Multilingual blogs s trategy & means

Here’s the deal I have been challenged by a group of entrepreneurs who want to install a multilingual team blog next to their service (it’s not a functionality of this service). I am not the technical type ( even my own blog, www. mobjazz .com is actually down) so if you ’d like to comment, please do so .

I have been challenged by a group of entrepreneurs who want to install a multilingual team blog next to their service (it’s not a functionality of this service).

I am not the technical type ( even my own blog, www. mobjazz .com is actually down) so if you ’d like to comment, please do so .

3 identified strategies One blog mixing different languages on the same page. Many blogs with automated translations. Fewer blogs each with specific contents / manual translations.

One blog mixing different languages on the same page.

Many blogs with automated translations.

Fewer blogs each with specific contents / manual translations.

Bots against people Strategy 1 & 2 may be better for positioning but certainly annoying for your audience Who wants to scroll pages to find the posts written in their own language? Auto-translation doesn’t make sense. Strategy 3 might be less search engines effective but it makes sense for your readers. My recommendation.

Strategy 1 & 2 may be better for positioning but certainly annoying for your audience

Who wants to scroll pages to find the posts written in their own language?

Auto-translation doesn’t make sense.

Strategy 3 might be less search engines effective but it makes sense for your readers. My recommendation.

Choosing platform: Wordpress against blogger Normally, this question is irrelevant because - as far as I know - blogger cannot localize your audience and direct them to the relevant page. But then again, it’s a team blog so : traffic will grow from search engines and the service own pages, and favorites.

Normally, this question is irrelevant because - as far as I know - blogger cannot localize your audience and direct them to the relevant page.

But then again, it’s a team blog so : traffic will grow from search engines and the service own pages, and favorites.

Criteria Set-up, maintenance and back-up Template management Search engine optimisatio n

Set-up, maintenance and back-up

Template management

Search engine optimisatio n

Set-up and back-up Wordpress how many plug-in s can you install: multilingual plug-in, specific text editor plug-in to edit multilingual texts, databases for each language, back-up plug-in Blogger It’s all there out of the box

Wordpress

how many plug-in s can you install: multilingual plug-in, specific text editor plug-in to edit multilingual texts, databases for each language, back-up plug-in

Blogger

It’s all there out of the box

Template management Wordpress Strangely enough , localization plug-in seems to concentrate on language detection and translations. Still, it seems - please confirm if you have more info - some plug-in will let you work on one template only with translated texte interface (eg http://wp-multilingual.net ) Blogger: it’s weak point For small templates changes, you’ll have to evolve template s separately for each of your blogs . For massive changes (eg brand identity) you’ll save time with export and import templates functions. Manageable if you don’t have t oo many languages/blogs to handle.

Wordpress

Strangely enough , localization plug-in seems to concentrate on language detection and translations.

Still, it seems - please confirm if you have more info - some plug-in will let you work on one template only with translated texte interface (eg http://wp-multilingual.net )

Blogger: it’s weak point

For small templates changes, you’ll have to evolve template s separately for each of your blogs .

For massive changes (eg brand identity) you’ll save time with export and import templates functions.

Manageable if you don’t have t oo many languages/blogs to handle.

Search engine optimisation Wordpress More plugin s will allow you to rewrite url , ping more ping services and so on and so on. Blogger Blogger is a Google service. Need I say more? Nice search engines’ friendly url Auto ping Google Tags instead of categories that let’s you work on key expressions …

Wordpress

More plugin s will allow you to rewrite url , ping more ping services and so on and so on.

Blogger

Blogger is a Google service. Need I say more?

Nice search engines’ friendly url

Auto ping Google

Tags instead of categories that let’s you work on key expressions

…

In a nutshell With Wordpress you’ll need a lot of resources and it might (I’d like to emphasize might) provide a more efficient multilingual blog. But blogging is not about spending time on technical questions, it’s about delivering the right content to your audience. Providing you don’t have to handle loads of blogs, that’s what blogger does, right out of the box.

With Wordpress you’ll need a lot of resources and it might (I’d like to emphasize might) provide a more efficient multilingual blog.

But blogging is not about spending time on technical questions, it’s about delivering the right content to your audience.

Providing you don’t have to handle loads of blogs, that’s what blogger does, right out of the box.