Ukrainian language: translation of the site into the state language

The owners of Russian-language sites face a difficult task: translating texts into Ukrainian. There are several ways to avoid problems, but first, let’s look at why translating a site into Ukrainian and how it affects ranking indicators.

Goals of website translation into the state language

Compliance with the laws of the country is an important requirement that must be met. It is impossible to do without the Ukrainian version of web pages: the bill of April 25, 2019 fixed this, and now the situation has taken a different turn. Nevertheless, the translation of online pages is necessary and extremely important.

The law on the Ukrainian language implies that all spheres must use the sovereign language. This means that the translation of pages on the Internet is necessary for several categories:

• state and local authorities;
• enterprises and organizations that are owned by private owners;
• entrepreneurs who provide goods or services.

Compliance with the requirements of the authorities will allow you to continue your activities without problems, and in some cases – to gain additional popularity. If you still doubt whether it is necessary to translate the site into Ukrainian, the answer is unequivocal: yes. But you need to do it wisely.

Translation of site materials: methods and consequences

Before starting the task and adding attributes, you need to carefully study the bill. It indicates some of the information that needs to be taken into account when adding a new version of the text, namely:

• the amount of information in Ukrainian is approximately equal to the amount of information in other language versions of the site;
• web resources that operate (provide services or goods) in Ukraine are required to translate pages;
• other language versions are allowed, so you don’t have to start from scratch.

If you are now thinking about when you need to translate a site into Ukrainian, the answer will still be unambiguous: now. The requirements are easily explained, so questions should not arise. But in order to translate correctly, study the suggested methods.

Method number 1: Implementation of the Ukrainian version

This method is the simplest and most obvious. Materials in Russian must be moved to a separate folder when setting up the domain, and logging into the portal will open Ukrainian-language pages to local users. What does it threaten? Much depends on the size of your company:

1. Big business. The introduction of the new version will not affect the promotion results, because your customers are specifically looking for your offers. Thus, the transition will not cause inconvenience.
2. Medium business. Translation of the site into Ukrainian and its impact on performance is difficult to predict. There is a high chance to stay at the top of search results without significant losses. But it is impossible to completely exclude the adjustment of work from scratch.
3. Small business. The introduction of the new version will affect the achievements. Previous indicators lose their role, and new ones need to be earned.

Since the method of Ukrainianization of content is simple, it seems to be the most profitable. But do not rush to make a decision.

Method #2: Setting cookies for the site

Cookies are data that is collected by the system during the use of the website. Regular customers will see the version of the pages that they have chosen earlier. New visitors will be able to make a decision based on their requirements and convenience. The system will keep any selection by default.

We will consider the consequences of implementing this technique from three positions:

1. Law. Translation of the site into Ukrainian equals compliance with the requirements. On this side, you are doing the right thing and risking nothing.
2. Traffic. Optimizing data with cookies is an acceptable model that is gaining popularity.
3. Algorithms. For bots, you need to set up the issuance of those materials that are written in Russian. This will allow you not to lose the rating and save the place of the site when entering requests.

The problem lies in the fact that the method involves the use of “black” optimization. Users receive one information, and bots another. This is called “cloaking”, which affects the evaluation of Google’s algorithms. Large companies have nothing to lose and can increase traffic, while medium and small ones are at risk.

Method #3: Displaying a pop-up window

The technique is easy to implement, and experts refer to it as an alternative option. The popup output means:

• using a content filter;
• displaying a suggestion for choosing a version;
• translation of the text into Ukrainian is still required.

Pay attention to pop-up windows. Content is loaded in the language that the user selects. This satisfies the requirements of the Law of Ukraine and meets the expectations of customers. Be mindful of data collection and the use of cookies.

Which way to choose

Before translating a page into Ukrainian, you need to choose the best way. Conclusions are made subject to the size of the business, customer requirements and possible disadvantages. The presence of the Russian-language version of the site will allow promoting pages using familiar tools, and information in Ukrainian will meet the requirements of the authorities.

To understand how to translate a website into Ukrainian, it is worth getting advice from an SEO expert. Automatic translation of texts is often inappropriate, because the system does not understand the content of the content. To do this, it is better to involve copywriters and editors in the work and place an order with them.