For website owners managing large and complex multilingual websites, WPML (WordPress Multilingual Plugin) is a powerful solution that offers extensive features to meet the demands of multi-language content. While WPML is user-friendly for basic translation setups, it also comes with advanced tools to handle complex language needs, such as multiple domains per language, automatic translation workflows, and language-specific SEO.
This guide provides advanced tips and tricks for customizing WPML to manage complex multilingual websites effectively.
Why WPML Is Ideal for Complex Multilingual Websites
WPML offers a robust set of features designed to handle intricate multilingual setups:
- Flexible Language Management: Add as many languages as needed, including language variations.
- Comprehensive Translation Controls: Manual, professional, and automatic translation options.
- SEO Optimization: Multilingual SEO features, including hreflang support and customized metadata for different languages.
- Advanced Customization: Compatible with custom post types, WooCommerce, and page builders like Elementor and Divi.
For large-scale websites, these features provide the flexibility and control needed to deliver a seamless experience for global users.
Setting Up Multiple Domains for Different Languages
Using different domains for different languages can improve SEO and provide a localized experience for users. WPML makes it possible to assign separate domains to each language on your site.
How to Configure Multiple Domains per Language:
- Navigate to WPML Settings
Go to WPML → Languages in your WordPress dashboard. - Set Language URL Format
Under the “Language URL format” section, select “A different domain per language.” - Enter Domain Information
Provide the domain for each language, ensuring that each domain is correctly linked to the language you intend to display. - Update DNS Records
Update your DNS settings to point the domains to the same server. This ensures that each domain leads to the correct language version of your site. - Test Language-Specific Domains
Visit the domains for each language to ensure that the content displays as expected.
Benefits of Using Separate Domains for Each Language:
- Improved Local SEO: Search engines treat language-specific domains as unique entities, boosting visibility in local search results.
- User Experience: Provides a localized experience for users who are more likely to trust a domain in their own language.
- Simplified Analytics: Track each domain separately for better insights into language-specific performance.
Want to unlock WPML’s full potential for domain-specific languages? Get WPML now and elevate your multilingual SEO.
Automating Translations with WPML’s Translation Management System
Managing content across multiple languages can be time-consuming. WPML’s Translation Management system allows you to automate and streamline the translation process for large sites.
Key Features of WPML Translation Management:
- Automatic Translation
WPML offers integration with services like Google Translate and DeepL to automatically translate your content. This is ideal for large volumes of content that need to be quickly translated. - Translation Jobs Dashboard
You can assign translation jobs to team members, making it easy to delegate tasks. The Translation Management Dashboard provides an overview of the status of each job, including completion and pending tasks. - Translation Workflow Automation
Set up workflows for content review and approval, ensuring that translations meet your site’s quality standards before going live.
How to Automate Translations with WPML:
- Go to WPML → Translation Management
Select the content you want to translate and add it to the translation queue. - Choose Translation Service
Choose between manual translation, professional translation services, or automatic translation options like Google Translate or DeepL. - Track Translation Progress
Use the Translation Management Dashboard to track which content is being translated and by whom.
When to Use Automated Translations:
- For Blogs with Frequent Updates: Quickly translate blog posts and news updates without manual effort.
- For Large E-commerce Sites: Translate product listings in bulk.
- For Testing New Markets: Use automatic translations to launch quickly in new languages and refine content later.
Automating translations reduces your workload and ensures timely updates for all language versions. Discover how WPML’s Translation Management can simplify your workflow. Try WPML today.
Customizing WPML for WooCommerce Multilingual Sites
For e-commerce businesses targeting global markets, WPML fully integrates with WooCommerce, allowing you to translate products, categories, and even checkout pages.
