Running a bilingual blog doesn’t just double your audience — it also doubles your SEO opportunities. But if you don’t structure it correctly, you risk confusing Google and your readers.
This guide shows you step by step how to set up SEO for a bilingual WordPress blog that ranks clearly in both English and Spanish — perfect for authors and creators who publish in two languages.
Step 1 — Define Language Containers (EN & ES)
Start by creating two main categories in WordPress:
- EN (Slug:
en) - ES (Slug:
es)
These act as language containers. Under each, create your topic-specific subcategories; for example:
“Self-Publishing Foundations” under EN and “Fundamentos de Autoedición” under ES.
This structure is essential for strong SEO for a bilingual WordPress blog, ensuring that Google understands and indexes each language version correctly.
URL Example:
/category/en/self-publishing-foundations/
and
/category/es/fundamentos-autoedicion/
Step 2 — Use Consistent Slugs and Metadata
Keep your slugs short, lowercase, and equivalent between languages. For example:
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| /self-publishing-foundations/ | /fundamentos-autoedicion/ |
| /ai-visibility-optimization/ | /ia-optimizacion-visibilidad/ |
In RankMath or Yoast, assign titles and descriptions in the corresponding language.
Avoid mixing languages in metadata — Google detects it and reduces visibility.
Step 3 — Add hreflang Tags for Each Version
The hreflang tags tell Google which page to display for each language or market.
You can add them manually or let RankMath / WPML generate them automatically.
<link rel="alternate" href="https://selfpubpath.com/bilingual-wordpress-seo-setup/" hreflang="en" /> <link rel="alternate" href="https://selfpubpath.com/es/configuracion-seo-wordpress-bilingue/" hreflang="es-MX" /> <link rel="alternate" href="https://selfpubpath.com/es/configuracion-seo-wordpress-bilingue/" hreflang="es" /> <link rel="alternate" href="https://selfpubpath.com/bilingual-wordpress-seo-setup/" hreflang="x-default" />
Step 4 — Optimize Permalinks and Category Base
Go to
Settings → Permalinks → Optional
and clear the “Category base” field for cleaner URLs.
This helps maintain short, SEO-friendly URLs such as:
/category/en/self-publishing-foundations//category/es/fundamentos-autoedicion/
FAQs: How to Earn Passive Income on Amazon KDP in 2026
How do I research profitable niches for KDP?
Use tools like BookBolt.io or other KDP-specific keyword platforms to discover low-competition, high-demand topics. Analyze search volume, competition, and book performance before publishing.
What tasks should I outsource to scale faster?
Delegate time-consuming or technical work like cover design, formatting, editing, or keyword research. You can find skilled freelancers via Fiverr to help streamline your publishing process. Outsourcing frees you to focus on content creation and long-term strategy.
How long does it take to see consistent income on KDP?
It depends on your niche, catalog size, and marketing strategy. Most authors see noticeable results within 3–6 months when they publish consistently and optimize metadata.
Is it worth investing in ads when just starting out?
Yes — but start small. Use modest ad budgets to gather data on click-through and conversion rates. Scale only campaigns that show positive ROI, and pause those with weak performance.
What’s the difference between passive and semi-passive income on KDP?
Pure passive income means earning without ongoing work — which is rare in KDP. Semi-passive income happens when your books keep generating sales with minimal effort, thanks to keyword optimization, reviews, and automation.
How do I assign different menus per page in Astra Free?
Use the Conditional Menus plugin to assign unique menus for each page in Astra Free. Follow my detailed step-by-step guide here: How to Assign Different Menus per Page in Astra Free.