5. Correct Canonicalization Tags

Review canonical tags: Ensure your canonical tags correctly point to the appropriate translated version of the page. Incorrect canonicalization can lead to search engines favoring only one version of the page, effectively hiding the others.
Use hreflang tags: Implement hreflang tags to help search engines understand the relationships between different language versions of your website. This helps prevent duplicate content issues and ensures search engines index the correct pages for different regions. Learn more about hreflang.

6. Test Thoroughly Across Different Browsers and Devices

Testing across different browsers and devices is crucial to ensure consistency and identify any rendering issues that might be specific to certain configurations.

Conclusion: A Globally Accessible Website

By carefully examining your website's structure, translation implementation, and server configurations, you can effectively resolve the issue of missing subdirectory landing pages in translated countries. Ensuring your content is accessible to international audiences is vital for successful global expansion and achieving your marketing objectives. Remember to prioritize a user-centered approach and continuously monitor your website's performance to ensure all aspects function correctly.