What Are The Best Practices For Handling Non-Latin Scripts In URLs?

Story Based Question

You’re overseeing the SEO strategy for a global website that caters to multiple regions, including Arabic, Chinese, and Russian-speaking audiences. Your website already has localized versions in these languages, but you’re running into issues with non-Latin scripts in URLs. These languages are written in scripts that don’t use the Latin alphabet, and you’re concerned about how these will affect SEO and usability. You ask yourself, What are the best practices for handling non-Latin scripts in URLs to make sure everything works smoothly for both users and search engines?

Exact Answer

Handle non-Latin scripts in URLs by using Punycode for internationalized domain names (IDNs), transliterating text to Latin script for readability, and ensuring proper encoding to maintain SEO friendliness. Avoid using too many special characters or leaving URLs in pure non-Latin scripts unless absolutely necessary.

Explanation

URLs are a crucial part of SEO, and they can impact both user experience and search engine crawling. When you’re dealing with non-Latin scripts like Arabic, Chinese, or Cyrillic, you need to follow specific best practices to avoid errors and ensure smooth indexing. Here’s a breakdown of the key strategies:

1. Use Punycode for Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs)
   • Punycode is a special encoding system used to convert non-Latin characters into ASCII-compatible encoding. This is essential if you’re using a non-Latin script for your domain name, such as in Arabic or Chinese.
   • Example: A Chinese domain name like 中国.com would be converted into Punycode as xn--fsq.com. This allows browsers and search engines to recognize the domain, ensuring it works correctly globally.
2. Transliterate to Latin Script (Where Appropriate)
   • While it’s technically possible to use non-Latin characters in URLs, it can lead to issues with readability, user experience, and indexing. Transliteration (converting text from one script to another) allows the URL to remain usable, readable, and SEO-friendly.
   • Example: Instead of using a Chinese URL like www.example.com/智能手机, you could transliterate it to www.example.com/zhineng-shouji (meaning “smartphone”). This makes it easier for both search engines and users who may not be familiar with non-Latin characters to understand the URL.
3. Proper Encoding for Non-Latin Characters
   • Ensure that all non-Latin characters in your URLs are properly encoded to avoid issues during indexing. URLs containing non-Latin characters need to be percent-encoded (UTF-8) when entered into the browser or used in HTML.
   • Example: A Cyrillic word like телефон (meaning “phone”) should be encoded as %D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B5%D1%84%D0%BE%D0%BD when included in a URL.
4. Limit Special Characters and Avoid Excessive Use of Non-Latin Scripts
   • Using too many non-Latin characters or special characters in URLs can make them difficult to share or remember. Try to limit their use unless necessary for branding or marketing.
   • Example: Instead of a long URL like www.example.com/сотовый-телефон/электроника/мобильные-устройства, consider something simpler like www.example.com/mobiles or www.example.com/electronics/phones. This keeps your URLs concise and user-friendly.
5. Maintain Consistency Across Regional Versions
   • If your website serves multiple regions that use different non-Latin scripts, ensure that the URLs across these regions are consistent in structure and format. This makes it easier to maintain SEO and navigation while still respecting regional language preferences.
   • Example: If your website has a Russian version at example.com/телефоны, make sure the Chinese version is similarly structured, e.g., example.com/手机. This consistency helps with internal linking and user navigation.
6. Avoid Using Non-Latin Scripts for Entire URLs
   • While non-Latin scripts are supported in URLs, it’s generally a better practice to combine them with Latin characters for better compatibility and user experience. Full URLs in non-Latin scripts can be challenging for users to read and share.
   • Example: A URL like example.com/手机 may cause issues with some browsers, social media platforms, or email systems. Using example.com/phones would be a safer, more user-friendly approach.

Example

Let’s say you’re managing a tech e-commerce site with global reach, including markets in Russia, China, and Saudi Arabia. Here’s how you handle URLs in non-Latin scripts:

• Russian: Instead of using example.com/телефоны, you decide to transliterate the URL to example.com/telefony, making it easy for non-Russian users to understand while still targeting Russian search queries.
• Chinese: For the Chinese market, you could go with example.com/手机 or transliterate it to example.com/shouji to ensure SEO-friendly URLs while keeping them readable for users outside of China.
• Arabic: For the Saudi Arabian market, rather than using example.com/هواتف, you choose example.com/hawatif (meaning “phones”), which is easier for both search engines and users in non-Arabic regions.

Handling non-Latin scripts in URLs requires balancing technical considerations, readability, and SEO optimization. By using Punycode for domain names, transliterating when necessary, ensuring proper encoding, and keeping URLs simple, you can ensure a smooth experience for both users and search engines, regardless of the script used.