If your website serves content to people in different languages or regions, getting your multilingual SEO right is critical. One of the most overlooked but essential aspects of international SEO is the hreflang tag. This tag helps Google and other search engines understand which language and regional version of a page to show to users based on their location and language preferences.
In this post, we’ll break down what hreflang tags are, why they matter, and how to implement them correctly for your multilingual website.
What is an hreflang Tag?
The hreflang tag is an HTML attribute used to tell search engines which language and regional version of a webpage is intended for which audience.
Let’s say you have two versions of your website:
-
One for English speakers in the U.S. (
example.com/en-us) -
Another for Spanish speakers in Spain (
example.com/es-es)
By using hreflang tags, you’re signaling to Google:
“Hey, this version of the page is for English-speaking Americans, and that version is for Spanish speakers in Spain.”
This helps prevent duplicate content issues, improves user experience by showing the correct language version, and increases your visibility in search results for global audiences.
Why hreflang Tags Matter for SEO
Using hreflang tags has several important SEO benefits:
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Improves User Experience
Users are directed to content in their own language, reducing bounce rates and improving engagement. -
Prevents Duplicate Content Issues
Google treats identical or similar pages for different regions/languages as intentional rather than duplicate. -
Boosts Search Engine Rankings
Proper hreflang implementation can improve your page’s visibility in local search results. -
Minimizes Wrong Page Serving
Without hreflang, users in Spain might land on the English page instead of the Spanish one.
Basic Structure of an hreflang Tag
A basic hreflang tag looks like this:
Here’s what each part means:
-
rel="alternate": This indicates the link is an alternate version. -
hreflang="en-us": This specifies the language (en) and region (us). -
href: This is the URL of the alternate page.
You can use this in the <head> section of your HTML, or in your XML sitemap, or through HTTP headers.
Common hreflang Language and Region Codes
The hreflang value consists of:
-
A language code (ISO 639-1), like
enfor English oresfor Spanish. -
Optionally, a region code (ISO 3166-1 Alpha 2), like
USfor the United States orFRfor France.
Examples:
-
en: English (generic) -
en-us: English (United States) -
es: Spanish (generic) -
es-es: Spanish (Spain) -
fr-ca: French (Canada)
Make sure to use lowercase for language codes and uppercase for region codes.
How to Implement hreflang Tags
1. In the HTML <head> section
Add a <link> tag for each language version of the page, including the current one:
Always include a self-referencing tag, meaning the page should include its own hreflang tag too.
2. Using XML Sitemaps
This is cleaner for large websites. In the sitemap, each URL entry includes alternate language versions:
3. Through HTTP Headers (for non-HTML files)
Useful for PDFs or non-HTML resources:
Include the “x-default” Tag
The x-default hreflang tag tells search engines which version to serve if the user’s language/region doesn’t match any specific version. This is often used for a global homepage or a language selector page.
Example:
Common hreflang Mistakes to Avoid
-
Missing Self-references
Always include a self-referencing hreflang tag for each page. -
Broken or Incorrect URLs
Make sure all URLs are correct and accessible. -
Mismatched Tags
If Page A references Page B, then Page B should reference Page A back (reciprocal tagging). -
Incorrect Language Codes
Use standard ISO codes—don’t invent your own! -
Forgetting the x-default Tag
Especially if you have a landing page that guides users to the right version. -
Inconsistent Implementation
Don’t mix HTML head, sitemap, and HTTP headers unless you know what you’re doing. Pick one method and stick with it.
Testing Your hreflang Tags
Use tools to verify your implementation:
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Google Search Console: Reports hreflang errors for submitted sitemaps.
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Screaming Frog SEO Spider: Helps crawl and audit hreflang implementations.
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Ahrefs / SEMrush: Can detect incorrect hreflang signals on your site.
Also, you can manually check a page’s source code to confirm the hreflang entries are correct.
Final Thoughts
Hreflang tags might seem technical, but they’re one of the most important components of a successful international SEO strategy. Implementing them correctly can help you:
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Serve the right content to the right users
-
Improve user experience
-
Prevent SEO penalties for duplicate content
Whether you’re running a multilingual blog, eCommerce store, or global service website, don’t overlook hreflang. It’s your passport to a more effective international presence on the web.
Need help with hreflang setup? Feel free to drop your site details or questions in the comments. We’re here to help!
Also, you can learn more about HTTPS here.