What is Hreflang | SEOLeverage Glossary

Have you ever wondered how websites show you content in your language, even when they have visitors from all over the world? The secret lies in a little piece of code called "hreflang."

This guide will break down what hreflang attribute is, why it's important, and how it works for websites to have content with multiple languages.

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What is Hreflang?

Imagine you're running a website that has both English and Spanish versions of the same content. You want English speakers to see the English content and Spanish speakers to see the Spanish content.

Hreflang is like a friendly guide that tells search engines which version of your site to show to people based on their language and location. It's a way to say to search engines, "Hey, if someone from Spain is visiting, show them the most appropriate version of the Spanish page!"

Why is Hreflang Important?

Without hreflang attribute, search engines might get confused about language settings and show a Spanish speaker the English version of your site or vice versa. This can be frustrating for visitors and might even lead them to leave your site.

Using hreflang helps improve their experience by guiding them to other language versions of the content they can read and understand easily. Plus, it's great for your site's visibility and performance in international search results, making sure the right people find the right content.

How Does Hreflang Work?

Hreflang attribute uses simple codes to communicate with search engines in multiple different languages. These codes are made up of two parts: the language codes and, optionally, a country code. For example, "en" stands for English, "es" for Spanish, "en-GB" for English as used in the United Kingdom, and "es-MX" for Spanish, as used in Mexico.

You add these particular language codes in a special tag in your website's code. This tag looks something like this: <link rel="alternate" href="example.com" hreflang="en-us" />. It tells search engines, "Here's an alternate version of language code for this link element on my site in U.S. English."

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Implementing Hreflang tags

Adding Hreflang tags may sound technical, but it's quite manageable. You can include them in the HTML head section of your web pages now, like this:

Where Do You Put Hreflang Tags?

There are three main places you can put hreflang tags:

In the HTML of each page: This is the most common method. You add the tags in the head section of your webpage's HTML.

In the HTTP headers: This is for non-HTML files, like PDFs. It's a bit more technical and involves sending information in the headers of your web server's responses.

In your XML sitemap: This is a file that lists all the pages on your site. Adding hreflang tags here is like giving search engines a map of all the different language versions of your pages.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

While Hreflang is super helpful, it's easy to make mistakes. Here are a few to watch out for:

Not including a self-reference: Each page should have an hreflang tag pointing to itself as well as to its alternate versions.

Using the wrong codes: Make sure you're using the correct language and country codes.

Forgetting to update: Whenever you add a new language version, remember to update your hreflang tags.

Final Thoughts

Hreflang might seem a bit technical, but it's just about making sure people see your website or web page in the same language that they understand best. It's like having a multilingual greeter at the door of your online store, guiding each visitor to the right section.

By using hreflang tags correctly, you're not only helping your visitors but also boosting your site’s presence in international markets. So, take a little time to get your hreflang tags in order, and welcome the world to your site!

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