What is the hreflang attribute?
The hreflang attribute is an HTML attribute that helps search engines to understand the linguistic and geographical target group of a website. It is used to indicate that content is available in several languages or regional variants.
This ensures a better user experience, as visitors are shown content in their preferred language.
What is the hreflang attribute used for?
The hreflang attribute is used to indicate to search engines which version of a page is most relevant for which language or regional audience. It helps to reach the right target audience with the right language version of a website.
When was the hreflang attribute introduced?
The hreflang attribute was introduced by Google in 2011 to help webmasters better control the content of their multilingual and multinational websites.
How does the hreflang attribute work?
The hreflang attribute works as a guide for search engines to understand which linguistic or regional versions of a website exist and for which users they are best suited.
What information is provided with hreflang?
The hreflang attribute is used to specify two main pieces of information:
- Language code: This ISO-639-1 code determines the language of the website (e.g. “en” for English, “de” for German).
- Country code: This optional ISO-3166-1 alpha-2 code specifies the country for which the website is optimized (e.g. “US” for the USA, “DE” for Germany).
What does the code for hreflang tags look like?
A hreflang tag could look like this:
<link rel=”alternate” hreflang=”de-DE” href=”http://example.com/deutschland” />
This example shows that the specified URL is optimized for German-speaking users in Germany.
Where do you place hreflang tags in HTML code?
Hreflang tags are placed in the <head> area of the HTML document. They can also be specified in HTTP headers or in sitemaps, depending on what is most suitable for the website structure.
Now that we understand how the hreflang attribute is structured and implemented, let’s take a look at how it is used in practice and what benefits it offers.
What is the hreflang attribute used for?
The hreflang attribute plays a crucial role in international search engine optimization (SEO) and helps to overcome the typical challenges of multilingual websites.
How does hreflang help to avoid duplicate content?
Hreflang helps search engines understand that similar content in different languages or regional variants is not duplicated, but adapted to different audiences. This avoids problems with duplicate content, where one version of the content might otherwise be disadvantaged in the search results.
What advantages does hreflang offer for international SEO?
- Improved targeting: Ensures that users see content relevant to their region and language.
- Increased user satisfaction: Reduces the bounce rate as users are shown content in their own language.
- More effective content strategy: Enables webmasters to develop specific marketing strategies for different regions.
When should you use hreflang?
Hreflang should be used when a website is available in multiple languages or when there are significant regional differences in language, such as English in the US versus English in the UK.
Now that it’s clear in which situations hreflang is particularly useful, let’s look at the specific steps needed to successfully implement hreflang tags on your website.
How to implement hreflang tags?
The correct implementation of hreflang tags is crucial in order to fully utilize their advantages. Here are the basic steps and considerations you should bear in mind.
What methods are there for implementing hreflang?
There are several methods of implementing hreflang tags:
- In the HTML code: As already mentioned, hreflang tags are often placed in the <head> area of web pages.
- In HTTP headers: For web pages that are not HTML-based (such as PDFs or images), hreflang tags can be specified in the HTTP headers.
- In XML sitemaps: An efficient method for large websites, as it centralizes and simplifies the management of hreflang tags.
What needs to be considered when implementing hreflang?
When implementing hreflang tags, you should note the following points:
- Completeness: Make sure that there is a corresponding tag for each language and regional version.
- Consistency: The URLs specified in the hreflang tags must refer to each other.
- Correctness: The language and country codes must comply with ISO standards.
How do you test whether hreflang tags are implemented correctly?
To check the correct implementation of hreflang tags, you can use the following tools:
- Google Search Console: Here you can see how Google interprets your tags and whether there are any errors.
- Third-party tools: There are numerous SEO tools that can help check and validate hreflang implementations.
Now that we have looked at the implementation of hreflang, it is worth recognizing and avoiding some common pitfalls.
What are common mistakes when using hreflang?
Even with the best planning, mistakes can be made when implementing hreflang tags. Here are some of the most common problems and how you can fix them.
What errors often occur with hreflang tags?
Some of the most common mistakes when using hreflang tags are:
- Incorrect language or country codes: Use of codes that do not comply with ISO standards.
- Incomplete implementation: Missing hreflang tags for some language versions of the website.
- Lack of reciprocity: Each version must refer to all other available versions.
How to find and fix hreflang errors?
To find and fix hreflang errors, you can:
- Use verification tools: Use tools like Google Search Console or specialized SEO tools to check your tags and make sure they are correct.
- Perform regular audits: Schedule regular audits of your hreflang tags, especially after major updates to your website.
Having discussed the common errors and how to fix them, it’s interesting to look at what impact hreflang actually has on search engine rankings.
How does hreflang affect the search engine ranking?
Understanding the impact of hreflang on rankings can help to make the SEO strategy for multilingual websites effective.
Does hreflang directly improve the ranking?
Hreflang itself does not directly lead to a better ranking. However, it helps to signal to search engines that content is targeted to specific languages or regions, which indirectly improves relevance and user experience.
What indirect effects can hreflang have on the ranking?
The indirect effects of hreflang on search engine rankings include:
- Better targeting: Correct language and region mapping can increase click-through rates as users see content in their preferred language.
- Reducing the bounce rate: If visitors are directed to the versions of the website that are relevant to them, they are less likely to leave the page again immediately.
- Improving the user experience: An improved user experience can lead to longer dwell times and higher interaction rates, which has a positive effect on the ranking.
Although hreflang offers many advantages, it is not suitable for every website. Let’s look at the cases in which the use of hreflang may not make sense.
When is it not advisable to use hreflang?
Not every website needs hreflang tags. There are certain situations in which their use may be unnecessary or even counterproductive.
For which websites is hreflang superfluous?
Hreflang is primarily intended for websites that specifically address several language and country markets. For websites with the following characteristics, hreflang is usually not required:
- Monolingual websites: If your website is only available in one language and does not address a specific country market.
- Minor regional differences: Websites where the linguistic content differs little or not at all between different regions.
Are there alternatives to hreflang tags?
Yes, there are alternatives that can make more sense in some cases:
- Geotargeting in Google Search Console: Here you can target specific countries without using hreflang tags.
- Careful structuring of the URL: Clear and logical URL structures allow search engines to recognize geographical and linguistic target groups even without hreflang.
Having examined when hreflang is not useful, we can now make a final assessment of whether hreflang is a must for international websites.
Conclusion: Is hreflang a must for international websites?
The decision as to whether the hreflang attribute should be used depends heavily on the specific requirements and objectives of a website. For internationally oriented websites that address different linguistic and regional target groups, hreflang offers decisive advantages.
Key points for decision-making:
- Improved localization: Hreflang supports the correct display of linguistically and regionally adapted versions of your website in the search results, which increases relevance and user-friendliness.
- Avoiding content duplication: It helps to avoid duplicate content issues by making it clear that similar content is intended for different markets.
- SEO optimization: Improved targeting can increase visibility in search results in the relevant regions.
Hreflang is an important tool for international websites and should be integrated into the SEO strategy to ensure that content is correctly distributed to the respective target groups. While it may not be necessary for some websites, it is almost essential for multilingual and multinational platforms.
