hreflang: the ultimate guide

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hreflang tags are a method solution for sites with akin contented successful aggregate languages. The proprietor of a multilingual tract wants hunt engines to nonstop radical to the contented successful their language. Say a idiosyncratic is Dutch, and the leafage that ranks is English, but there’s besides a Dutch version. You would privation Google to amusement the Dutch leafage successful the hunt results for that Dutch user. This is the benignant of occupation hreflang is mounting retired to solve.

hreflang tags are among the astir analyzable specs we’ve ever seen travel retired of a hunt engine. Because doing it close is challenging and takes time. That’s wherefore this usher aims to forestall you from falling into communal traps, truthful beryllium definite to work it thoroughly if you’re embarking connected an hreflang project.

Need assistance implementing hreflang arsenic portion of your planetary SEO project? Our Multilingual SEO training (part of our Yoast SEO academy grooming subscription) is designed to assistance you recognize the process and enactment it into practice. You’ll person a slayer planetary SEO strategy successful nary time.

What are hreflang tags for?

hreflang tags are a method to people up pages that are akin successful meaning but aimed astatine antithetic languages and/or regions. There are 3 communal ways to instrumentality hreflang:

Content with determination variations similar en-us and en-gb.
Content successful antithetic languages similar en, de and fr.
A operation of antithetic languages and determination variations.

hreflang tags are commonly utilized to people antithetic markets that usage the aforesaid connection – for example, to differentiate betwixt the US and the UK oregon betwixt Germany and Austria.

What’s the SEO payment of hreflang?

So wherefore are we adjacent talking astir hreflang? What is the SEO benefit? From an SEO constituent of view, determination are 2 main reasons you should instrumentality it.

First of all, if you person a mentation of a leafage that you person optimized for the users’ connection and location, you privation them to onshore connected that page. Because having the close connection and location-dependent accusation improves their idiosyncratic acquisition and frankincense leads to less radical bouncing backmost to the hunt results. And less radical bouncing backmost to the hunt results leads to higher rankings.

The 2nd crushed is that hreflang prevents the problem of duplicate content. If you person the aforesaid contented successful English connected antithetic URLs aimed astatine the UK, the US, and Australia, the quality connected these pages mightiness beryllium arsenic tiny arsenic a alteration successful prices and currency. But without hreflang, Google mightiness not recognize what you’re trying to bash and spot it arsenic duplicate content. With hreflang, you marque it precise wide to the hunt motor that it’s (almost) the aforesaid content, conscionable optimized for antithetic people.

What is hreflang?

hreflang is code, which you tin amusement to hunt engines successful 3 antithetic ways – and there’s much connected that below. Using this code, you specify each the antithetic URLs connected your site(s) with the aforesaid content. These URLs tin person the aforesaid contented successful a overseas connection oregon the aforesaid connection but targeted astatine a antithetic region.

What does hreflang achieve?

Who supports hreflang?

hreflang is supported by Google and Yandex. Bing doesn’t person an equivalent but does enactment language meta tags. For Bing, the content-language tag is simply a acold stronger awesome than hreflang.

In a implicit hreflang implementation, each URL specifies which different variations are available. When a idiosyncratic searches, Google goes done the pursuing process:

it determines that it wants to fertile a URL;
checks whether that URL has hreflang annotations;
it presents the searcher with the results with the astir due URL for that user.

The user’s existent determination and connection settings find the astir due URL (and to complicate things, a idiosyncratic tin person aggregate languages successful their browser’s settings; and the bid successful which these languages look determines the astir due language).

Should you usage hreflang?

Tip: homepage first!

If you’re not definite connected whether you privation to instrumentality hreflang connected your full site, commencement with your homepage! People searching for your marque volition get the close page. This is simply a batch easier to instrumentality and it volition “catch” a ample portion of your traffic.

Now that we’ve learned what hreflang is and however it works, we tin determine whether you should usage it. Use hreflang when:

you person the aforesaid contented successful aggregate languages;
you person contented aimed astatine antithetic geographic regions but successful the aforesaid language.

It doesn’t substance whether your contented resides connected 1 domain oregon aggregate domains. You tin nexus variations wrong the aforesaid domain but tin besides nexus betwixt domains.

Architectural implementation choices

One happening is indispensable erstwhile implementing hreflang: don’t beryllium excessively specific! Let’s accidental you person 3 types of pages:

Regular German connection content
German connection content, specifically aimed astatine Austria
German connection content, specifically aimed astatine Switzerland

You could take to instrumentality them utilizing 3 hreflang attributes similar this:

de-de, which targets German speakers successful Germany
de-at, targeting German speakers successful Austria
de-ch, targeting German speakers successful Switzerland

However, which of these 3 results should Google amusement to idiosyncratic searching successful German successful Belgium, for example? In this case, the archetypal leafage would astir apt beryllium the best. To guarantee that each idiosyncratic searching successful German who does not lucifer either de-at oregon de-ch gets the champion default, we should alteration that hreflang property to conscionable de. In galore cases, specifying just the connection is simply a astute happening to do.

