Error Checking Hreflang

Description

An error occurred while checking hreflang implementation.

How to Fix

Review your hreflang implementation manually and fix any issues.

Detailed Analysis

1. What Causes This Issue

The hreflang attribute is an HTML attribute used to specify the language and geographical targeting of a webpage. It helps search engines understand the linguistic and regional targeting of pages, particularly when you have similar content in multiple languages or for different regions. Errors in hreflang implementation can arise from several causes:

• Incorrect hreflang values: Using incorrect language codes or region codes that do not comply with the ISO 639-1 (for languages) or ISO 3166-1 Alpha 2 (for regions) standards.
• Missing return tags: If a page specifies a hreflang link pointing to another language version, that version must also link back using a hreflang tag.
• Inconsistent URLs: Using different URL formats (e.g., trailing slashes, HTTP vs. HTTPS) in hreflang tags can cause errors.
• Conflicting hreflang annotations: Multiple hreflang tags on the same page that target the same language-region combination.
• Absence of a self-referencing hreflang: Not including a hreflang tag for the current page itself can lead to misinterpretation by search engines.
• Using relative URLs: Hreflang attributes require absolute URLs to function correctly.

2. Why It's Important

• Improves user experience: Correct hreflang implementation ensures that users are directed to the most appropriate version of a webpage, enhancing their experience.
• Avoids duplicate content issues: Search engines can better understand which version of a page to show to which audience, reducing the risk of duplicate content penalties.
• Boosts SEO performance: Properly implemented hreflang tags help search engines index the right content for the right audience, potentially improving rankings and CTR (Click Through Rate).
• Increases international reach: By targeting multiple languages or regions accurately, businesses can extend their market reach effectively.

3. Best Practices to Prevent It

• Validate hreflang tags: Use tools like Google's Search Console or third-party validation tools to check for errors in hreflang implementation.
• Always use ISO standards: Ensure that language and region codes comply with the ISO 639-1 and ISO 3166-1 standards.
• Include self-referencing hreflang tags: Always have a self-referencing hreflang tag pointing to the current page.
• Ensure bidirectional tagging: If a page A has a hreflang pointing to page B, page B should also have a hreflang pointing back to page A.
• Use consistent URLs: Ensure that the URLs used in hreflang tags are consistent in terms of protocol and structure (e.g., either all with trailing slashes or none).
• Deploy absolute URLs: Always use absolute URLs in hreflang annotations to avoid issues with relative paths.

4. Examples of Good and Bad Cases

Good Case:

<link rel="alternate" href="https://example.com/en/" hreflang="en" />
<link rel="alternate" href="https://example.com/es/" hreflang="es" />
<link rel="alternate" href="https://example.com/en/" hreflang="x-default" />

• Uses correct ISO language codes.
• Includes self-referencing and bidirectional links.
• Avoids any URL inconsistencies.

Bad Case:

<link rel="alternate" href="/en/" hreflang="en-US" />
<link rel="alternate" href="https://example.com/es/" hreflang="es" />
<link rel="alternate" href="example.com/en/" hreflang="en" />

• Uses relative URLs (e.g., /en/), which are incorrect.
• Has conflicting hreflang for en and en-US without clear direction.
• Missing self-referencing hreflang for the current page.
• The inconsistent URL format for the English page (example.com/en/ should be https://example.com/en/).

By adhering to these guidelines and examples, businesses can ensure a more effective international SEO strategy, improving their visibility and user experience across different languages and regions.