What is a Hreflang Tag and Why is it Important for SEO?

The hreflang tag is an HTML attribute used to inform search engines about the different language and/or geographical targeting variations of a web page. It helps search engines deliver the most appropriate page to the user based on their language and location. Its importance for SEO is as follows:

Accurate Targeting: Improves user experience by delivering content in the correct language and region to users.
Solving Duplicate Content Issues: Prevents duplicate content issues by identifying different language versions of the same content.
Improving SEO Performance: Improves search engine rankings through accurate language and region targeting.
Increasing Conversion Rates: Increases conversion rates by providing content in the local language to local users.

For example, if you have an e-commerce site and sell your products in both English and German, you can use hreflang tags to show your English pages to English-speaking users and your German pages to German-speaking users.

How to Implement Hreflang Tags? (3 Different Methods)

There are three main methods for implementing hreflang tags:

HTML Tags: <link rel="alternate" hreflang="x" href="url" /> tags added to the <head> section of the page.
HTTP Headers: HTTP headers used for non-HTML files such as PDFs.
XML Sitemap: XML sitemap files used to collectively transmit hreflang information to search engines.

1. Hreflang Implementation with HTML Tags

This method is the most commonly used. <link rel="alternate" hreflang="x" href="url" /> tags are added to the <head> section of each page, showing the different language and region variations of that page.

Example:


<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-us" href="https://www.example.com/en-us/" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-gb" href="https://www.example.com/en-gb/" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="de-de" href="https://www.example.com/de-de/" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="x-default" href="https://www.example.com/" />

hreflang="en-us": Specifies the American English version of the page.
hreflang="en-gb": Specifies the British English version of the page.
hreflang="de-de": Specifies the German version of the page.
hreflang="x-default": Specifies the default page for users without a specific language or region targeting. The x-default tag must be used.

Important Note: Each page must have a self-referencing hreflang tag. That is, the English (US) version must also include its own hreflang tag.

2. Implementing Hreflang with HTTP Headers

For PDF files or other non-HTML files, hreflang information can be specified using HTTP headers.

Example:


Link: <https://www.example.com/file.pdf>; rel="alternate"; hreflang="en-us",
<https://www.example.com/de/file.pdf>; rel="alternate"; hreflang="de-de"

In this example, hreflang information is specified for both the English (US) and German versions of the file named "file.pdf".

3. Implementing Hreflang with XML Sitemap

For large websites, XML sitemap files can be used to collectively transmit hreflang information to search engines. This method offers a more manageable solution, especially for sites with a large number of language and region variations.

Example:


<url>
  <loc>https://www.example.com/en-us/</loc>
  <xhtml:link
    rel="alternate"
    hreflang="en-us"
    href="https://www.example.com/en-us/"/>
  <xhtml:link
    rel="alternate"
    hreflang="en-gb"
    href="https://www.example.com/en-gb/"/>
  <xhtml:link
    rel="alternate"
    hreflang="de-de"
    href="https://www.example.com/de-de/"/>
  <xhtml:link
    rel="alternate"
    hreflang="x-default"
    href="https://www.example.com/"/>
</url>

In this example, the XML sitemap entry for the English (US) page specifies hreflang information for other language and region variations.

What are the Common Mistakes Made in Hreflang Tags and How to Avoid Them?

It is important to implement hreflang tags correctly, otherwise your SEO performance may be negatively affected. Here are common mistakes and ways to avoid them:

Incorrect Language and Region Codes: Using codes that do not comply with ISO 639-1 (language) and ISO 3166-1 Alpha 2 (region) standards. For example, you should use "en-gb" instead of "en-UK".
Lack of Reciprocal Links: Each page not linking back to its other variations. If page A links to page B with the hreflang tag, page B must also link back to page A with the hreflang tag.
Forgetting the x-default Tag: Not specifying the default page for users who do not have a specific language or region target.
Using More Than One x-default Tag on the Same Page: This makes it difficult for search engines to determine which page is the default.
Incorrect URLs: Using incorrect or incomplete URLs. Make sure the URLs are correct and accessible.
Inconsistent Implementation: Inconsistencies between HTML tags, HTTP headers, and XML sitemap.

To avoid these errors:

Carefully check the language and region codes.
Make sure reciprocal links are set up correctly.
Remember to use the x-default tag and avoid using more than one on the same page.
Check URLs regularly and correct any errors.
Make sure your hreflang implementations are consistent.

How to Check the Accuracy of Hreflang Tags?

You can use various tools and methods to ensure that hreflang tags are implemented correctly:

Google Search Console: The "International Targeting" report in Google Search Console shows hreflang errors and warnings.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Tools: SEO tools such as Ahrefs, Semrush, Moz can analyze hreflang tags and detect errors.
Hreflang Test Tools: There are many free hreflang test tools available on the internet. These tools can analyze your URLs and check if the hreflang tags are correct.
Browser Extensions: Browser extensions such as Hreflang Checker allow you to quickly check the hreflang tags on a page.

