Achieving high rankings in Google’s international search results can be a challenging undertaking, to say the least. To make this more difficult, a new concern is growing around how Google has decided to display foreign language results to its users. Their automated translation feature is gaining prominence in many search results, and often redirects searchers to their machine-translated versions (hosted on their own domains). Herein lies the problem.

The Problem: Google’s Translation Hijack

The SEO experts at Ahrefs recently published an article with evidence surrounding this growing, and troubling, trend. The team found that when users search in non-English languages, Google has increasingly begun displaying their own automated translations, rather than directing to a site’s native language content.

The “hijack” comes into play as these translated versions are hosted on Google Translate’s subdomain (translate.google.com) and keeps users within their ecosystem, rather than sending them along to the source of the content.

Instead of rewarding companies for their efforts to make their sites accessible and useful for people in multiple countries, Google seems to be penalising them. Many have invested in professional translation, localisation, and native content creation, however this newer machine-translated alternative is keeping valuable organic traffic on Google’s platform.

Besides simply missing out on new traffic, the original website is also losing valuable user interactions which are now taking place on translate.google.com. Engagement metrics, conversion opportunities, and the chance to build long-term relationships with new audiences are also removed.

The Bigger Issue: Competing with Google’s SERP Features

In the early days of Google, their goal was to help searchers quickly find what they needed by presenting 10 blue links, then have this traffic immediately leave Google.com. The company touted that their goal was to keep the traffic flowing and get users off their site as quickly as possible. Their original company motto even spoke to this with 3 simple words “don’t be evil,” (removed in 2018).

Fast forward to today and a top organic search result is often found far down the page after multiple Google properties. AI summaries, “People Also Ask” boxes (PAA), knowledge panels, featured snippets, maps, and of course Google Ads typically overtake more than half of the page of most search results. In many cases, the best bet for a site is to be linked to or featured within one of these Google properties. Getting that coveded #1 organic search result isn’t as valuable as it used to be due to its new, lower position.

For international companies this challenge is compounded by the automated translation tool, creating additional layers of competition between Google’s universe and the content you worked so hard to create.

Solution: Become the Native, Local Language Expert

Though Google’s automated translation has created a significant challenge for multi-lingual websites, there are strategic solutions businesses can implement to combat this and improve international search engine visibility.

1. Invest in Professional Native Language Content

At its core, human written, localised content will always be more valuable to readers than AI generated versions. AI lacks the nuance to thoroughly understand what matters to local readers in their native language.

Not all English words have direct translations, and vice versa. Even within a language there are differences between regions and countries. A Spanish phrase, for example, often means one thing to speakers in Spain and another altogether to speakers in Puerto Rico. Native Language content should include:

• Region-specific terminology and preferences
• Culturally relevant examples and local references
• Local idioms and expressions
• Copy addressing local market conditions and concerns

When your content demonstrates clear cultural understanding and linguistic nuance, it becomes harder for Google’s algorithms to justify replacing it with their generic machine translations.

2. Build Strong Local Backlinks

Relevant local backlinks are coming back into focus after years of Google working to make their impact less significant. Establishing robust local backlinks in each target market signals to Google that your content is genuinely valuable to local audiences. Focus on:

• Collaborating with local organisations and businesses
• Earning links from local news publications and regaional industry websites
• Participate in local business directories and industry associations
• Build relationships with local influencers

Local backlink signals can help establish your content as an authority in your target markets. This will help it rank more prominently in local search results and give it a better chance of appearing in the aforementioned Google properties.

3. On-Site Optimisation for Google Properties

With Google properties dominating top search results, optimising your content can help your site appear within these elements, instead of competing against them. A few key updates to make:

• Structuring your content to answer common questions directly and concisely can help it appear in Featured Snippets and PAA. I wrote an article for Forbes about this in 2020 when these properties began appearing more frequently.
• Implementing FAQ schema markup (along with curating comprehensive FAQ sections) will signal to Google that your content is suitable for PAA.
• Include subheadings, lists, visuals, and real-world examples, all of which can be pulled through in Google’s answers.

When your localised content appears in featured snippets, or other Google properties, you maintain visibility even when organic ranking positions are presenting a challenge.

4. Implement Technical SEO Best Practices

On-site technical updates can do wonders in helping search engines understand your international content structure. Be sure to include:

• Hreflang tags to accurately signal specific languages and regional targets
• Proper URL structures for different language versions
• XML sitemaps for each language version
• Load time improvements across all international versions (and devices)

5. Monitor and Respond to Translation Hijacking

Regularly audit your international search performance to identify when Google’s translations are competing against your content. Tools like Google Search Console can help you track which queries trigger automated translations versus your native content. When interference is identified, consider:

• Improving the uniqueness and quality of your local language content
• Adding more local context and cultural relevance
• Refine your UX design to enhance user engagement signals

The Path Forward

Every challenge can be viewed as an opportunity, and this is no exception. For businesses serious about making headway into international markets, there is a clear path forward to truly serving these audiences.

The businesses which will succeed in this environment are those who view localisation not as a translation exercise, but as a comprehensive cultural adaptation process. By creating genuinely valuable content for local markets, and building strong regional authority, companies can establish themselves as the preferred source for information in their target languages.

While investing in native local content and local link building requires more resources than simple translation, it provides a sustainable competitive advantage that AI cannot easily replicate. In what is quickly becoming a more automated digital landscape, authentic human connection (combined with cultural understanding) will be a powerful differentiator and set your site apart from the crowd.

As international search continues to evolve, the core principles remain constant: provide genuine value to your audience in the language and cultural context they prefer, and search engines will ultimately recognise and reward that value.