Question 1

What is the hreflang attribute?

Accepted Answer

Hreflang is an HTML link attribute that tells search engines which language and regional version of a page to show to which users. It's placed in the <head> of each page and includes a language code, optional region code, and the URL of the alternate version.

Question 2

Why do I need hreflang tags?

Accepted Answer

Hreflang prevents duplicate content issues for multilingual sites. It tells Google that the English and Spanish versions of the same page are intentional translations, not duplicates. This improves international SEO and ensures the right language version appears in the right country's search results.

Question 3

What is x-default hreflang?

Accepted Answer

x-default is a special hreflang value used to specify the fallback page shown to users whose language and region don't match any of your other language versions. It's typically used for language selector pages or catchall landing pages.

Question 4

Do I need return links on every page?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every page in a language group must reference ALL other pages in the same group, including itself. If your English page lists English, Spanish, and French alternates, the Spanish and French pages must list all three as well. This is the most common hreflang mistake.