Website language versus browser language
What is your website language?
Your website language is the primary language in which your content is written. When set correctly, it tells browsers, search engines, screen readers, and translation tools what language to expect on a page. It’s information provided by the website to the visitor.
What is your browser language?
Your browser language is different. It refers to the preferred language or languages set in your browser settings. A Dutch person probably has Dutch set as their primary browser language. That tells websites what language they prefer to read in.
How do they relate?
As a website owner, when your site’s language doesn’t match your browser language, this could indicate your site’s language is set incorrectly. For example, if your browser is set to Dutch, there’s a good chance Dutch is your primary language. It’s not unlikely the websites you manage are thus written in Dutch too. So if the site language is set to English, it could mean you’ve overlooked that setting on your site.
Obviously, it’s very well possible that a site you manage is indeed written in English, even if your browser is set to Dutch. But better safe than sorry, so that’s why we encourage you to check it!
Why should you set your website language?
It’s important to communicate to visitors of a page on your site what language it’s written in. If you don’t, search engines may index your site incorrectly. That means your content could rank lower in the language it’s actually written in or be shown to the wrong audience.
Screen readers may also use the wrong voice or pronunciation. For people who rely on assistive technology, this makes your site harder to navigate. Translation tools might not even show up.
Setting the correct language helps your site do what it’s supposed to do. It makes your content easier to find, easier to consume, and thus easier to trust.
How do you set your website language?
Go to Progress Planner and complete Ravi’s ‘website language recommendation’. Or you can take the following steps:
- Go to your WordPress dashboard
- Hover over Settings and click on “General”
- Click the “Language” option and select the language your content is written in
- Click on “Save Settings”
What if my visitors can switch between languages on my site?
In that case, you’re probably running a plugin that adds this functionality. Typically, they’ll set the correct language for each page for you. But it’s most definitely worth checking if they’re doing it correctly.
The quickest way to check is by looking at the page source. It should start with something like <html lang=”en-US”> for a page written in US English.
The part between double quotation marks should match the language (and country) in which the page is written.
Why is this a Ravi’s Recommendation?
Ravi’s Recommendations are all about smart wins. Setting your site to the correct language helps search engines rank your site better. The right users are more likely to find your site. It improves your site’s reach, clarity, and accessibility.