If you run a business in Cardiff or anywhere in South Wales, you’ve probably wondered whether your website should be available in Welsh as well as English. Some customers will appreciate it; for others it won’t matter. Here’s a practical look at the numbers, the benefits and how to approach a bilingual website without doubling your workload.
How many people speak Welsh?
According to the 2021 Census, around 538,300 people aged three and over in Wales — 17.8% — could speak Welsh. In Cardiff the figure was 12.2%, up from 11.1% in 2011, the largest increase of any local authority. Proportions are considerably higher in parts of north and west Wales.
So while most Cardiff customers will read your site in English, a meaningful and growing number value seeing Welsh — and many non-Welsh speakers see bilingual content as a sign of a business rooted in its community.
Do you have to provide Welsh?
Welsh Language Standards apply to public bodies and certain other organisations. For most private small businesses — trades, shops, cleaning companies, local services — there’s generally no legal requirement to publish a Welsh website. It’s a choice. If you’re unsure whether any standards apply to your organisation, check with the Welsh Language Commissioner.
The benefits of going bilingual
- Goodwill and trust with Welsh-speaking customers.
- Standing out from competitors who only offer English.
- Public sector and community work — useful if you tender for or work with organisations that value Welsh.
- Search visibility for people searching in Welsh, where competition is often low.
Options, from simple to full
| Option | What it involves | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Bilingual touches | Welsh greetings, headings or a short welcome section | Showing goodwill with minimal effort |
| Key pages in Welsh | Homepage, main services and contact page translated | Most small businesses |
| Full bilingual site | Every page in both languages with a language switcher | Businesses with many Welsh-speaking customers |
SEO tips for bilingual websites
- Use separate URLs for each language (for example /cy/ for Welsh pages) rather than mixing languages on one page.
- Tell Google about language versions using hreflang tags, so the right version shows to the right searcher.
- Use proper translation. Automatic translation can produce awkward Welsh that does more harm than good. A fluent speaker or professional translator is worth it for key pages.
- Translate SEO titles and meta descriptions too, not just the page body.
- Keep business details consistent across both versions.
Where to start
For most Cardiff businesses we recommend starting with an English site built for local SEO — with town pages covering areas like Penarth, Barry, Caerphilly and Newport — then adding Welsh to your homepage and main service pages. It’s how we approach South Wales projects such as Dirt Busters, whose town pages cover Cardiff to Swansea.
Talk to us about your Welsh website
Our pay monthly websites for Cardiff and South Wales include a custom website, monthly SEO, town pages, blog content, hosting and a business email for £150 a month. If you’d like Welsh content, get in touch and we’ll talk through the best approach. See also our website & SEO packages.
A South Wales website that ranks
Custom website + town pages from Newport to Swansea. £150 a month.
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