It’s bully to cognize that the astir circumstantial 1 wins erstwhile you make sets of links similar this. The bid successful which the hunt motor sees the links doesn’t matter; it’ll ever effort to lucifer from astir circumstantial to slightest specific.

Technical implementation – the basics

There are 3 basal rules careless of which benignant of implementation you take – and there’s much connected that below.

1. Valid hreflang attributes

The hreflang property needs to incorporate a worth that consists of the language, which tin beryllium combined with a region. In different words, the connection property needs to beryllium successful ISO 639-1 format (a two-letter code).

Wrong portion codes

Google tin woody with immoderate of the communal mistakes with portion codes, though you shouldn’t instrumentality immoderate chances. For instance, it tin woody with en-uk conscionable arsenic good arsenic with the “correct” en-gb. However, en-eu does not work, arsenic eu doesn’t specify a country.

The portion is optional and should beryllium successful ISO 3166-1 Alpha 2 format; much precisely, it should beryllium an officially assigned element. Use this list from Wikipedia to verify you’re utilizing the close portion and connection codes. Because this is wherever things often spell wrong: utilizing the incorrect portion codification is simply a wide problem.

2. Return links

The 2nd basal regularisation is astir instrumentality links. Regardless of your benignant of implementation, each URL needs instrumentality links to each different URL, and these links should constituent astatine the canonical versions; more connected that below. The much languages you have, the much you mightiness beryllium tempted to bounds those instrumentality links – but don’t. If you person 80 languages, you’ll person hreflang links for 80 URLs, and there’s nary getting astir it.

3. hreflang nexus to self

The 3rd and last basal regularisation is astir self-links. It whitethorn consciousness weird to bash this, conscionable arsenic those instrumentality links mightiness consciousness weird, but they are essential, and your implementation volition not enactment without them.

Technical implementation choices

There are 3 ways to instrumentality hreflang:

using nexus elements successful the <head>
using HTTP headers
or utilizing an XML sitemap.

Each has its uses, truthful we’ll explicate them and sermon which you should choose.

1. HTML hreflang nexus elements successful your <head>

The archetypal method to instrumentality hreflang we’ll sermon is HTML hreflang nexus elements. And you bash this by adding codification similar this to the <head> conception of each page:

As each saltation needs to nexus to each different variation, these implementations tin go rather extended and dilatory your tract down. If you person 20 languages, choosing HTML nexus elements would mean adding 20 nexus elements arsenic shown supra to each page. That’s 1.5KB connected each leafage load that nary idiosyncratic volition ever usage but volition inactive person to download. On apical of that, your CMS volition person to bash respective database calls to make each these links. This markup is purely meant for hunt engines. That’s wherefore I would not urge this for larger sites, arsenic it adds acold excessively overmuch unnecessary overhead.

The 2nd method of implementing hreflang is done HTTP headers. HTTP headers are for each your PDFs and different non-HTML contented you mightiness privation to optimize. Link elements enactment nicely for HTML documents, but not for different types of contented arsenic you can’t see them. That’s wherever HTTP headers travel successful and they should look similar this:

Link: <https://es.example.com/document.pdf>; rel="alternate"; hreflang="es", <https://en.example.com/document.pdf>; rel="alternate"; hreflang="en", <https://de.example.com/document.pdf>; rel="alternate"; hreflang="de"

Having a batch of HTTP headers is akin to the occupation with nexus elements successful your <head>: it adds a batch of overhead to each request.

3. An XML sitemap hreflang implementation

The 3rd enactment to instrumentality hreflang is utilizing XML sitemap markup. It uses the xhtml:link property successful XML sitemaps to adhd the annotation to each URL. It works precise overmuch successful the aforesaid mode arsenic you would successful a page’s <head> with <link> elements. If you thought nexus elements were lengthy, the XML sitemap implementation is worse. To illustrate, this is the markup needed for conscionable 1 URL with 2 different languages:

<url> <loc>https://www.example.com/uk/</loc> <xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://www.example.com/" /> <xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-au" href="https://www.example.com/au/" /> <xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-gb" href="https://www.example.com/uk/" /> </url>

You tin spot it has a self-referencing URL arsenic the 3rd URL, specifying the circumstantial URL is meant for en-gb, and it defines 2 different languages. Now, some antithetic URLs would request to beryllium successful the sitemap too, which looks similar this:

<url> <loc>https://www.example.com/</loc> <xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://www.example.com/" /> <xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-au" href="https://www.example.com/au/" /> <xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-gb" href="https://www.example.com/uk/" /> </url> <url> <loc>https://www.example.com/au/</loc> <xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://www.example.com/" /> <xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-au" href="https://www.example.com/au/" /> <xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-gb" href="https://www.example.com/uk/" /> </url>

As you tin see, we’re lone changing the URLs wrong the <loc> element, arsenic everything other should beryllium the same. Each URL has a self-referencing hreflang property and instrumentality links to the due different URLs with this method.

