I’ve been in the SEO game for a while now. Long enough to remember when “multilingual SEO” was a phrase that sent a shiver down the spine of most marketing teams. It meant a tangled mess of hreflang tags, clunky subdomain management, and budgets that would make a CFO weep. We’d spend weeks, sometimes months, just getting the technical foundation right. It was a nightmare.
So, whenever a new tool pops up promising to make it all easy, my cynical veteran-SEO senses start tingling. Is it really easy? Or is it just another pretty dashboard with a clunky engine underneath? That’s the question I had when I started seeing chatter about Linguana. It claims to be a no-code, AI-powered platform that translates your site without tanking your SEO. A bold claim.
Naturally, I had to take a look under the hood. So, grab a coffee, and let’s get into whether Linguana is the real deal or just another flash in the pan.
What Exactly is Linguana?
At its core, Linguana is a website translation platform. But that's a bit of an understatement. It’s designed to sit on top of your existing website—whether it’s built on Webflow, Framer, WordPress, Wix, you name it—and serve up translated versions of your pages to international visitors. Think of it less like a traditional, complex integration and more like a clever, SEO-aware layer that speaks your customer's language.
The whole pitch is that you don't need to be a developer to use it. You connect your site, and its AI gets to work translating your content, creating a multilingual version of your website that both users and search engines can understand. Which brings me to the stuff I really care about.
Visit Linguana
The Features That Actually Matter for SEOs
Look, a fancy language-switcher button is nice, but if it doesn't have the right SEO plumbing, it's worthless. This is where most translation plugins and tools fall flat on their face. I was genuinely surprised to see Linguana nailing the things that most get wrong.
The Holy Grail: Subdirectory Structure
This is it. This is the big one. Linguana uses a subdirectory structure (e.g., `yoursite.com/de/` for German or `yoursite.com/es/` for Spanish). Why does this make me so excited? Because it's what Google prefers. For years, the debate raged: subdomains vs. subdirectories. The dust has settled, and subdirectories are widely considered the best practice for consolidating your site's authority. Instead of spreading your SEO juice across multiple subdomains (`de.yoursite.com`), you keep all that power under one roof. This is a massive, massive win and, for me, a non-negotiable feature.
Finally, Translated URL Slugs
Another point for Linguana. It doesn't just translate the content on the page; it translates the URL slugs too. So, your `yoursite.com/services/seo-consulting` page becomes something like `yoursite.com/es/servicios/consultoria-seo`. This isn't just great for user experience—it's fantastic for SEO. You get your target keywords right there in the URL for your new target market. It’s a simple thing that has a real impact on click-through rates and rankings.
The AI Translation Engine (The Good and The... Cautious)
Linguana uses AI to automatically translate your entire site. The speed is undeniable. What would take a human translator weeks can be done in minutes. This is perfect for getting a version 1.0 of your translated site up and running fast. But let's be real for a second. While today’s AI is shockingly good, it’s not a native-speaking human with an understanding of cultural nuance. You'll still want a native speaker to give it a once-over, especialy for high-stakes copy on your homepage or product pages. Think of the AI as your incredibly efficient assistant who gets the first 90% done for you.
Let's Talk Money: Linguana Pricing Breakdown
Alright, so it's got the right features. But can a small business or freelancer actually afford it? I’ve seen competitors charge hundreds a month for similar functionality. I was pleasantly surprised by Linguana’s pricing structure. It seems... reasonable. Actually, it's pretty darn aggressive.
| Plan | Price (Monthly/Yearly) | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 /mo | Testing the waters. 1 language, 1 site, 2,000 AI credits. |
| Starter | $25 /mo (or $19/mo) | Testing a landing page in a new market. 3 languages, 10,000 AI credits. |
| Individual | $59 /mo (or $49/mo) | Growing your audience. Unlimited languages, 3 sites, 50,000 AI credits. |
| Business | $129 /mo (or $99/mo) | Agencies or managing multiple projects. Unlimited sites & languages, 100,000 AI credits. |
The one major thing to wrap your head around is the AI credits. Unlike a recurring monthly allowance, the credits included in your plan are a one-time bucket. If you need more, you buy more. I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand, it's a transparent, pay-for-what-you-use model. If your site content is static, this is way cheaper. On the other hand, if you're constantly updating and re-translating pages, you'll need to budget for credit top-ups. It's just something to be aware of.
The Good, The Bad, and The Realistic
So, where do I land? I'm genuinely optimistic. What really gets me excited is the combination of affordability and solid SEO fundamentals. It removes the two biggest barriers for most people looking to go global: cost and technical complexity.
The setup, judging by their documentation and testimonials, seems genuinely straightforward. The user interface is clean, and you don’t have to inject code snippets or fight with your theme's PHP files. For the average marketer or business owner, that is a godsend.
The main caveat, as I mentioned, is the reliance on AI. Don't fire your human translators just yet. Use Linguana to do the heavy lifting and have a human perform the final polish. The free plan is also a bit limited, but it's perfect for what it is: a true-to-goodness free trial to see if it works for you before you commit a single dollar.
Frequently Asked Questions about Linguana
1. Is Linguana truly good for SEO?
Yes. In my opinion, it's built with SEO as a priority, not an afterthought. The use of a subdirectory structure and translated URL slugs are best practices recommended by search engines like Google for signaling different language versions of a site and consolidating domain authority.
2. How accurate are the AI translations?
They are very good for a first draft, probably around 90-95% accurate for common language pairs. However, for critical marketing copy, legal text, or content with a lot of cultural nuance, a final review by a native speaker is always a smart move.
3. Can I manually edit the translations?
Absolutely. Linguana provides an interface for you to go in and manually edit any of the AI-generated translations. This gives you full control over the final output on your site.
4. What’s the deal with the AI credits not renewing each month?
It's a pay-as-you-go model. You get a large, one-time allotment of credits with your plan. If you need more, you can purchase them. This can be more cost-effective for sites that don't change their content frequently, as you aren't paying for a monthly credit allowance you don't use.
5. How is Linguana different from competitors like Weglot?
While both offer website translation, Linguana appears to compete aggressively on price and simplicity. Its focus on a straightforward, no-code setup and core SEO features like subdirectories makes it a very strong contender, especially for small to medium-sized businesses and agencies who are cost-conscious.
My Final Verdict on Linguana
After digging in, I'm genuinely impressed. Linguana isn't just another plugin; it feels like a well-thought-out solution to a problem that has plagued marketers for years. It's accessible, it’s built on a sound SEO foundation, and the price is right.
It successfully lowers the barrier to entry for international expansion. No more six-month development projects. No more five-figure invoices just to say "Hello" in another language. For small teams, solo entrepreneurs, and agencies who've been putting off going global because of the technical headache and cost, Linguana might just be the green light you've been waiting for.
Reference and Sources
- Linguana Official Website
- Linguana Pricing Page
- Google Search Central: Managing Multi-regional Sites
