Hreflang is an HTML attribute that tells search engines which language and country version of a page to serve to which users. It sounds simple; most sites still implement it wrong.
When You Need It
Any site with more than one language or country-targeted version of the same content — for example, separate US and UK pages targeting the same product.
Common Mistakes
- Missing the return-tag requirement — every page referenced in a hreflang set must reference every other page back, including itself.
- Using hreflang without matching content — tagging a US and UK version as alternates when the content is actually identical (in that case, you likely don’t need separate pages at all).
- Forgetting the x-default tag for users who don’t match any specified region.
Checking It’s Working
Google Search Console’s International Targeting report (where available) and manual URL inspection are the most reliable ways to confirm implementation. This is standard groundwork in our international SEO engagements.
