{"id":28292,"date":"2024-11-14T15:30:06","date_gmt":"2024-11-14T14:30:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.digitizer.rs\/news-stories\/google-uses-different-algorithms-for-different-languages\/"},"modified":"2026-07-20T12:31:49","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T10:31:49","slug":"google-uses-different-algorithms-for-different-languages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitizer.rs\/en\/news-stories\/google-uses-different-algorithms-for-different-languages\/","title":{"rendered":"Google uses different algorithms for different languages"},"content":{"rendered":"
[vc_row full_width=”stretch_row” css=”.vc_custom_1639132975780{padding-top: 30px !important;padding-bottom: 30px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1643319345596{padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 30px !important;}” font_family=”Open Sans”]Google<\/em> “mostly” uses the same search algorithms for every language, but there are some algorithms that are only used in certain languages. Google<\/em> uses the same search algorithms for most languages, but there are certain cases where a language requires a different algorithm to interpret queries.<\/span><\/p>\n

This was stated by Google<\/em> ‘s John<\/em> Muller<\/em> in response to the question: “Does Google<\/em> use the same algorithm for every language?”<\/span><\/p>\n

The question goes on to talk about ranking factors and SEO practices and how they can differ from one language to another.<\/span><\/p>\n

More specifically, the question is:<\/span><\/p>\n

“The BERT update had to do with semantics, so it made me wonder if it would be the same in every language.” Which then got me thinking about other ranking factors and how their importance may differ between different languages\/cultures. Anyway, I want to ask anyone with SEO experience in another language, have you found any differences between the ranking factors?\u201d <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Mueller<\/em> does not touch on the ranking factor aspect, but does address the use of search algorithms in different languages.<\/span><\/p>\n

Read his full response in the section below.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How Google’s search algorithm differs by language<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n

Although many call the Google<\/em> search algorithm a single entity, it is really made up of “lots and lots” of algorithms.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some of these algorithms are used for searches in all languages, while some are used only for individual languages.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1643319333344{padding-top: 30px !important;padding-bottom: 30px !important;}” font_family=”Open Sans”]Mueller<\/em> says, for example, that some languages \u200b\u200bdon’t separate words with spaces. Therefore, it is necessary to use a different algorithm than the one used by Google<\/em> for languages \u200b\u200bthat use spaces. <\/span><\/p>\n

“Mostly. Search uses lots and lots of algorithms. Some of them apply to content in all languages, some of them are specific to individual languages \u200b\u200b(for example, some languages \u200b\u200bdon’t use spaces to separate words \u2014 which would make it harder to search if Google assumed all languages \u200b\u200bwere similar to English).” <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How Google Search understands content in different languages<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Regarding Google<\/em> searches in different languages, it’s worth noting a question that was raised during Google Search Central<\/em> SEO<\/em> last week.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mueller<\/em> was asked how Google<\/em> determines when one page is similar to another when each page has content in a different language.<\/span><\/p>\n

In short, Google<\/em> cannot detect when a piece of content in one language is the same or similar to a piece of content written in another language.<\/span><\/p>\n

Google<\/em> relies on content publishers to identify that multiple pieces of content are equivalent when written in different languages.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1643319322017{padding-top: 50px !important;padding-bottom: 30px !important;}” font_family=”Open Sans”]This is accomplished using the h reflang HTML attribute,<\/em> Mueller explains:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026 we basically use hreflang to understand which of these URLs are equivalent from your point of view. <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2026 I think it is impossible for us to understand that this specific content is equivalent for another country or another language. For example, there are so many local differences that are always possible.” <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Knowing that Google<\/em> cannot determine content equivalence of different languages \u200b\u200bon its own sheds more light on why Google<\/em> has certain algorithms for certain languages.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

For more news and interesting stories from digital marketing,<\/span> visit our blog page<\/a><\/span> or<\/span> follow our Instagram profile.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sources:<\/span> Searchenginejournal<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Google Search Central on YouTube<\/a><\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row”][vc_column][vc_separator color=”orange” align=”align_left” border_width=”5″ el_width=”20″ css=”.vc_custom_1625743965128{padding-bottom: 20px !important;}”][vc_column_text]Made by Neboj\u0161a Radovanovi\u0107 \u2013 SEO Expert @Digitizer<\/em><\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row” css=”.vc_custom_1587387018476{padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 30px !important;padding-bottom: 30px !important;padding-left: 30px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”Back to News & Stories” style=”gradient-custom” gradient_custom_color_1=”#000000″ gradient_custom_color_2=”#515151″ align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.digitizer.rs%2Fnews-stories%2F|title:Back%20to%20NEWS%20%26amp%3B%20STORIES|”][\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row full_width=”stretch_row” css=”.vc_custom_1639132975780{padding-top: 30px !important;padding-bottom: 30px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1643319345596{padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 30px !important;}” font_family=”Open Sans”]Google “mostly” uses the same search algorithms for every language, but there are some algorithms that are only used in certain languages. Google uses the same search algorithms for most languages, but there are certain cases where a language requires a different…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4373,4384],"tags":[4410,4378,4387,4388,4398,4403,4402,4407,4380,4377,4412,4376,4411],"post_series":[],"class_list":["post-28292","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-google-search-display-en","category-website","tag-business-en","tag-content-en","tag-copy-en","tag-digital-en","tag-google-en","tag-internet-en","tag-marketing-en","tag-online-en","tag-search-en-2","tag-search-engine-optimization-en","tag-web-design-en","tag-website-optimization-en-2","tag-wordpress-en","entry","no-media"],"yoast_head":"\nGoogle uses different algorithms for different languages \u200b\u200b- Digitizer<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How does the Google search algorithm differ by language? 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