Steps to Translate WooCommerce with WPML:
- Install WooCommerce Multilingual Plugin
In addition to WPML, install the WooCommerce Multilingual extension to ensure all e-commerce components are translatable. - Translate Product Pages
Go to WPML → WooCommerce Multilingual, then select the products you want to translate. You can manage translations for product titles, descriptions, and prices. - Set Language-Specific Pricing
WPML allows you to display different prices for products based on the user’s language or location. This feature is particularly useful for international stores with region-specific pricing. - Translate Checkout Pages and Emails
Ensure that your checkout pages and transactional emails are translated correctly, offering a seamless experience for users in every language.
Benefits of Using WPML for WooCommerce:
- Increased Conversions: Offering a fully translated checkout process increases trust and reduces cart abandonment.
- Localized Product Descriptions: Tailor product information to suit local markets, improving relevance and engagement.
- Multi-Currency Support: WPML integrates with WooCommerce’s multi-currency options, allowing users to view and purchase in their preferred currency.
For store owners, having a fully translated shopping experience is essential for boosting global sales. Get WPML and provide your customers with a localized e-commerce experience.
Enhancing Multilingual SEO with WPML
SEO is critical for driving traffic to your multilingual website, and WPML offers advanced tools for optimizing your site for search engines in multiple languages.
WPML SEO Features:
- Hreflang Tags
WPML automatically adds hreflang tags to your site’s code, which signal to search engines which language version of a page to display. This prevents duplicate content issues and ensures the correct language is shown to users. - Language-Specific URLs
WPML allows you to customize URL structures for different languages, making it easier for search engines to index your site. Choose between subdirectories, subdomains, or entirely different domains for each language. - Translation of Meta Data
Translate meta titles, descriptions, and alt tags to ensure that your SEO efforts are applied across all languages. WPML integrates seamlessly with popular SEO plugins like Yoast SEO and Rank Math, allowing you to optimize multilingual content for search engines. - Local Keyword Research
WPML supports localized keyword research, allowing you to target high-traffic keywords in each language. This is essential for improving rankings in specific markets.
How to Set Up Multilingual SEO in WPML:
- Enable SEO Plugin Integration
Go to WPML → SEO and ensure that integration with your preferred SEO plugin (e.g., Yoast SEO) is activated. - Translate SEO Titles and Descriptions
Go to the page or post editor and switch to your secondary languages. Translate the SEO title, description, and other metadata for each language version. - Check Hreflang Tags
Use Google Search Console to verify that hreflang tags are correctly implemented on your site. This ensures that search engines display the appropriate language version to users based on their location.
Want to improve your multilingual SEO with WPML? Get WPML now and start optimizing your multilingual site for better rankings.
Optimizing WPML for Performance on Large Sites
As multilingual content grows, so can the strain on your website’s performance. WPML offers several ways to optimize performance and keep your site running smoothly.
Performance Optimization Tips for WPML:
- Use a High-Performance Hosting Provider
Ensure your hosting provider can handle the increased load that comes with multilingual content. Managed WordPress hosting providers like Kinsta and WP Engine offer performance-focused infrastructure. - Enable Caching
Implement caching solutions like WP Rocket or W3 Total Cache. Caching stores static versions of your translated pages, reducing the load on your server. - Use a CDN
Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) like Cloudflare distribute your translated content across multiple servers, ensuring faster load times for international users. - Optimize Media Files
Large media files can slow down your multilingual site. Use an image optimization plugin like Smush to compress images without losing quality. - Database Cleanup
WPML stores translations in your WordPress database, which can bloat over time. Use a plugin like WP-Optimize to clean up your database and improve site performance.
By following these tips, you can maintain optimal performance, even as your multilingual content grows.
Ready to manage a high-performance multilingual website? Try WPML here and ensure your site remains fast and efficient.
Conclusion
Customizing WPML for complex multilingual websites can provide powerful benefits, from improved SEO to seamless global user experiences. Whether you’re managing multiple domains, automating translations, or optimizing performance, WPML offers advanced tools to meet the needs of large, multilingual sites.
Start your WPML journey today and unlock the full potential of your multilingual website!