Hreflang Tags and How to Implement Them
Hreflang is an HTML tag that helps search engines understand the language and regional targeting of your web pages. Proper implementation of hreflang can improve the search engine optimization (SEO) of your website, especially if you have content in multiple languages or for specific regions. Here are some tips for using hreflang on your website:
1. Understand Hreflang Values:
- `x-default`: Use this for the default language or if the user's language is not available.
- Language Codes: Follow ISO 639-1 or ISO 639-2 language codes (e.g., "en" for English, "es" for Spanish).
- Country Codes: Follow ISO 3166-1 Alpha-2 country codes (e.g., "us" for the United States, "es" for Spain).
2. Choose the Right Implementation:
HTML Link Element: Use the `<link>` tag in the `<head>` section of your HTML.
example:
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://Yoursitename.com/en/page.html" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="es" href="https://Yoursitename.com/es/page.html" />
HTTP Header: You can also implement hreflang in the HTTP header of your page.
example:
Link: <https://Yoursitename.com/en/page.html>; rel="alternate"; hreflang="en"
Link: <https://Yoursitename.com/es/page.html>; rel="alternate"; hreflang="es"
3. Use Hreflang with Canonical Tags:
Combine hreflang with canonical tags to specify the preferred version of a page.
example:
<link rel="canonical" href="https://Yoursitename.com/en/page.html" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://Yoursitename.com/en/page.html" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="es" href="https://Yoursitename.com/es/page.html" />
4. Consistency Across Pages:
Ensure consistency across all pages and their hreflang annotations.
5. Check for Errors:
Use Google Search Console or other SEO tools to check for hreflang errors.
Verify that the hreflang values match the actual content of the pages.
6. Avoid Redirect Chains:
Avoid redirect chains between different language versions of a page.
7. Include Self-Referencing Hreflang Tags:
Include a self-referencing hreflang tag for each language version of a page.
example:
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://Yoursitename.com/en/page.html" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="es" href="https://Yoursitename.com/es/page.html" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="x-default" href="https://Yoursitename.com/default/page.html" />
8. Use Sitemap:
Include hreflang annotations in your XML sitemap.
9. Hreflang for Mobile Versions:
If you have separate mobile versions of your pages, include hreflang annotations for them.
10. Test with Google's International Targeting Tool:
Google provides a tool in Search Console to test and troubleshoot hreflang implementation.
Always test your hreflang implementation and monitor its performance using tools like Google Search Console. Regularly check for errors and ensure that the hreflang annotations match the actual content and language targeting of your pages.
About Me
- HITENDRA V BARI
- MY NAME IS HITENDRA V BARI. Masters in Physics and then working as a Digital Marketing Manager (SEO, SEM, SMM and Research analyst). I'm regular , parttime blogger like to blogs on various trending, on going topics but in different way. One of my biggest dream is that to give speech on stage, with a lakhs of people viewing me live around the world.
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