I’ve been in the SEO game for a long time. Long enough to remember when getting a site to rank was just a matter of keyword density and a few good backlinks. Things have changed, to say the least. And if there’s one area that consistently makes even seasoned pros groan, it’s international SEO.
The technical checklists are endless. Hreflang tags that have to be implemented just so, complex subdomain or subfolder strategies, managing different content versions, and then the actual translations... it's a hornet's nest. You either wrestle with clunky, database-heavy plugins on a CMS that slow your site to a crawl, or you build everything from scratch, which is a massive resource drain. It’s the kind of project that makes you question your career choices.
So, when I stumbled across a tool called Global Sites, my curiosity was definitely piqued. A boilerplate project designed specifically for creating multilingual static sites with AI translations built-in? Okay, you have my attention.
So What Is Global Sites, Really?
Let's clear one thing up first: this isn't a drag-and-drop website builder like Wix or a full-blown CMS like WordPress. Think of Global Sites as a professional-grade starting block or a pre-built chassis for a car. It gives you the fundamental structure for a multilingual website, all set up and ready to go. You still need to build the car on top of it, but the most complicated engineering—the part that makes it work across different languages—is already done.
It's a boilerplate built with TypeScript that takes a very direct approach to a very specific problem: launching a website in multiple languages without the usual overhead. It’s for folks who appreciate simplicity and, more importantly, raw speed.
Visit Global Sites
The Features That Actually Matter to an SEO
A lot of tools boast a long list of features that sound impressive but don’t move the needle. Global Sites, on the other hand, seems to focus on a few things that directly address the biggest pain points of going global.
AI-Powered Translations: A Double-Edged Sword
The headlining feature is, without a doubt, the AI translations. The idea is simple: you have your content in one language, and the system generates the translated versions for you. For anyone who's ever waited weeks for human translators or choked at the per-word cost, this sounds like a dream. And in many ways, it is a huge leap forward for efficiency.
But let's put on our professional hats for a second. We all know that AI translation isn’t perfect. It can miss nuance, cultural context, and idiomatic expressions. The creators of Global Sites are upfront about this, stating the translations “may not be fully reviewed by humans.” In my book, that’s not a weakness; it’s honesty. The best way to use this feature is as a fantastic first draft. It does 90% of the heavy lifting, and then you bring in a native speaker to review and refine it. This still saves an incredible amount of time and money compared to starting from scratch.
SEO Automation That Doesn't Get in the Way
This is where I really started to get interested. Managing the technical SEO for a multilingual site is tedious. Global Sites automates a few critical pieces:
- Sitemap Generation: It doesn't just create a sitemap; it builds one with all the proper links for all the languages. This is exactly what you need to do to properly signal your site structure to Google and other search engines. It's a small detail that saves a ton of manual work and potential errors.
- URL Adjustments: The boilerplate automatically structures your URLs in a clean, language-specific way (e.g., `yoursite.com/es/about-us`). This is best practice for both SEO and user experience.
- Robots.txt: It also generates a `robots.txt` file that ensures search engine crawlers can access and index all the language versions of your pages correctly.
These aren't flashy features, but they are the foundational elements that can make or break an international SEO strategy. Having them automated is a massive win.
Why Go Static in a Dynamic World?
Some might see the "static site" part as a limitation. I see it as a feature. For years, the industry has been obsessed with complex, dynamic, database-driven everything. But we’re seeing a powerful counter-movement, and for good reason.
Static sites are, by their nature, incredibly fast. We're talking plain HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files. The Global Sites page mentions that on many of their sites, each HTML file runs at about 20KB. That's tiny. In an era dominated by Core Web Vitals and user impatience, speed is not just a feature; it's a prerequisite for success. A static site almost always wins on metrics like Time to First Byte (TTFB) and Largest Contentful Paint (LCP).
They are also far more secure. With no database to hack and no complex server-side processing, the attack surface is dramatically smaller. For brochure sites, portfolios, lead-gen sites, or company homepages, a static approach is often smarter, faster, and cheaper to host and maintain.
The Pricing Model and 'Done For You' Services
The pricing here is a little different from the typical SaaS model. There's no monthly fee. Instead, it’s a “Contact for Pricing” structure, which usually means they want to understand your specific needs first. Based on the site, they offer a few tiers of service:
The main offer seems to be purchasing access to the GitHub repositories and future updates. This is for the hands-on developer or agency that wants to use the boilerplate as a foundation for multiple projects. You buy it, you own it, you build with it.
They also offer direct services for those who are less code-savvy. You can get a single HTML file translation done for you, which is perfect for a one-off landing page. Or, you can go for a more complete 10-page site conversion, where they'll take your existing small site and rebuild it on their multilingual framework. It’s a smart model that caters to both the DIY crowd and those who just want the problem solved.
A Reality Check: Who Is This Not For?
I’m a big fan of what Global Sites is doing, but it’s not a magic bullet for everyone. It's important to know its limitations.
If you run a large e-commerce store with thousands of products and dynamic inventory, this isn't your solution. If you need a blog with multiple authors that needs to be updated daily by non-technical staff, you’re probably better off with a traditional CMS. Global Sites is designed for static content. While you can certainly have a blog, updating it requires a developer to edit the files and redeploy the site.
It also requires some technical knowledge. You or your developer will need to be comfortable with HTML, JavaScript, and working with a boilerplate project. This isn't for the business owner who wants to change a headline with a visual editor. But for its target audience—developers and agencies—this is a powerful and efficient tool.
Frequently Asked Questions I'd Probably Ask
If I were considering this, here's what would be on my mind.
Is this a replacement for WordPress or Webflow?
No, not at all. It's a tool for a different job. Think of it as an alternative for projects where speed and simplicity are more important than a feature-rich backend and visual editor. It's for static sites, like portfolios, marketing sites, or documentation.
How good are the AI translations, really?
They're a starting point. A very, very good starting point that saves a ton of time. But for any professional, public-facing site, you should absolutely have a native speaker review them for accuracy and cultural nuance. Never trust a machine with your brand's voice entirely.
What kind of technical skills do I need?
You should be comfortable with HTML, CSS, and at least some JavaScript. The boilerplate itself is built with TypeScript, so familiarity there is a huge plus. It's aimed at developers or people who have a developer on their team.
Is this a one-time purchase?
It appears so. The language used on the site, “Purchase access to the GitHub repositories,” suggests a one-time payment for the code and future updates, rather than a recurring subscription.
Does it automatically handle hreflang tags?
While not explicitly stated in the provided text, the entire purpose of the tool and its sitemap generation for all languages strongly implies that correct `hreflang` signaling is part of the package. It's the cornerstone of multilingual SEO.
Is this built on React or Next.js?
The site's FAQ section clarifies that it's not based on React or Next.js. It seems to be a more lightweight, vanilla setup, which contributes to its small file sizes and speed.
My Final Take on Global Sites
So, what’s the verdict? I think Global Sites is a genuinely clever solution for a very specific, and very annoying, problem. It’s not trying to be everything to everyone. Instead, it’s a focused, performant tool for developers and agencies who need to launch fast, multilingual static websites.
It embraces the strengths of a static architecture—speed and security—and bolts on a smart, efficient solution for localization. By automating the tedious parts of international SEO like sitemaps and URL structures, it frees up developers to focus on what they do best: building great-looking, functional websites. For the right kind of project, this boilerplate could be a massive time-saver and a secret weapon for delivering high-performance global sites.
It's a solid tool, and one I'll be keeping in my back pocket for future projects. Nicely done.
Reference and Sources
- Global Sites Official Website
- Google Search Central: Tell Google about localized versions of your page
