How do I get recommended by AI in other languages and countries?
To be recommended by AI in other languages and countries, publish a real page per language at its own URL, link the versions with hreflang, and write each one for the questions people in that market ask, with local facts and the same offers. AI assistants answer in the user's language, so they cite the pages written in it.
Facts
- Google recommends a different URL for each language version of a page, rather than switching the language with cookies or browser settings. (Google Search Central: Managing multi-regional and multilingual sites)
- Google lists 3 ways to declare language versions: HTML link tags, HTTP headers and the sitemap. (Google Search Central: Tell Google about localized versions of your page)
- Google says each language version must list itself as well as all the other language versions. (Google Search Central: Tell Google about localized versions of your page)
- Google supports only language codes from ISO 639-1 and region codes from ISO 3166-1 Alpha 2 in hreflang. (Google Search Central: Tell Google about localized versions of your page)
- Alphabet said on July 23, 2025 that AI Overviews were available in 40 languages across more than 200 countries and territories. (Alphabet Q2 2025 earnings call)
Does AI recommend different companies in each language?
It can, because an assistant that searches the web answers from pages in the language and market of the question. A company with pages only in English gives a Spanish or Portuguese answer little to quote, even if the business serves those markets.
Which URL structure should I use for each language?
Use a separate URL per language; Google lists these options:
| Structure | Example | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Country domain | example.de | Tied to one country |
| Subdomain | de.example.com | Separate host per market |
| Subdirectory | example.com/de/ | One domain, simplest to run |
| URL parameter | example.com?loc=de | Not recommended by Google |
How do I link the language versions with hreflang?
Add one alternate link per version on every version, including the page itself, plus an x-default for everyone else. Google says it does not use hreflang or the lang attribute to detect a page's language, so the text itself must be in that language.
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://example.com/" /> <link rel="alternate" hreflang="pt-BR" href="https://example.com/pt/" /> <link rel="alternate" hreflang="es" href="https://example.com/es/" /> <link rel="alternate" hreflang="x-default" href="https://example.com/" />
Is translating the pages enough?
No; a page in another language must answer what people in that market ask, with the price in the currency they pay, local terms and places served. Google also warns against translating only the menus while the content stays in one language.
Step by step
- Choose the languages and markets. Start from where the business really sells and the languages its customers search in.
- Give each language its own URL. Use subdirectories such as /pt/ and /es/, and do not redirect visitors automatically by language.
- Write each page for that market. List the questions customers there ask and answer them with local prices, terms and places.
- Link the versions with hreflang. Every version lists itself and all others, plus x-default, in the head, headers or sitemap.
- Keep facts identical across languages. The same offer, terms and limits in every version, with the price in the market's own currency.
- Measure each language separately. Track AI visits and crawler reads per language to see which market responds.
Common mistakes
- Machine-translating the site and publishing it without anyone checking the meaning in that market.
- Redirecting visitors by IP or browser language, so crawlers never reach the other versions.
- Linking versions with hreflang in one direction only, so each version fails to list all the others as Google requires.
- Letting a fact drift between languages, so assistants find two different prices.
How easyIndex solves it
easyIndex keeps the languages and markets in the site's profile, has your coding agent build each page in every language over MCP, and audits and checks every version live, measuring AI visits and crawler reads per page, for US$ 30 per website a month, with a 7-day free trial.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a separate domain for each country?
No. Google lists subdirectories like example.com/es/ as an option; one domain is often the simplest to run.
Does hreflang make AI assistants cite the right language?
Hreflang tells Google which version to show; assistants cite pages written in the user's language, so the content matters most.
Can the price differ by language?
The currency can follow the market, but the offer, terms and limits should be the same so no version contradicts another.
Will pages in Spanish make AI recommend me in Spain?
No one can promise that. The pages give assistants something to cite there, and the visits are measured per language.
Continue reading
- How do I write a page that AI assistants cite?
- Does structured data (schema) help AI cite my site?
- How does a local business get recommended by AI?
- How does easyIndex work, what do I need, and how long until results?
- How much does easyIndex cost?
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