Hreflang tag

What is hreflang?

Hreflang is an HTML attribute that tells search engines which language and geographical region a specific webpage is targeting. It serves as a signal to search engines like Google that equivalent content exists in multiple languages or is tailored for different regions, helping them serve the most appropriate version to users based on their language preferences and location.

How does hreflang work?

Hreflang works by creating a network of references between related pages. Each page in your multilingual or multi-regional website needs to include hreflang annotations that point to all language/region variations, including itself. The basic syntax follows this pattern: <link rel="alternate" hreflang="language_code-country_code" href="URL" />. For example, <link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-us" href="https://example.com/en-us/" /> indicates content targeted at English speakers in the United States. Search engines process these annotations to understand the relationship between your translated or localized pages and serve the appropriate version in search results.

Why is hreflang important for international SEO?

Hreflang solves several critical problems for international websites. First, it prevents duplicate content issues that arise when you have similar content in multiple languages or regional variations. Without hreflang, search engines might view these pages as duplicate content and choose only one version to index, potentially ignoring your localized content. Second, hreflang improves user experience by ensuring visitors see content in their preferred language and tailored to their region. This increases engagement, reduces bounce rates, and builds trust with your international audience. Finally, hreflang helps consolidate ranking signals across language variations, strengthening the overall authority of your content.

What are common hreflang mistakes to avoid?

Many websites implement hreflang incorrectly, undermining its effectiveness. Missing return links are perhaps the most common error—every page referenced in an hreflang tag must include reciprocal links to all other language versions. Using incorrect language or country codes (like using "en-uk" instead of the correct "en-gb" for British English) can render your implementation ineffective. Self-referencing errors occur when pages don't include hreflang tags pointing to themselves. Inconsistent URL formats between what's specified in the hreflang annotation and the actual URL structure can also break the implementation. Finally, conflicting signals—such as having both hreflang and canonical tags pointing to different URLs—create confusion for search engines.

How do you implement hreflang tags correctly?

You can implement hreflang tags using three methods. The most common approach is adding link elements in the HTML head section of each page. Alternatively, you can specify hreflang via HTTP headers for non-HTML files like PDFs. For larger sites, including hreflang annotations in your XML sitemap often proves more manageable. Whichever method you choose, ensure you include all language/region variations for each page, use correct language and country codes (like "de" for German or "es-mx" for Mexican Spanish), include self-referential tags, and maintain consistent URL formats. For regions where multiple languages are spoken, you can specify the language without a region code, or use "x-default" to indicate a fallback page for users whose language/location doesn't match any of your specified versions.