WPML Yoast SEO Multilingual
WPML and Yoast SEO work together to let you translate SEO titles, meta descriptions, slugs, breadcrumbs, and sitemap output for each language version of a WordPress site.
Key takeaways
- Translate SEO titles, meta descriptions, and slugs per language to match local search intent.
- Always activate the WPML SEO integration plugin for full Yoast compatibility.
- Use String Translation for global Yoast strings like breadcrumbs.
- Research keywords per language instead of translating directly.
- Verify multilingual sitemaps and hreflang tags after setup.
For SEO practitioners, this setup helps each language page target the right search intent instead of relying on machine-translated defaults.
Example: Translating a Product Page
- You have a product page in English with Yoast SEO title "Buy Red Widgets | Best Widgets Store" and meta description "Shop high-quality red widgets at great prices."
- You translate the page to Spanish using WPML.
- In the translation editor, you change the SEO title to "Compra Widgets Rojos | La Mejor Tienda de Widgets" and meta description to "Compra widgets rojos de alta calidad a precios excelentes."
- You also translate the URL slug from
/red-widgetsto/widgets-rojos. - Result: The Spanish version targets Spanish-speaking users with localized SEO signals, improving click-through rates and relevance.
Quick Start: Set Up Multilingual SEO with WPML and Yoast
- Install and activate WPML and Yoast SEO.
- Go to WPML → Plugins and enable the WPML SEO integration plugin.
- Configure your language setup (subdirectory, subdomain, or domain per language) under WPML → Languages.
- Translate a page: open the page in the WPML Translation Dashboard, add a translation, and in the editor, expand the Yoast SEO section.
- Translate the SEO title, meta description, focus keyword, and slug for each language.
- For global strings (e.g., breadcrumb text), go to WPML → String Translation and search for Yoast-related strings to translate.
- Verify your multilingual sitemap at
/sitemap_index.xmland check that hreflang tags appear in page source.
Prerequisites: What You Need
- A WordPress site with WPML (Multilingual CMS or higher) and Yoast SEO (Premium or free).
- The WPML SEO plugin (included with WPML) must be activated.
- At least two languages configured in WPML.
- Access to the WPML Translation Dashboard or a translation workflow (manual or automatic).
- Basic familiarity with Yoast SEO fields (SEO title, meta description, focus keyword).
Common Mistakes
- Translating only body content – leaving SEO titles, meta descriptions, and slugs in the source language, which dilutes relevance.
- Direct keyword translation – using a literal translation of the focus keyword instead of researching local search terms.
- Skipping the WPML SEO plugin – leads to broken sitemaps or untranslatable Yoast fields.
- Ignoring global strings – breadcrumbs, theme strings, or Yoast admin texts remain untranslated, creating mixed-language signals.
Next step
FAQ
Do I need a separate plugin for WPML and Yoast to work together?
Yes, you need the WPML SEO integration plugin (included with WPML) to ensure Yoast SEO fields are translatable and sitemaps work correctly.
Can I translate Yoast SEO focus keywords per language?
Yes, WPML allows you to set a different focus keyword for each language version of a page.
Will WPML automatically add hreflang tags?
Yes, WPML automatically generates hreflang tags for each language version when configured correctly.
Related topics
Sources
- WPML Documentation: Using WordPress SEO with WPML — Primary setup guide for WPML + Yoast SEO compatibility and translation workflow.
- WPML Documentation: Multilingual SEO setup — Explains multilingual SEO structure, URL formats, and translation process.
- WPML Home: Translate Everything — Documents WPML translation dashboard and automatic translation workflow.
- Yoast SEO compatibility issue discussion — Useful for edge-case compatibility and indexation behavior with language plugins.
Reviewed by Lucía Marín, Founding editor.