Hreflang – Simpler Than It Sounds

Hreflang is one of those SEO topics that sounds a lot more complicated than it actually is. In essence, hreflang is a way to tell Google which version of your website to show users in different countries. For example, if you have an English website and a Spanish website, you would use hreflang tags to tell Google that the Spanish version is for users in Spain, and the English version is for users in all other countries. This helps ensure that users see the correct website when they search on Google, based on their location. But what does this mean? Let’s explore hreflang in more detail!

What is Hreflang?

As noted in the introduction, hreflang is a way to tell Google which version of your website to show users in different countries; this is done by adding tags to the HTML of your website’s pages. As an example, let’s say you have a website with both an English and Spanish version. If a user searches Google in Spain, you would want them to be shown the Spanish version of your website; hreflang tags would help make this happen.

Without hreflang tags, Google may show the English version of your website to Spanish users, which would not be ideal. In addition, hreflang tags can also be used to target specific languages or dialects; this can be helpful if you have a website aimed at Spanish speakers in Spain, as opposed to Spanish speakers in Mexico, for example.

Overall, hreflang tags are a helpful way to ensure that your website’s content is being shown to the right audience, in the right language. If you have a website with multiple languages or dialects, hreflang tags are necessary for a positive experience for everyone around the world.

If you lack experience in this area and even the topic is making you a little nervous, choose an SEO company that can help get your website where it needs to be, whether this includes hreflang tags or other technical aspects of SEO.

How to Use Hreflang Tags

There are a few different things to keep in mind when using hreflang tags:

• First, make sure you’re using the right language and dialect codes. The most common codes are ISO-693-15, but there are other options as well.
• Second, each page should only have one hreflang tag. This can be accomplished by using the “rel” attribute.
• Next, don’t forget to check your work. Make sure all of your hreflang tags are pointing to the correct pages. Get this process wrong and you could be inadvertently telling search engines to ignore your content or send the wrong page to each audience.
• Finally, keep in mind that hreflang tags are only one part of the puzzle. They won’t do much good if the rest of your content isn’t up to snuff. Make sure you’re creating high-quality, targeted content for each audience and you’ll be well on your way to success.

Hreflang tags may seem daunting at first, but they’re actually quite simple. By following the steps above, you can ensure that your content is being seen by the right people at the right time. So what are you waiting for?

As mentioned, feel free to contact a professional service if you need help implementing hreflang tags on your website. Rather than struggling and potentially getting it wrong, why not let the experts handle it? After all, your time is better spent on your areas of strength!