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Technical SEO for France: make your French pages easy for Google and AI to find
hreflang tags, a .fr domain or a /fr/ folder, French pages that never get indexed, redirects by country, AI crawlers blocked by mistake, a slow site: I find what stops Google.fr from showing your French version, then I fix it myself or write precise tickets for your developers, in English.
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What is technical SEO for France?
It is everything that lets Google, and AI crawlers, find your French pages, understand that they are meant for France and show them to French users: the structure of your French version, hreflang tags, indexing, redirects, speed and structured data. Without it, the best French content stays invisible.
International sites often have a technical set-up built for their home market. The French version is added later, sometimes by a plugin or an app, and nobody checks how Google reads it. Most providers hand over a list of recommendations. I make the fixes myself when I have access, or write tickets your developers can act on, then I check the effect in Search Console, filtered on France.
Aardvarks Digital is me, Damien Oumanetz, a French SEO consultant since 2010. I led SEO for Zalando’s French launch, and for Evaneos across four languages. More about me.
- Done byMe, from findings to fixes.
- Lead timeFixes in 1 to 2 weeks, check after 4 weeks.
- DeliverablesFixes done or developer tickets, change log, Search Console check.
- PriceFrom €550. See prices
- PlatformsWordPress, Shopify, WooCommerce, PrestaShop; others with your developers.
The usual blockers
Six technical reasons your French pages stay invisible in France
I check these first on every international site. Each one is based on what Google and OpenAI document publicly.
hreflang that Google ignores
Google asks that each language version list itself and all the other versions. If two pages don’t point to each other, the tags are ignored. Wrong codes, missing return links and tags pointing to redirected pages are the most common errors I find.
French pages that aren’t really French
Google says it works out a page’s language from its visible content, not from the lang attribute or the URL. A /fr/ page with an English body, or only the menu translated, is not a French page for Google.
Automatic redirects by country
Google advises against redirecting visitors automatically to a language version, because it can stop users and search engines from seeing all versions, and calls IP location “generally not reliable”. A banner suggesting the French version is safer.
French pages not indexed
“Crawled, currently not indexed”, a sitemap without the French URLs, canonical tags pointing to the English page, a noindex left after launch.
AI crawlers blocked by mistake
OpenAI documents that sites opted out of OAI-SearchBot are not shown in ChatGPT search answers, while blocking GPTBot only concerns model training. Blocking both “to be safe” removes you from French AI answers.
A slow site, especially on mobile
Core Web Vitals, heavy scripts and images, apps and plugins added for the French version, hosting far from your users.
The structure decision
.fr domain, /fr/ folder or fr. subdomain?
Google’s documentation lists the trade-offs of each option rather than ranking them. Here is how I read them for a foreign company entering France.
/fr/ folder
example.com/fr/
- Same host, low maintenance (Google)
- Benefits from the authority you already have
- My usual recommendation to start
.fr domain
example.fr
- Clear signal for one country, can be costly (Google)
- Can build trust in some sectors
- Starts with little authority of its own
fr. subdomain
fr.example.com
- Easy to set up (Google)
- Users may not tell language from country
- Useful when the French site runs on another system
Changing the structure later is a migration. If you are about to launch or move your French version, see website migration for France.
The method
How it works, step by step
- 1Day 1Access and backupAccess to your CMS, Search Console and, if needed, your developers’ ticketing tool. A full backup before any change.
- 2Days 1 to 2Findings with a priceCrawl of your French version, hreflang and canonical checks, indexing in France, speed measures, robots.txt and AI crawlers. I tell you what I fix and what it costs before I start.
- 3Week 1FixesI make the fixes and test each change. What needs a developer becomes a precise ticket in English.
- 4Weeks 2 to 4CheckSearch Console filtered on France: French pages indexed, errors gone, hreflang read correctly, speed measured.
Prices
How much does technical SEO for France cost?
A price given after the findings, before I touch your site. If you did the French SEO audit first, its price is deducted.
One day: indexing of French pages, hreflang, Search Console errors, redirects, common speed settings, basic structured data.
Request a quoteTwo days: everything in Essential, plus in-depth work on Core Web Vitals, internal linking, AI crawlers and advanced structured data.
Request a quoteE-commerce, hundreds of pages, several countries. Calculated on the €550 day rate after the findings.
Let’s talkVAT not applicable, art. 293 B of the French Tax Code (CGI). See all my prices
FAQ
Your questions about technical SEO for France
Should our French site be a .fr domain or a /fr/ folder?
Often a /fr/ folder on your main domain is the best start: it is simple to maintain and benefits from the authority you already have. A .fr domain sends a clear country signal and can build trust in some sectors, but it starts with little authority of its own. I recommend the set-up that fits your site, your markets and your team.
Which hreflang code should we use for France?
“fr” targets French speakers wherever they are; “fr-FR” targets French speakers in France. Google’s documentation says the first code is the language, followed by an optional region, and that a country code cannot be used on its own. If you also sell in Belgium or Switzerland, each French version gets its own code, and an x-default covers everyone else.
Should we redirect French visitors to the French version automatically?
No. Google advises against automatic redirects between language versions and says IP location is generally not reliable. Let users and Google reach every version, and suggest the French version with a banner instead.
Should we block AI crawlers?
For a company that wants to be recommended in French AI answers, usually not. OpenAI documents that blocking OAI-SearchBot removes a site from ChatGPT search answers, while GPTBot concerns model training. We decide crawler by crawler, depending on your content.
Do we need a developer?
Not for most WordPress sites: I make the fixes in the admin, plugin and hosting settings. On Shopify, custom builds or headless sites, I write tickets in English that your developers can apply directly, and I check the result.
How much does it cost?
€550 for one day of essential fixes, €1,100 for complete fixes, on quote for large sites. The French SEO audit price is deducted if you did it first. All my prices are on the pricing page.
Sources: Google Search Central, Tell Google about localized versions of your page and Managing multi-regional and multilingual sites; OpenAI, Overview of OpenAI crawlers.
Free first step
What holds your French version back?
The free France check spots the first technical blockers on your French pages and gives you 3 priority actions. Within 24 hours, no commitment.
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