Hreflang tags tell search engines which language and regional versions of a page to show users. Implement correctly to avoid duplicate content issues and ensure users see the right version for their location.
Understanding hreflang in SEO
Hreflang is a critical tool for websites targeting international audiences. It tells search engines which version of a page to display based on the user’s language and location. For example, a website may have English pages for the US and UK, Spanish pages for Spain, and French pages for Canada. Implementing hreflang ensures that users see the most relevant version without duplicate content issues.
Hreflang works in tandem with canonical tags to prevent duplicate content issues and improve international SEO performance. When used correctly, it enhances user engagement, reduces bounce rates, and ensures your content reaches the intended audience.
hreflang Across CMS Platforms
WordPress
WordPress supports hreflang through plugins like Yoast SEO, Rank Math, or custom coding. Proper implementation ensures multilingual pages are indexed correctly and show the right language version to users based on location.
Shopify
Shopify stores targeting multiple countries can implement hreflang tags via apps or manual code. This allows products and collections to appear in search results for the intended language and region.
Wix
Wix provides multilingual tools that automatically generate hreflang tags. For advanced SEO, custom tags can be added to ensure proper regional targeting for content pages.
Webflow
Webflow supports multilingual sites where hreflang can be configured to indicate the language and region of each page. Correct use improves global SEO and avoids duplicate content issues.
Custom CMS
Custom CMS platforms often require manual implementation of hreflang in the HTML header or sitemap. Careful configuration ensures search engines deliver the correct page version to international users while preserving SEO authority.
hreflang Across Industries
Ecommerce
Ecommerce websites with international customers use hreflang to serve country-specific product pages, prices, and shipping information. Proper implementation ensures users find the correct version and reduces bounce rates.
Local Businesses
Local business websites targeting multiple regions can use hreflang to deliver region-specific services, contact information, and offers. This ensures local users see content relevant to their location.
SaaS
SaaS companies targeting global markets implement hreflang to display language-specific content for product features, pricing, and documentation, improving usability and international visibility.
Blogs
Multilingual blogs use hreflang to direct readers to the correct language version, preventing duplicate content issues and improving engagement for international audiences.
Do’s & Don’ts / Best Practices
Proper hreflang implementation enhances international SEO and user experience.
Do’s
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Use correct language and region codes (ISO 639-1 for languages, ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 for countries).
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Include self-referencing hreflang tags for each page.
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Ensure consistency across all alternate language pages.
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Combine hreflang with canonical tags to avoid duplicate content issues.
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Test hreflang using Google Search Console or online tools to verify correctness.
Don’ts
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Don’t use incorrect language or country codes.
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Don’t omit self-referencing tags; each page must reference itself.
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Don’t apply hreflang to non-existent pages or broken URLs.
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Don’t ignore the relationship between hreflang and canonical tags.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
A common mistake is misconfiguring language or country codes, causing search engines to display the wrong page version. Another mistake is not including self-referencing hreflang, which can confuse indexing. Ignoring testing and validation also leads to errors that negatively impact international SEO. Proper implementation ensures search engines serve the correct page to the right audience while maintaining authority and relevance.
FAQs
What is hreflang?
Hreflang is an HTML attribute used to tell search engines which language and/or region version of a webpage should be shown to users.
Why is hreflang important for SEO?
Using hreflang helps improve user experience by making sure people see the right language or regional version of your site. It also reduces duplicate content issues across versions.
How do you implement hreflang tags?
You can implement hreflang via HTML <link> tags in the <head>, HTTP headers, or XML sitemaps. Each version must reference all other versions (including itself).
What do language and region codes look like?
They use ISO 639-1 for language (like “en” for English) and ISO 3166-1 Alpha-2 for region (like “US” for United States). Example: hreflang="en-US" or hreflang="fr-CA".
Does hreflang guarantee that the right version will always show?
No, hreflang is a strong signal, but not a guarantee. Search engines use it among many factors. If there are errors (missing tags, incorrect codes), your intended version may still not appear.
