Hreflang Tags
30-60 minAdvanced
Hreflang tags are the industry standard for multilingual SEO. They tell Google "This is the Spanish version of the English page." Without them, you risk duplicate content penalties.
Prerequisites
- WordPress admin access
- Translations ready
Medium Recommended
Using WPML (Premium)
The standard for large multilingual sites. Handles all hreflang logic automatically.
1
Setup Languages
1
Install WPML Multilingual CMS
2
Go to WPML > Languages > Site Languages
3
Add your secondary languages
2
Connect Translations
1
When creating a translation, click "+" in the Languages sidebar
2
WPML automatically links them and inserts hreflang tags
3
Verify "x-default" is enabled in WPML > Languages > SEO Options
Best Practices
Do
- Use correct ISO coding (en-US, en-GB, es)
- Translate the URL slug as well (/about-us/ vs /sobre-nosotros/)
- Include x-default for users who don't match any specific language
- Check "International Targeting" in GSC
Don't
- Use automated translation (Google Translate) flags without hreflang
- Use IP redirection (automatic redirect) without user choice
- Point to non-existent (404) translations
- Mix regions (en-US) with generic languages (en) inconsistently
Verification Checklist
- Source code contains <link rel="alternate" hreflang="xx" ...>
- Tags are bidirectional (A links to B, B links to A)
- Self-referencing hreflang tag is present
- x-default tag is present
- No "Return Tag" errors in GSC
Pro Tips
- If using global CDN (Cloudflare), use Country Redirects cautiously (can block Googlebot from seeing all versions)
- Separate languages by directory (/en/, /es/) is best for SEO structure
Common Issues & Fixes
Problem: Hreflang no return tag error
Solution: Page A links to Page B, but Page B does not link back to Page A. Ensure translations are connected in the plugin.
Problem: Conflicting Hreflang tags
Solution: The theme and the plugin might both be adding them. Inspect source code for duplicates.