Bilingual SEO · Ontario and Quebec
A bilingual site that ranks in both languages.
Not a translation of the English: French keyword research, pages written in Quebec French, and a structure Google understands. For Gatineau businesses that have to be in French, and Ottawa businesses that want the customers who search in French.
Half the price of the monthly services it's added to · from $450 / month · build your plan
Why not just translate
People don't search in translation
In Gatineau, people type "référencement web gatineau" about 110 times a month, and "référencement gatineau" on its own almost never. A keyword list translated from English misses that. Confirmed–Industry
There's a local twist too: in Gatineau, "SEO" is also the teachers' union, the Syndicat de l'enseignement de l'Outaouais. Three of the top ten results for "seo gatineau" are about the union. Confirmed–Industry
That's why French research is its own job: its own keywords, its own competitors, its own pages. The businesses ranking in French in Gatineau are often not the ones ranking in English in Ottawa. Our view
Source: Semrush, Canada database, Oct 25, 2026. Search volumes are estimates.
What Google asks for
One URL per language, linked to the other
Google recommends a separate URL for each language version, rather than switching the language of one page by visitor. It also advises against redirecting people automatically based on the language it guesses they speak. Confirmed–Google
The two versions of a page point to each other with hreflang tags. Each keeps its own canonical URL: the French page never points to the English one as the "real" version. Confirmed–Google
Source: Google Search Central · Managing multi-regional and multilingual sites · Tell Google about localized versions of your page
In Quebec
What the Charter asks of a website
If your business is established in Quebec, the Charter of the French Language applies, whatever its size. In short, according to the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF):
- The commercial content of your website and social media must be available in French. English can stay, as long as the French version is at least as accessible.
- Since June 1, 2023, a contract of adhesion, like the terms of a plan bought online, has to be given in French first. The customer can then choose English.
- Invoices and receipts must be in French.
After a complaint, the OQLF first asks for a fix. Fines come only if nothing changes: $700 to $7,000 for an individual, $3,000 to $30,000 for anyone else.
I'm not a lawyer, and this isn't legal advice. For your situation, the OQLF answers businesses at 1-888-873-6202. Businesses on the Ontario side aren't covered by the Charter.
Source: OQLF · Charte : mythes et réalité (French) · OQLF · Contrats d'adhésion (French) · OQLF · Complaints (French)
What's included
The work, in French
1. French keyword research
Done from scratch for Quebec and Ottawa's French-speaking customers, against the competitors who rank in French.
2. Pages written for Quebec
In Quebec French, reviewed by a fluent speaker, using the OQLF's recommended terms: courriel, site Web, magasinage. Nothing goes live straight out of machine translation.
3. The structure
A /fr/ section on your own domain, hreflang generated on every page pair, one canonical per language, a language switch that goes to the matching page, and no automatic redirects.
4. Your local presence in French
A French description on your Google Business Profile and listings, and French-language directories such as the Outaouais chambers of commerce.
5. AI search in French
With the AI search service, questions are asked in French too: Google's AI Mode has answered in French in Canada since October 2025.
6. The parts that sell
Forms, error messages, checkout and receipts in French, not just the text of your pages.
What we won't do
- Publish machine translation without review.
- Translate your English keyword list instead of doing the research.
- Redirect visitors by IP address or browser language.
- Translate every page on principle. Commercial pages first, then the ones that earn it.
Price
Why French costs something
French means a second round of keyword research, a second set of pages, a second set of listings, and keeping hreflang right. The technical work, schema and reporting are shared, so it doesn't cost double. Our view
The second language costs half the price of the monthly services it's added to, with a $450 minimum. It works in either direction: French added to an English site, or English added to a French one. The bundle discount applies to it like everything else. Build your plan.
| Your plan | Plan price | Second language |
|---|---|---|
| Local SEO | $899 / month | $450 / month (the minimum) |
| SEO | $2,250 / month | $1,125 / month |
| Local SEO + SEO | $3,149 / month | $1,575 / month |
Prices before the bundle discount, in Canadian dollars. AI search visibility is free with SEO, so it adds nothing to the base.
Talking to me in French, and getting your audit and reports in French, is free, always.
Start with a free audit.
It also checks whether your English and French pages are set up to rank in both languages.
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