If your website has versions for different countries — for example the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia — search engines need help understanding which page belongs where. That is the job of hreflang annotations.
What hreflang does
Hreflang links equivalent pages together and labels each with a language and, optionally, a country, such as en-gb or en-au. Search engines use it to show the most suitable version to each searcher.
Common mistakes
- Missing return links: every page in a set must reference all the others, including itself.
- Wrong codes: use language and country codes correctly, such as en-gb rather than en-uk.
- Pointing to redirected or blocked pages: every URL must return a normal, indexable page.
- Forgetting x-default: a fallback for visitors from other locations.
- Conflicting canonicals: each page should canonicalise to itself, not to another country version.
Structure your site sensibly
Subfolders such as /en-gb/ and /en-au/ on one domain are simple to manage and share authority. Separate domains can work too, but need more effort to build authority in each.
Localise, do not duplicate
Pages for different countries should reflect local spelling, currency, examples and contact details. Near-identical copies offer little value.
FAQs
Is hreflang a ranking factor?
It does not boost rankings directly, but it helps the right page appear in each market.
Can hreflang go in the sitemap?
Yes, it can be added in HTML, HTTP headers or the XML sitemap.
Do we need it for English-only sites?
If you target several English-speaking countries with different pages, yes.
