A bilingual FR/EN site can capture premium demand (expats, international business, cross-border cases). Done wrong, it creates duplication, mis-indexing, and keyword cannibalization.
1) Rule #1: one URL per language
- /blog/… = FR
- /en/blog/… = EN
2) hreflang: the bridge between versions
Every page should declare its alternate language version. Without it, Google guesses—and often guesses wrong.
3) Canonicals: avoid deadly mistakes
Each language should usually canonical to itself. A wrong canonical can make one version vanish.
4) Translation vs localization
Raw translation is often too literal. Localize:
- terms (solicitor/attorney/lawyer depending on jurisdiction)
- examples (Brussels vs London)
- CTAs (appointments, hours, languages)
5) Prevent keyword cannibalization
If FR and EN target the exact same query in the same market, they may compete. Fix with clear targeting and clean location pages: Local SEO
6) Blog: bilingual clusters double authority
Best method: write a cluster in FR, then a truly adapted EN version (not copy-paste).
Foundation: Complete guide. Want a clean setup? Juristudios.