Key takeaways
- Create a Greek version only where Greek-speaking buyers actually search for that service.
- Each language version needs its own URL, self-referencing canonical and reciprocal hreflang.
- Write Greek pages for Greek search behaviour, not as a word-for-word translation of the English page.
The question to answer first: who buys this service?
In Cyprus, one company can sell the same service to very different people. An accounting firm in Nicosia may serve local family businesses searching in Greek and foreign founders searching in English. A Limassol software company may sell almost entirely abroad. The language decision follows the buyer, not the office location.
List your services and, for each one, note who buys it and how they are likely to search. Sales and front-desk staff usually know: which language do enquiries arrive in, and which words do people use on the phone?
- Greek and English demand: local B2C and B2B services such as accounting, legal, property and trades.
- Mostly English demand: international B2B, company formation for non-residents, fintech, shipping management.
- Mostly Greek demand: services sold only to local residents and Cypriot businesses.
When a separate Greek page is worth it
A Greek page earns its place when there is search demand in Greek for that service, when the Greek page can be genuinely useful on its own, and when someone can answer enquiries that arrive in Greek. If any of those is missing, the page is likely to sit unindexed or attract enquiries you cannot handle.
Check demand with Google Ads Keyword Planner or an SEO tool set to Cyprus, and search the Greek terms yourself. If the results are dominated by Greek-language pages from Cypriot competitors, Greek searchers expect a Greek answer. If the results are mostly English, an English page may already serve them.
How to set it up correctly
Give each language its own URL, for example /services/company-formation and /el/services/company-formation. Never switch language on the same URL with a cookie or a button only, because Google will index one version and ignore the other.
- Self-referencing canonical on each version: the Greek page's canonical points to itself, not to the English page.
- Reciprocal hreflang: both pages list both versions (en and el), plus an x-default, and every link returns a working page.
- Language-specific title, meta description and H1 written for that language's search terms.
- Visible links between versions so visitors and crawlers can switch language.
- Both versions included in the XML sitemap.
Write for Greek search, do not just translate
Greek searchers do not always use the literal translation of your English keyword. Some search in Greeklish (Greek written with Latin characters), some mix English technical terms into Greek queries, and some use local phrasing that differs from Greece. Research each language separately.
For example, a business offering company formation might find that English searchers use 'company formation Cyprus' while Greek searchers use «σύσταση εταιρείας» or «εγγραφή εταιρείας». The Greek page should lead with the term Greek buyers use and answer the questions they ask, which may differ from those of foreign founders.
Common mistakes we see on bilingual Cyprus sites
Most problems come from a translation plugin added after the site was built.
- Greek pages with a canonical pointing to the English page, so Google never indexes them.
- hreflang tags that point to pages which redirect or return errors.
- Machine-translated Greek pages with English titles and meta descriptions left unchanged.
- Dozens of thin Greek pages created automatically for every blog post, diluting the site.
- A language switcher that always returns visitors to the homepage instead of the equivalent page.
How to measure whether the Greek pages work
In Google Search Console, filter performance by page and compare impressions and clicks for the Greek URLs with the Greek queries you targeted. Use the URL Inspection tool to confirm each Greek page is indexed with its own canonical.
Then track enquiries by page language. If Greek pages bring visibility but no enquiries, the problem is usually the offer or the conversion path on those pages, not the translation.
Frequently asked questions
Does Google penalise duplicate content across English and Greek pages?
No. Translated pages are not treated as duplicates when hreflang and canonicals are set correctly. Problems arise when both versions use the same URL or the Greek canonical points to the English page.
Should every page on my site have a Greek version?
Not necessarily. Prioritise the service pages where Greek-speaking buyers search and where you can handle enquiries in Greek. Add more once those perform.
Is a .com.cy domain needed for Greek SEO?
No. A .com.cy domain is a Cyprus signal, but language targeting depends on separate URLs, hreflang and Greek content, which work on any domain.
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