When I start working with international websites, one of the first things I check is: are we sending users to the right version of the site based on their language and location?
If the answer is “I think so…?”, that’s my cue to dig into hreflang.
It’s a small piece of code with a huge impact. And if you’ve ever wondered why your Spanish page is showing up in France or why your English version competes with your German one ⭢ this post is for you.
Table of Contents
What Is Hreflang, Really?
Let’s keep it simple. The hreflang attribute is a signal to Google (and other search engines) that says:
“Hey, this page is for Spanish speakers in Spain.” Or “This version is for English users in the UK.”
It helps match the right content to the right person and when you’re targeting multiple languages or countries, that matters a lot.
It was introduced by Google back in 2011, and yet… it’s still one of the most misunderstood (and misused) SEO tags.
Why I Care About Hreflang (and You Should Too)
Over the years, I’ve seen hreflang tags:
- Prevent duplicate content headaches
- Improve click-through rates (by showing users the right version)
- Help international sites grow the right traffic in the right markets
How I Usually Implement Hreflang
There’s no “one size fits all” , but these are the 2 methods I choose from depending on the project:
1. On-Page Markup (My Go-To for HTML Pages)
If we’re working with standard HTML, I add hreflang tags in the <head> section of each page.
Each languge or regional version of the page needs to point to the others and to itself. That self-referencing bit? Non-negotiable.
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-us" href="https://example.com/en-us/page" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="es-es" href="https://example.com/es-es/page" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-gb" href="https://example.com/en-gb/page" />2. XML Sitemaps (My Favorite for Big Sites)
For large websites with many languages or regions, managing everything through the XML sitemap makes life easier.
<url>
<loc>https://example.com/en/page</loc>
<xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://example.com/en/page" />
<xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="fr" href="https://example.com/fr/page" />
</url>It’s tidy, scalable, and reduces the risk of page-level mistakes.
Common Pitfalls I Will Help You Avoid
Here’s where things usually go wrong — and yes, I’ve fixed all of these more than once:
- ❌ Using the wrong codes (always use ISO standard codes: en, es, fr, etc.)
- ❌ Forgetting to link back (hreflang must be bidirectional: A → B and B → A)
- ❌ Leaving out the self-reference (yes, again — it’s that important)
Also, don’t forget about “x-default”. It’s your fallback: the “this doesn’t match anything else” version. Super useful for global homepages or language selectors:
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="x-default" href="https://example.com/" />My Best Practices
Whenever I implement hreflang, I always:
- Audit existing tags (most of the time, there’s already a mess)
- Document everything in a clear spreadsheet or CMS-friendly format
- Test implementation using tools like Google Search Console or Chrome DevTools
- Review again after any site migration or redesign
Because let’s be honest — this stuff is easy to break.
Want Help Getting It Right?
If you’re running a multilingual or multiregional website and you’re not sure if hreflang is helping or hurting your SEO — I’d love to take a look. This tag may seem small, but it plays a huge role in how your international strategy performs. Reach out and let’s make sure your site speaks the right language to the right people, every time. Stay up with boostSEOwithAlba.com.
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