French-speaking markets

France is not the only French-speaking market. Belgium, French-speaking Switzerland, Luxembourg and Quebec each have their own search habits, vocabulary and trust signals. I adapt your French website and content to each of them, from Pantin, near Paris.

Discuss your markets Explore the markets

One point of contact from brief to delivery, in your language and in French: me, Antoine Sanières.

google.be

google.ch

google.lu

google.ca

5French-speaking markets on your doorstep, France included
5Google domains: .fr, .be, .ch, .lu and .ca
3currencies: euro, Swiss franc, Canadian dollar
1point of contact, native French speaker

Market explorer

Choose a market, see what changes

Click a planet: each market has its own Google, its own words and its own trust signals. The globe shows local words your French copy should know.

Belgium · google.be

Google: google.be
Hreflang: fr-BE
Currency: Euro
Languages: French, Dutch, German

Two language communities: French pages for Wallonia and Brussels, Dutch pages for Flanders.
Belgian vocabulary: “septante” and “nonante”, “GSM” for a mobile phone, “dîner” for lunch.
Belgian trust signals: a Belgian address or .be domain, Bancontact at checkout, delivery times to Belgium.

Switzerland · google.ch

Google: google.ch
Hreflang: fr-CH
Currency: Swiss franc
Languages: German, French, Italian

About a quarter of the Swiss population speaks French, around Geneva, Lausanne, Neuchâtel and Fribourg.
Prices in Swiss francs and clear customs and delivery details: Switzerland is outside the EU.
Swiss vocabulary: “septante”, “natel” for a mobile phone, “dîner” for lunch; “huitante” in some cantons.

Luxembourg · google.lu

Google: google.lu
Hreflang: fr-LU
Currency: Euro
Languages: Luxembourgish, French, German

French is the everyday language of business, administration and many websites.
Many employees commute daily from France, Belgium and Germany: French pages reach them too.
A small market with high purchasing power, often served together with French-speaking Belgium through hreflang.

Quebec · google.ca

Google: google.ca
Hreflang: fr-CA
Currency: Canadian dollar
Rules: Charter of the French language

The Charter of the French language makes French the norm in commercial communication in Quebec, websites included.
Quebec French has its own words: “courriel”, “magasiner”, “fin de semaine”, “char” for a car.
A dedicated fr-CA version, with Quebec spelling and references, usually performs better than France French.

Why it matters

One language, several markets

Local vocabulary
“Septante” in Belgium, “courriel” in Quebec: each market has its own French, and its own search terms.
Separate Google results
Google.be, Google.ch, Google.lu and Google.ca rank pages separately: each market needs its own version and hreflang.
Local trust signals
Prices in Swiss francs, Belgian references, Quebec spelling: details that show you know the market.

What I do

Keyword research for each French-speaking market
Adaptation of your French pages to each market's vocabulary
Hreflang set-up: fr-FR, fr-BE, fr-CH, fr-LU, fr-CA
Local SEO signals: addresses, currencies, references
Google Ads by market if you need quick results

What you receive

Market-by-market recommendations
Adapted French pages ready to publish
Checked hreflang and technical set-up
Ranking tracking on each local Google

How it works

Four steps, one point of contact

Choosing the markets
The markets are chosen with you, based on local demand.
Research
I research local search terms in each market.
Adaptation
I adapt your French content to each market's vocabulary.
Launch and tracking
Hreflang, publication, then rankings market by market.

Clients

They trust me

Hôtel BeaulacNeuchâtel, French-speaking Switzerland: from 1,700 to 20,000 visitors a month.See the project

ABI ProfilsIndustrial SEO across four sites, including Belgium.See the project

Your point of contact

Antoine Sanières

International SEO, GEO and Google Ads consultant

Based in Pantin, on the edge of Paris, I am a native French speaker and also work in English, German and Dutch. With two master's degrees, in international business and digital marketing, I have completed more than 100 assignments since founding Anton Anton in 2023, for French and international companies.

This page: French-speaking markets I handle your French-speaking markets myself: Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Quebec each get their own keywords, vocabulary and hreflang.

Discuss your project More about me

FAQ

Frequently asked questions – French-speaking markets

Is French from France enough for Belgium or Switzerland?

Often, with local adjustments: some words, numbers, currencies and references change. For Quebec, the differences are larger and deserve a dedicated version.

Do I need one website per country?

Not necessarily: one French version can target several markets with hreflang, as long as the local differences that matter are covered.

Do you work on Quebec French?

Yes: I adapt vocabulary and conventions to Quebec usage, such as “courriel” or “magasiner”, and set up a dedicated fr-CA version when the market justifies it.

Which market should we start with?

The one where demand for your offer is highest and your logistics already work; the keyword research shows it quickly.

Does Google treat France and Belgium as separate markets?

Yes: google.fr and google.be rank pages separately. Hreflang, with fr-FR and fr-BE, tells Google which version to show in each country.

What about the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium?

Flanders searches in Dutch. I work in Dutch too and can add a nl-BE version next to your French pages, with native proofreading for sensitive texts.