[Resolved] Switching main language

Hi, and thanks for the screenshot and link.

What Mihai, my colleague, wrote is correct. Switching the site's default language might have some implications. As for WPML, you will need to keep track of the old pages before the default language switch. You will still need to keep the old translation path for those pages. Here is an example:

1. Your default language was Russian, and you switched it to English.

2. If you want to update pages that were created before the switch, you will need to update the Russian page and then its English translation. So the translation path is Russian -> English.

If the homepage (sometimes referred to as the front page) of your site is a static page (vs a blog page), it is recommended to be created in the site's default language and translated into other languages. It is also important to know that you must have translations for the homepage for things to work correctly. I suggest you start with translating the homepage. If the homepage is not translated, WPML will give you a message about it in Settings -> Reading (WordPress settings).

Regardless of the above, if you decide you want or need to switch your site's default language, it is possible to do it with WPML. We are here to help with any issues that might arise as a result of this switch.

You also brought up the following doubt: "So this is what making me doubt about just switching language later. I am afraid that it can somehow affect negatevely whether on SEO or something else".

The following is a summary of possible SEO implications resulting in a default language change:
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Changing the default language of a website can have several SEO implications. Here are some of the key issues to consider:

1. **Indexing and Crawling:** Search engines might have already indexed your site in its original language. Changing the language can temporarily drop rankings as search engines re-crawl and re-index your site in the new language.

2. **URL Structure:** If URLs contain language-specific keywords, changing the language may necessitate changing the URLs. This requires proper redirects to maintain link equity and prevent 404 errors.

3. **Backlink Profile:** Backlinks to your site in the original language might lose some relevance if they're pointing to content that's now in a different language. This can impact your site's authority and rankings.

4. **Keyword Strategy:** Keywords that worked for your site in the original language may not be as effective in the new language due to differences in search habits and language nuances. A new keyword research and strategy will be necessary.

5. **Local SEO Impact:** If your site targets specific geographic locations, changing the default language can impact local search visibility. It's important to align the language with the primary audience's preferences in those regions.

6. **User Experience:** User engagement metrics like time on site, bounce rate, etc., can be affected. If the new language doesn't resonate well with your existing audience, it might lead to increased bounce rates.

7. **Hreflang Tags:** If your site is multilingual, ensure that hreflang tags are correctly implemented. Incorrect implementation can lead to issues in international targeting. In any case,

8. **Search Engine Preferences:** Some search engines are more dominant in certain languages or regions. The change in language might require focusing on different search engines than before.

9. **Legal and Compliance Issues:** Depending on the content and the regions targeted, there might be legal considerations or specific web standards to adhere to.

Planning and executing the language change carefully, considering the SEO implications, and monitoring the site's performance closely after the change to make necessary adjustments.
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The above are general points to take into consideration regarding SEO when changing the default language. It is important for me to add that WPML will handle the 'hreflang' tags. The following are helpful guides from our site about multilingual SEO.

https://wpml.org/documentation/how-to-set-up-multilingual-seo-on-your-website/

https://wpml.org/tutorials/2021/03/5-common-multilingual-seo-mistakes-to-avoid/

I hope that this information is helpful to you.

Regards,
Itamar.

Hi,

Thanks a lot for choosing WPML as the multilingual plugin for your site!

It is good if your site has been hidden from search engines until now. You have nothing to worry about regarding a decline in SEO. I understand your concern that something might be hidden in the code and hurt the SEO of your site later. However, regarding this issue, the only thing I can think of to pay attention to is the 'hreflang' tags. I've already mentioned it in my previous reply. You can read about 'hreflang' in our following guides:

https://wpml.org/documentation/how-to-set-up-multilingual-seo-on-your-website/#help-google-find-translated-site-versions

https://wpml.org/documentation/support/adding-hreflang-wordpress/

Also, the following guide and video from Google are helpful on this subject.

hidden link

As we stated, WPML automatically handles the 'hreflang' tags for you. But to avoid getting into unnecessary trouble, I'm urging you to proceed with the correct way to migrate from Polylang to WPML. You need to do it by following our guide here.

https://wpml.org/documentation/related-projects/migrate-polylang-wpml/

This means that you might need to restore your site from a backup before deactivating and deleting Polylang (and possibly making other changes) and starting the migration process, as we specify in the guide. This should ensure a smooth transition from Polylang to WPML.

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About setting the front page of your site, you asked: "Can I then make it front page?"

I just made a test for this case on my WPML test site. I created a page in the site's second language. Then, I translated it to the site's default language. Then, in Settings -> Reading, I set the page to be the homepage. It worked. There was no problem with this.

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You also asked: "Is it possible to set a translation of the page as an another page? I mean can I just point in the WPML that translation of the "Page A" is the "Page B"?"

Yes, you can. In fact, I already told you about this option in my first reply to this thread. Here is the relevant guide on how to achieve this.

https://wpml.org/faq/how-to-link-already-translated-pages/

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Let me please state again that I strongly suggest you start by following the correct migration process from Polylang to WPML!

Regards,
Itamar.

Hi,

The link to download the Migrate Polylang to WPML takes you here:
hidden link
On this page, you can read the following:
What this plugin does:
- Configures WPML to have the same languages as they were in Polylang.
- Migrates all your posts, pages and custom post types and their translations.
- Migrates all your taxonomies (categories, tags and custom taxonomies) and their translations.
- Migrates your strings (only those which has been translated in Polylang and WPML StringTranslation recognized and registered as correct string)
- Migrate widgets: You will need to activate WPML Widgets plugin.
What this plugin doesn't (yet):
- Migrate menus: Use the menu synchronization between languages option in WPML.
- Migrate other settings: This will be implemented progressively. For the time being, you are free to adjust them manually after the migration process is completed.

I strongly suggest you follow this process so things work correctly on your site with WPML. Otherwise, one or more of the above points in the "What this plugin does" section might fail on your site.

That being said, you are free to try your approach and check if it works. If only connecting the translations as specified here https://wpml.org/faq/how-to-link-already-translated-pages/ works for you, and you don't have any problems with translation connection, taxonomies, strings, and widgets, then proceed with developing your site with WPML. Still, I suggest you keep a backup of the site from before this change if, along the way, you notice a problem.

Regards,
Itamar.