Hreflang
An HTML attribute telling search engines which language and regional version of a page to show users in different locations.
What hreflang solves
If you have separate pages for UK and US English audiences—different spelling, pricing, or offerings—search engines need guidance on which version to show each visitor. Hreflang tags tell Google "show British searchers the UK page, Americans the US page".
Without hreflang, search engines might show UK visitors your US page or vice versa. This creates poor user experience—incorrect pricing, unavailable products, or confusing localisation. It can also cause duplicate content issues if pages are very similar.
Implementing hreflang
Hreflang tags use language and optionally region codes: en-GB for British English, en-US for American English, fr for French (any region). Place them in the <head> section, referencing all language/regional variants including the current page.
Every variant must reciprocally link to every other variant. If your UK page links to the US version via hreflang, the US page must link back to the UK page. This bidirectional linking confirms the relationship to search engines.
Common hreflang scenarios
Multi-national e-commerce sites use hreflang extensively—separate UK, US, EU, and Australian stores with regional pricing and stock. International service businesses use it for regional contact details and offerings. Publishers serve region-specific news or content.
You don't need hreflang if your site targets only one region, even if it's technically accessible worldwide. It's specifically for deliberately serving different content to different locations.
Testing and validation
Hreflang errors are common—missing reciprocal links, incorrect language codes, or broken URLs. Google Search Console reports hreflang issues. Fix them promptly to ensure proper regional targeting.
Why it matters
Understanding “Hreflang” helps you speak the same language as our design and development team. If you need help applying it to your project, book a Fernside call.