Invalid Hreflang Region Code

Description

The page contains hreflang tags with invalid region codes.

How to Fix

Update the hreflang tags to use valid ISO 3166-1 Alpha-2 region codes.

Detailed Analysis

1. What Causes This Issue:

   The "Invalid Hreflang Region Code" issue arises when the hreflang attribute on a webpage uses incorrect or non-standard region codes. Hreflang tags are used to inform search engines about the language and geographic targeting of a webpage. They consist of a language code and optionally, a region code. The issue occurs when:

   • The region code is not a valid ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code.
   • The region code is incorrectly formatted or misspelled.
   • The language code is used with an invalid or unnecessary region code.

2. Why It's Important:

   Correct hreflang implementation is crucial for SEO as it helps search engines serve the correct regional or language version of a webpage to the appropriate audience. Invalid hreflang region codes can lead to:

   • Search engines ignoring hreflang annotations, leading to improper indexing and ranking of pages.
   • Poor user experience as users may be directed to a page in the wrong language or for the wrong region.
   • Potential loss of traffic and revenue if users are not served content in their preferred language or regional variation.
   • Wasted crawl budget as search engines attempt to understand the incorrect hreflang tags.

3. Best Practices to Prevent It:

   • Use Valid ISO Codes: Ensure both language and region codes comply with ISO standards. Language codes should follow ISO 639-1 and region codes should follow ISO 3166-1 alpha-2.
   • Consistency: Maintain consistency in the use of hreflang tags across all versions of your website. Every alternate version should link back to its counterparts.
   • Correct Syntax: Use the correct syntax for hreflang attributes, hreflang="language-region", where both parts are separated by a hyphen.
   • Testing and Validation: Regularly validate your hreflang tags using tools like Google Search Console, Screaming Frog, or other SEO auditing tools to identify and correct issues.
   • Avoid Redundancy: Only use region codes when necessary. For example, use en for a general English page, and en-US only if targeting U.S. English specifically.

4. Examples of Good and Bad Cases:

   Bad Case Examples:

   • <link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-US-CA" href="http://example.com/us/">
     • Incorrect use of triple region/language code.
   • <link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-UK" href="http://example.com/uk/">
     • Incorrect region code; should be GB instead of UK.

   Good Case Examples:

   • <link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="http://example.com/">
     • Correct use for a general English page without specific regional targeting.
   • <link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-US" href="http://example.com/us/">
     • Correct use for targeting English-speaking users in the United States.
   • <link rel="alternate" hreflang="fr-CA" href="http://example.com/ca-fr/">
     • Correct use for targeting French-speaking users in Canada.

By adhering to these best practices and ensuring the correct implementation of hreflang tags, you can optimize your website's international SEO strategy and ensure a better user experience across different regions and languages.