Hreflang and international SEO: Improve global positioning
Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2025 6:23 am
When we talk about international SEO , the hreflang attribute is key to tell Google which version of your website to display based on the user's language or region. It is a key and basic element if we want to work on international SEO aspects of any project, especially when we do not have a territorial domain that already predefines that objective.
What is the hreflang attribute?
An hreflang is an HTML tag that tells search engines what language and region a page is intended for. This is useful to prevent a page in the wrong language from being shown to users in other countries. For example, you can have Spanish versions for Spain and English versions for the US, and with hreflang you ensure that users see the correct version.
For more details, see Google's official documentation on hreflang .
How is it implemented?
The hreflang can be added directly to the page's HTML and/or to the sitemap. A basic example would be:
hreflang example
The elements we see in the code are:
href : URL of the page in the specific language.
hreflang : The language code and, optionally, the country in ISO 639-1 format for the language (such as "es" for Spanish, "fr" for French) and the country code according to ISO 3166-1 Alpha 2 (such as "mx" for Mexico).
x-default : Used to indicate the default version of the page for users whose language or country does not have a specific version.
Its importance for international SEO
Avoid duplicate content: Hreflang helps Google not interpret your regional or multilingual versions as duplicate content. We could even have versions with identical or very similar content for several countries, and in this way we finland whatsapp data can position ourselves without being penalized.
Better user experience: Ensures that users, if they perform a search on Google, see the appropriate version of your website according to their language and capabilities, and that improves their experience.
International visibility: Increase the chances of your website being visible in the right countries.
Implementation in WordPress with WPML
If you work with WordPress with WPML , it already automatically manages the hreflang tags . Once the languages are configured in WPML, it generates the necessary tags without manual intervention. You can leave the language as is, or add a tag to geolocalize it.
hreflang wpml
Implementation in PrestaShop
PrestaShop automatically includes hreflang when you set up different languages for your store, very similar to Wordpress. Check that the tags are added correctly and use additional modules if necessary.
hreflang prestashop
Implementation on Shopify
Shopify does not add hreflang automatically. You must use apps like Langify or WeGlot to manage the implementation, or manually add the tags in your theme code.
Frequently asked questions about hreflang
Can I implement hreflang on a single language website?
There is no point in implementing hreflang if your website is only in one language. It is only needed when you have multiple versions of the same page in different languages or regions.
Is there an official Google tool to check if it is implemented correctly?
You could use Google Search Console to check your hreflang implementation, specifically the "International Targeting Report" and the URL Inspection tool. Now you can't, so you'll need to use external validators.
Can I use hreflang on a multi-domain website?
Yes, hreflang works on both language-based subfolders and multi-domain websites. Just make sure you link the versions together properly.
Can I rank the same URL in one language for multiple countries?
Yes, you can use the same URL and hreflang tags to target multiple countries that share the same language, such as Spanish for multiple Latin American countries.
What happens if I have a multilingual website but not all pages are translated?
You should not include hreflang for versions that do not exist. Use the x-default tag to redirect to the default page when translations are missing.
Related service
International SEO
International SEO Agency
What is the hreflang attribute?
An hreflang is an HTML tag that tells search engines what language and region a page is intended for. This is useful to prevent a page in the wrong language from being shown to users in other countries. For example, you can have Spanish versions for Spain and English versions for the US, and with hreflang you ensure that users see the correct version.
For more details, see Google's official documentation on hreflang .
How is it implemented?
The hreflang can be added directly to the page's HTML and/or to the sitemap. A basic example would be:
hreflang example
The elements we see in the code are:
href : URL of the page in the specific language.
hreflang : The language code and, optionally, the country in ISO 639-1 format for the language (such as "es" for Spanish, "fr" for French) and the country code according to ISO 3166-1 Alpha 2 (such as "mx" for Mexico).
x-default : Used to indicate the default version of the page for users whose language or country does not have a specific version.
Its importance for international SEO
Avoid duplicate content: Hreflang helps Google not interpret your regional or multilingual versions as duplicate content. We could even have versions with identical or very similar content for several countries, and in this way we finland whatsapp data can position ourselves without being penalized.
Better user experience: Ensures that users, if they perform a search on Google, see the appropriate version of your website according to their language and capabilities, and that improves their experience.
International visibility: Increase the chances of your website being visible in the right countries.
Implementation in WordPress with WPML
If you work with WordPress with WPML , it already automatically manages the hreflang tags . Once the languages are configured in WPML, it generates the necessary tags without manual intervention. You can leave the language as is, or add a tag to geolocalize it.
hreflang wpml
Implementation in PrestaShop
PrestaShop automatically includes hreflang when you set up different languages for your store, very similar to Wordpress. Check that the tags are added correctly and use additional modules if necessary.
hreflang prestashop
Implementation on Shopify
Shopify does not add hreflang automatically. You must use apps like Langify or WeGlot to manage the implementation, or manually add the tags in your theme code.
Frequently asked questions about hreflang
Can I implement hreflang on a single language website?
There is no point in implementing hreflang if your website is only in one language. It is only needed when you have multiple versions of the same page in different languages or regions.
Is there an official Google tool to check if it is implemented correctly?
You could use Google Search Console to check your hreflang implementation, specifically the "International Targeting Report" and the URL Inspection tool. Now you can't, so you'll need to use external validators.
Can I use hreflang on a multi-domain website?
Yes, hreflang works on both language-based subfolders and multi-domain websites. Just make sure you link the versions together properly.
Can I rank the same URL in one language for multiple countries?
Yes, you can use the same URL and hreflang tags to target multiple countries that share the same language, such as Spanish for multiple Latin American countries.
What happens if I have a multilingual website but not all pages are translated?
You should not include hreflang for versions that do not exist. Use the x-default tag to redirect to the default page when translations are missing.
Related service
International SEO
International SEO Agency