hreflang

hreflang in plain English

hreflang is an annotation that tells search engines which language and, optionally, which country each version of a page is meant for, such as en-gb, en-us or fr-fr. It's usually added as link elements in the page head, in the sitemap or in HTTP headers. Each version should list all the others and itself. Google's guide to localised versions of pages explains the rules.

How to check hreflang on your site

If you have more than one version of your site, view the source of a page on each version and look for "hreflang". Every version should reference every other version, including itself, with correct codes. Free hreflang testing tools check that the annotations are reciprocal and point to live, indexable pages.

A worked example

A UK ecommerce brand launches a US version of its site with dollar prices and US spelling. Without hreflang, Google sometimes shows the US pages to UK shoppers. Adding hreflang annotations for en-gb and en-us, plus an x-default, helps each audience see the right version.

Where it usually goes wrong

• Using "en-uk" instead of the correct "en-gb".
• Missing return links, so annotations aren't reciprocal.
• Pointing hreflang at pages that redirect or are set to noindex.
• Adding hreflang to a single-language, single-country site where it isn't needed.

Why a small site should care

Most UK small businesses with one English-language site don't need hreflang at all. It matters when you have separate versions for different countries or languages, for example a UK site and an Irish site with different prices, so the right version appears for the right searcher.

Connected technical terms

• Geo-targeting: Aligning pages and signals to a geographic market.
• Canonical URL: The preferred URL for duplicate or similar content, declared with rel=canonical.
• Duplicate content: Same or near-identical content on multiple URLs.