To reach a global audience has become a necessity in a world where we are more connected than ever before. But translating your content is not enough. To ensure users see the correct version of your website in their preferred language, you must implement hreflang tags correctly.
In this guide we review the importance of hreflang-tags for international SEO, the most common mistakes, and how best to handle hreflang-tags on multilingual websites. We also introduce Signocore SEO, a powerful WordPress plugin that makes implementing hreflang easy and efficient.
What are hreflang-tags, and why are they important?
Hreflang-tags are HTML attributes that tell search engines how different language and regional versions of a page hang together. For example, if you have an English version of your content for both the USA and the UK, hreflang-tags help ensure that users in the USA see the American version, while users in the UK see the British version.
Benefits of hreflang-tags
Hreflang-tags improve user experience by showing content in the preferred language and reduce bounce rate as users land on the right version of the page. They also help avoid issues with duplicate content, as search engines understand that the different language versions are unique.
How do hreflang-tags work?
Hreflang-tags use a combination of language and region codes (e.g. en-us for English in the USA) to indicate which page is relevant for which audience.
An example of hreflang-implementation:
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="da-dk" href="https://example.com/dk/" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-gb" href="https://example.com/uk/" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="x-default" href="https://example.com/" />
x-default functions as a default version shown to users who do not match any of the specified language or region codes.
Common mistakes when implementing hreflang-tags
Incorrect language or region codes, such as using en_UK instead of en-gb, can confuse search engines. Missing self-referential tags, where each page does not include a reference to itself, is a common error. Broken links in hreflang-tags can lead to crawling issues, and if hreflang annotations are not reciprocal, they lose their effectiveness. Although sitemaps can support hreflang, you should not rely solely on them without also including hreflang in the HTML code.
Tips for handling hreflang on multilingual websites
Use a reliable WordPress plugin such as Signocore SEO to simplify the process and minimize errors. Adapt your content to regional needs by taking local preferences and cultural differences into account. Perform regular audits to ensure your hreflang-tags function correctly. Always include a x-default tag as a fallback version for users without a specific match.
Why choose Signocore SEO for hreflang implementation?
For WordPress users, Signocore SEO is an effective solution for technical SEO, including managing hreflang-tags.
Benefits of Signocore SEO for hreflang
Signocore SEO automatically identifies different language versions of your content and ensures correct implementation. The plugin also optimizes x-default for a global audience and focuses on performance so your website stays fast and efficient. With a user-friendly interface, even non-technical users can easily manage hreflang-tags.
By using Signocore SEO you can ensure that your WordPress-website presents the right content to the right audience, improving your international SEO and at the same time creating a better user experience.
Final thoughts
Hreflang-tags are a crucial part of international SEO, because they help search engines show the most relevant content to users worldwide. To avoid common pitfalls and achieve the best results, correct implementation is a must.
With tools like Signocore SEO it becomes easy and effective to manage hreflang-tags on WordPress. Whether you target multiple languages, regions, or both, it is worth investing in good hreflang practices to expand your global reach and improve the user experience.
Are you ready to optimize your WordPress-website for a global audience? Explore Signocore SEO’s features here.
