Hreflang is broken. Stop cannibalizing your global SEO
1. The Fear of Duplicate Content
Itās happened to many of us: you write an incredible article in English, translate it to Spanish with all the love in the world, and suddenly Google decides both pages are āthe sameā and only shows one. Or worse, it shows the Spanish version to your users in New York.
This happens because we focus so much on making the skeleton of our web perfect that we forget to add the tags that indicate the language. Hreflang is your pageās āpassportā: it tells Google exactly who to show each version to.
Hreflang
The language map. Connect your translations so Google doesn't get lost.
Canonical
Avoid imitations. Tell Google which is the original and primary page.
Lang Tag
The basics: declaring the base language of your HTML. Simple but vital.
2. The Deadly Sins of International SEO
You donāt need to be a grammar expert, but you do need to have these three rules clear:
- Bidirectionality: If page A says its English version is B, page B must say its Spanish version is A. Otherwise, Google ignores the link as suspicious.
- Self-reference: Each page must include an hreflang link to itself. Itās like saying: āI am the English version of this content.ā
- Canonical vs Hreflang: The canonical tag should point to the current URL (in its language), while hreflang points to the variants. Itās a common mistake to point the English versionās canonical to the Spanish one. Donāt do it!
Achieving this can be a headache, just like when you try to keep your Core Web Vitals in the green, but itās the difference between being a local brand and a global one.
Are Your Tags Correctly Placed?
Don't go crazy checking the source code tab by tab. With SEO Expert, you can see all your hreflang and canonical tags at a glance. If something is missing or thereās an error, the extension will let you know before Google does.
3. The Importance of Context
SEO isnāt just about translation. Itās about adaptation. Ensure your language tags (lang) match the actual content. You wouldnāt want your web to have a high-efficiency code efficient code structure but have a translation error cause the user to bounce.
Remember:
- Usa cĆ³digos de idioma estĆ”ndar (ISO 639-1) como
esoen. - If you need to be region-specific, use
en-USoren-GB. - The
x-defaulttag is your best friend for users who donāt fit any specific language.
Tip: The Automatic Validator
Most international SEO errors are \"invisible\" to the human eye. SEO Expert makes them visible by injecting alerts directly into your dashboard.
4. Conclusion: The World is Your Market
Donāt let technical fear hold you back. Implementing Hreflang and Canonical correctly is a giant step towards scaling your business. Itās about putting your house in order so you can invite people from all over the world.
Want to know if your translations are ātalkingā to each other well? Activate our extension and check it out right now. Itās free and will save you hours of frustration!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about International SEO
Q. Can I use Hreflang if I only have one language?
Itās not necessary. Hreflang is specifically for connecting regional or language variants. If you only speak one language, focus on having a good `lang` tag and a solid `canonical` URL.
Q. What is x-default?
Itās the \"fallback\" page. If a user enters from France and you only have English and Spanish versions, Google will show them the version you marked as `x-default` (usually the English one).