Half your customers ask questions in Hindi on WhatsApp, but your website is only in English. Someone suggests a "translate" button in the corner. Another developer says you need a full Hindi version with separate pages.
Both can work for a visitor already on your site. Only one helps Google show your Hindi pages to people who search in Hindi. This guide explains how Google handles a multilingual website, using Google's own documentation, so you can brief your developer with confidence.
Quick answer
What is a multilingual website?
Google defines a multilingual website as "a website that offers content in more than one language". A multi-regional website is different: it targets users in different countries. An Indian shop with Hindi and English pages for Indian customers is multilingual, not multi-regional.
This matters because the setup is simpler. You are not trying to show different prices to people in Dubai and Delhi. You are giving the same customers a choice of language.
Who needs a Hindi website?
A Hindi version makes sense when your customers search or ask in Hindi, and when you can keep both versions up to date. A clinic explaining treatments, a coaching centre or a shop with older customers may find Hindi pages useful.
A useful check: open Google Search Console and look at the Queries list in the Performance report. If people already reach you with Hindi words, that is real proof of demand.
How does Google know a page is in Hindi?
Google says it uses "the visible content of your page" to work out the language. It "doesn't use any code-level language information such as lang attributes, or the URL". So a Hindi page must actually be written in Hindi, in the main text, headings and menus.
Google also says you can help by using one language for the content and menus on each page. It advises against side-by-side translations, where Hindi and English sit next to each other in one block.
Why a translate button is not enough
Many translate widgets change the words in the visitor's browser while the address stays the same. Google recommends "different URLs for each language version of a page rather than using cookies or browser settings". With one address, there is no separate Hindi page for Google to find and show.
A widget can still help a visitor who lands on an English page. Treat it as a convenience, not as your Hindi website.
Which URL structure should a Hindi website use?
Google lists four ways to give each language its own address. For an Indian business serving India, a subdirectory such as yoursite.com/hi/ is usually the simplest choice. Google's own list says subdirectories are easy to set up and low on maintenance.
| Structure | Example | What Google says |
| Country domain | yoursite.de | Clear country targeting, but expensive and needs more setup |
| Subdomain | hi.yoursite.com | Easy to set up, but users may not see what it targets |
| Subdirectory | yoursite.com/hi/ | Easy to set up and low maintenance, one server location |
| URL parameter | yoursite.com?lang=hi | Not recommended |
Country domains are about countries, not languages. If all your customers are in India, you do not need a second domain for Hindi.
What is hreflang, and does your site need it?
Hreflang is a small tag that tells Google which pages are translations of each other. For example, it says the Hindi page about root canal treatment is the other version of the English one. Google can then show the Hindi version to someone searching in Hindi.
Google accepts hreflang in three places: in the page's code, in HTTP headers (instructions sent by the server) or in the sitemap. It says the three methods are equivalent.
Hreflang codes for Hindi and English
The code starts with a language, and can add a country after a dash. Google's own help pages use "hi" for their Hindi versions and "en" for English. A version only for English readers in India would be "en-IN".
Google says you cannot use a country code by itself. "in" on its own is not a language code, so it does not mean India to Google.
The rules that break most setups
Google also notes that hreflang does not tell it what language a page is in. That still comes from the visible text.
How to make a multilingual website: step by step
Here is the order we suggest for a Hindi plus English business site. Your developer handles the code, but you should own steps 1, 2 and 6.
- Pick the pages that matter in Hindi first: home, services, contact and your most-asked questions. You do not need every page on day one.
- Get them translated by a person who writes Hindi well, ideally someone who knows your trade words. Read them yourself before they go live.
- Put each Hindi page at its own address, for example under /hi/.
- Add a clear language link on every page, such as "हिंदी" and "English", that goes to the matching page, not the home page.
- Add hreflang tags, with return links and an x-default.
- After launch, check Search Console's Pages report and test a Hindi page with URL Inspection.
If you are planning a new site or a rebuild with Hindi pages, see The Beyond Horizon's website development service for Indian businesses.
Can you do this on WordPress?
Yes, with an add-on. The official WordPress documentation says WordPress "currently does not support a bilingual or multilingual blog out-of-the-box". It also says community plugins make it easy to add.
A real example from our work
For Aekshea Foods, a food wholesaler in Salzburg, Austria, we built a trade ordering platform with a multi-language storefront. It launched with two languages, English and Dutch, and stores its translations in their own database tables. Adding a language later means adding translations, not rebuilding pages.
Multilingual SEO mistakes to avoid
A small tip: decide early who will update the Hindi pages when prices, timings or services change. An old Hindi page with last year's timings does more harm than having no Hindi page.
Closing note
A Hindi and English site is worth it when you can keep both versions honest and current. Start with your few most important pages, give each its own address, and link the pairs with hreflang.
If you want to talk through which pages should be in Hindi first, call or WhatsApp The Beyond Horizon on +91 75973 92744.