XML sitemap markup similar this is precise verbose: you request a batch of output to bash this for galore URLs. The payment of an XML sitemap implementation is simple: your mean users won’t beryllium bothered with this markup. You don’t extremity up adding other leafage weight, and it doesn’t necessitate a batch of database calls connected leafage load to make this markup.

Another payment of adding hreflang done the XML sitemap is that it’s usually a batch easier to alteration an XML sitemap than to alteration each the pages connected a site. This way, there’s nary request to spell done ample support processes, and possibly you tin adjacent get nonstop entree to the XML sitemap file.

Other method aspects of an hreflang implementation

Once you’ve decided connected your implementation method, determination are a mates of different method considerations you should cognize astir earlier you commencement implementing hreflang.

hreflang x-default

x-default is simply a peculiar hreflang property worth that specifies wherever a idiosyncratic should beryllium sent if nary of the languages you’ve acceptable successful your different hreflang links lucifer their browser settings. In a nexus element, it looks similar this:

When it was introduced, it was explained arsenic being for “international landing pages”, i.e., pages wherever you redirect users based connected their location. However, it tin beryllium described arsenic the last “catch-all” of each the hreflang statements. It’s wherever users volition beryllium sent if their determination and connection don’t lucifer thing else.

In the German example, we mentioned above, a idiosyncratic searching successful English inactive wouldn’t person a URL that fits them. That’s 1 of the cases wherever x-default comes into play. You’d adhd a 4th nexus to the markup and extremity up with these four:

de
de-at
de-ch
x-default

In this case, the x-default nexus would constituent to the same URL arsenic the de one. We wouldn’t counsel you to region the de link, though, adjacent though technically that would make precisely the aforesaid result. In the agelong run, it’s usually amended to person some arsenic it specifies the connection of the de leafage – and it makes the codification easier to read.

hreflang and rel=canonical

rel="canonical"

If you don’t cognize what rel=”canonical” is, work this article!

rel="alternate" hreflang="x" markup and rel="canonical" tin and should beryllium utilized together. Every connection should person a rel="canonical" nexus pointing to itself. In the archetypal example, this would look similar this, assuming that we’re connected the example.com homepage:

If we were connected the en-gb page, lone the canonical would change:

Don’t mistake mounting the canonical connected the en-gb leafage to https://www.example.com/, arsenic this breaks the implementation. The hreflang links indispensable constituent to the canonical mentation of each URL due to the fact that these systems should enactment manus successful hand!

Now, erstwhile you’ve travel this far, you’ll astir apt beryllium reasoning “wow this is hard”! We cognize – we thought that erstwhile we archetypal started learning astir it. But luckily, determination are rather a fewer tools disposable if you situation to statesman implementing hreflang.

hreflang tag generator

Aleyda Solis, who has besides written a batch astir this topic, has created a adjuvant hreflang tag generator that helps you make nexus elements. Even erstwhile you’re not utilizing a nexus constituent implementation, this tin beryllium utile to marque immoderate illustration code.

hreflang XML sitemap generator

Digital selling bureau Erudite has created an hreflang XML sitemap generator. Just provender it a CSV with URLs per language, creating an XML sitemap. This is simply a important archetypal measurement erstwhile you determine to instrumentality the sitemap route.

The CSV record you provender this XML sitemap generator needs a file for each language. So if you privation to adhd an x-default URL to it, conscionable make a file called x-default.

Making definite hreflang keeps working: process

Once you’ve created a moving hreflang setup, you request to acceptable up attraction processes. It’s astir apt besides a bully thought to regularly audit your implementation to guarantee it’s inactive acceptable up correctly.

Make definite that radical successful your institution who woody with contented connected your tract cognize astir hreflang truthful that they won’t bash things that interruption your implementation. Two things are essential:

When a leafage is deleted, cheque whether its counterparts are updated.
When a leafage is redirected, alteration the hreflang URLs connected its counterparts.

If you bash that and audit regularly, you shouldn’t tally into immoderate issues.

Conclusion

Setting up hreflang is simply a cumbersome process. It’s a demanding modular with galore circumstantial things you should cognize and woody with. This usher volition beryllium updated arsenic caller things are introduced astir this specification, and champion practices evolve, truthful cheque backmost erstwhile you’re moving connected your implementation again!

Implementing hreflang is an indispensable portion of method SEO. But there’s much that you tin enactment connected to get your method SEO successful vessel signifier again. Find retired however technically acceptable your website is with our technical SEO fittingness quiz and find retired what you tin inactive enactment on.

Joost de Valk

Joost de Valk is the laminitis and Chief Product Officer of Yoast. He's an net entrepreneur, who adjacent to founding Yoast has invested successful and advised respective startups. His main expertise is unfastened root bundle improvement and integer marketing.

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