Interlinking language websites

Would or do you do it?

[designaweb]

I run a .com, and a few other local domains which hold translated versions of the .com. Would you interlink all pages, pointing to the translated version of each page? It would make sense in a users perspective, so IMO search engines should appreciate it too. However, I've got this weird feeling about "interlinking"...

What would/do you do?

[TearingHairOut]

First off, the chances of duplication penalties are much less where sites are in different languages, because they are simply not alike to a search engine spider, which doesn't translate as it goes.

It may be worth ensuring that design elements are named in the local language as well to further reduce the similarity between pages, e.g. an image file called "logo.gif" could be renamed "Firmenzeichen.gif" on a German site. (Translation from Babelfish - I don't speak German).

I would suggest that the linking strategy would depend on the likelihood of a person using one language landing on one of the foreign (to them) versions of the site. If the keywords on your site are similar in different languages, (such as a famous brand name) this is more likely. If the keywords are generic terms, it is less so.

If the chances of this are low, then there is probably little user benefit in interlinking them, so perhaps it is an un-necessary risk.

If the chances of landing on a 'foreign' page are high, then it may be of benefit from a user point of view. However, to reduce the possibility of penalty, why not have a link to a single 'Change language' page rather than all of the versions linking to all of the others.

Just a few ideas, what do others think?

[jetteroheller]

I do this since 2001

german-example.com/ordner/datei.htm

links to

english-example.com/folder/file.htm

Ordner= German folder
Datei= German file

Each page links to the translation in the other language.