Traduction de slug
Slug Translation is the practice of localizing the URL path (the part after the domain) into the target language. This optimizes the URL for local search intent and improves click-through rate by making the link readable and relevant to international users.
URLs are a Ranking Signal
Users trust URLs they can read. A French user seeing "site.com/fr/chaussures-rouges" (red shoes) understands the content immediately and clicks confidently. Seeing "site.com/fr/red-shoes" creates cognitive friction—why is there English in a French URL? Google also uses URL keywords as a minor ranking signal and bolds matching terms in search results. Wikipedia exemplifies this: the article for "Dog" is /wiki/Dog in English and /wiki/Chien in French—every slug is fully localized. The technical challenge is maintaining proper 301 redirects when changing slug structures and ensuring hreflang tags point to the correct localized URLs.
English Slug vs. Translated Slug
Impact dans le monde réel
German site keeps English slugs: /produkt/wireless-headphones
Users see mixed German content + English URL
CTR 5.1%, users perceive as auto-translated
Translate slug: /produkt/kabellose-kopfhoerer
Fully localized experience, URL matches content
CTR jumps to 9.2%, conversions +35%