Regularly checking hreflang tags helps you detect errors early and maintain your SEO performance.

The Relationship Between Hreflang Tags and SEO Performance

Hreflang tags are an important factor that directly affects SEO performance. When implemented correctly, it helps search engines understand the different language and region variations of your website and provides the following benefits:

Better Rankings: Improves search engine rankings by showing pages relevant to the user's language and location.
Higher Click-Through Rates (CTR): Increases click-through rates by providing content in the local language to local users.
Lower Bounce Rates: Reduces bounce rates by ensuring users find the content they are looking for.
Higher Conversion Rates: Increases conversion rates by providing content in the local language and culture to local users.

Implementing hreflang tags correctly is critical to your website's international SEO success.

Hreflang Tags Case Studies

Case Study 1: E-commerce Site

An e-commerce site sells its products in English, German, French, and Spanish. After correctly implementing hreflang tags, it achieved the following results:

Search engine traffic from Germany increased by 40%.
Conversion rates in France increased by 25%.
Bounce rates decreased by an average of 15% across all languages.

Case Study 2: News Site

A news site publishes its news in English, Spanish, and Arabic. Before implementing hreflang tags, its Spanish and Arabic content also appeared in English search results. After implementing hreflang tags, this issue was resolved, and correct targeting was achieved for each language.

Hreflang Tags and Language/Region Codes: A Comprehensive Guide

The language and region codes used in hreflang tags specify which language and region you are targeting to search engines. These codes must comply with ISO 639-1 (language) and ISO 3166-1 Alpha 2 (region) standards.

Language Codes (ISO 639-1):

Some of the most commonly used language codes are:

en: English
de: German
fr: French
es: Spanish
it: Italian
ja: Japanese
zh: Chinese
tr: Turkish
ru: Russian

Region Codes (ISO 3166-1 Alpha 2):

Some of the most commonly used region codes are:

US: United States
GB: United Kingdom
DE: Germany
FR: France
ES: Spain
IT: Italy
JP: Japan
CN: China
TR: Turkey
RU: Russia

Combination of Language and Region Codes:

Language and region codes can be combined for more specific targeting. For example:

en-us: American English
en-gb: British English
de-de: German German
fr-ca: Canadian French

Important Note: Specifying a region code is optional. By specifying only the language code, you can target all users who speak that language. For example, the "es" code will target all Spanish-speaking users (Spain, Latin America, etc.).

Table of Valid Codes That Can Be Used in Hreflang Tags:

Language Code	Region Code	Example	Description
en	US	en-us	American English
en	GB	en-gb	British English
de	DE	de-de	German German
fr	FR	fr-fr	French French
tr	TR	tr-tr	Turkish Turkish
es	ES	es-es	Spanish Spanish
es	MX	es-mx	Mexican Spanish
zh	CN	zh-cn	Chinese Mandarin Chinese
-	-	x-default	Default language/region

SEO Best Practices to Consider When Implementing Hreflang Tags

Pay attention to the following SEO best practices to implement hreflang tags correctly and effectively:

Use Correct Codes: Use codes compliant with ISO 639-1 (language) and ISO 3166-1 Alpha 2 (region) standards.
Provide Reciprocal Links: Ensure that each page reciprocally links to its other variations.
Use the x-default Tag: Specify the default page for users who do not have a specific language or region target.
Check URLs: Ensure that the URLs are correct and accessible.
Ensure Consistency: Ensure consistency between HTML tags, HTTP headers, and XML sitemap.
Check Regularly: Check hreflang tags regularly and correct errors.
Consider Mobile Compatibility: Ensure that hreflang tags work correctly on mobile devices as well.
Optimize Page Speed: Ensure that hreflang tags do not negatively affect page speed.
Improve User Experience: Improve user experience by presenting users with content in the correct language and region thanks to hreflang tags.
Analysis and Reporting: Analyze and report the SEO performance of hreflang tags.

Impact of Hreflang Tags on SEO Performance (Estimated):

Criterion	Without Hreflang Tags	With Hreflang Tags	Estimated Improvement
Search Engine Rankings	Average	High	20-40%
Click-Through Rates (CTR)	Average	High	10-20%
Bounce Rates	High	Low	15-25%
Conversion Rates	Average	High	15-30%

Visual Explanation (Schema):

A simple schema showing how hreflang tags work:

[User (Language: English, Location: USA)] --> [Search Engine] --> [Website (Hreflang Tags)] --> [English (USA) Page]

This schema shows that a user who speaks English and is located in the USA accesses a website through a search engine and is directed to the correct (English USA) page thanks to hreflang tags.