Multilingual translate site - duplicate content

[geoffd99]

Hi all
I am translating my site into Spanish, including filenames (.htm not images), main name of site (which is keywords), meta tags, etc, and the content. It is about 230 pages, some long, a blog (will leave except popular posts), image directory and article directory (ditto).

So I will have a Spanish copy.

How does Google (etc) know this is mine, and not a complete rip off - ie a duplicate translated site?

I can link from page to (Spanish) page - with a word and flag icon etc - and run a story on the blog.

I might also pay PRWeb to run out a story.

Any tips?

Many thanks in advance

Geoff-

[badbadmonkey]

I don't see the issue. I doubt Google thinks it can detect "duplicate translated site"s anyway. On the contrary I would guess you will have trouble convincing Google at least initially to serve the Spanish language version to Spanish Google visitors rather than the established English page. Look up all the different meta and semantic stuff to optimize that side of things.
I would leave it on the same domain though otherwise you're thinning your domain's value over two for no real reason.

[geoffd99]

Hi
I was going to change the domain name to a Spanish keyword equivalent for the completely new site (on Spanish servers)

www.SpanishSpanish.com

as I have keywords in the domain name (www.EnglishEnglish.com)

Yes maybe having essentially a brand new site in Spanish is too difficult.

I was going to link English - Spanish page to page with 'flag/text' icons.

To keep in the current English domain could do

www.EnglishEnglish.com/SpanishSpanish/Spanish-filenames.htm

That would work all ways... but it is hard to get experienced advice on this, perhaps only the site translation experts know, or no one knows for sure!

Has anyone actually done this process?

Thanks
Geoff

[badbadmonkey]

Well it's just common sense, your Spanish content would initially benefit from your current domain's establishment until it gets its own feet if on the same domain, however in the Spanish market maybe there's not much competition anyway in which case who cares. Lots of variables.

If your domains are generic keywords then I agree that a new domain in Spanish might be appropriate, but if it's a "brand" in any form I would stick with the existing one. BTW if you're doing Spanish servers is it something aimed at Spain itself - in which case a .es or .com.es TLD might be more appropriate than .com?

Anyway I really doubt the duplicate content thing is an issue, particularly if what you're doing is obvious, with cross domain linking etc.

[geoffd99]

Er yes I was planning on a SpanishName.es just forgot when typing it in.

There is no brand as such, a graphic banner/logo, the site name is keywords.

Also it is aimed at Spanish speakers, not really Spain - just to complicate matters further; US servers might be as good. But then do global Spanish sites use .com or .es or .com.es?

[badbadmonkey]

If you figure that one out let me know :)

Yeah if it's not aimed at Spain geographically then I think .com is best. National TLDs are naturally parochial, a good way of saying "we are from here" or "we are for you Spaniards".

[geoffd99]

40% of traffic is English US on main site, perhaps I will do the main site internal Spanish pages; and put up a Spanish domain name, with a htaccess 301 redirect for the name.

I think that works OK.

Alternative is new Spanish only site; is a tricky decision as it really needs testing with 2 sites (half content on each) but don't have the time for all that.

Will decide this week.

[superfast502]

I think I can help, but not sure of what you are asking. Why do you care what google thinks of the translated site? Are you hoping your traffic results from the English site can be transposed to the new Spanish site?
Can you be a little more clear in your goals and I will try to help if you still need it.
Thanks.

[geoffd99]

Hi all
"Why do you care what google thinks of the translated site?"

That's a funny question. The site was originally selling a large ebook, which got turned into a large website, it makes adsense money. Why would I want to be unvisited?

On a large info site people arrive for one topic, not all the others, so search is the way in, not navigation (which for 100s of topics is too difficult).


I decided on simple approach, as recommended by Google FAQ.

I set up a folder called /es/ and pages with the full (keywords) name in Spanish. I have Spanish content link on all English pages (split Spanish/S America style flag, and link text in Spanish).

I have put only 6 pages up about a month ago, several of them are already in my top 10 adsense and traffic, so seems to be working. (I chose my busiest pages to translate).

So will be adding many more over next few months.

Geoff