How to correctly mark language versions on a website?

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Let's say your resource contains descriptions of goods and services for consumers located in different countries and speaking different languages. There is a real danger that the search engine will consider such materials as duplicate content and will take appropriate sanctions.

To avoid negative consequences, use the link attribute rel = "alternate" hreflang = "x", i.e. hreflang markup. Then Google will understand that the same articles are intended for users from different regions. It will show the content in the required language.

This tells Google that the content on this physical therapist email list page can be read in other languages, and that URL [A] is intended for visitors with language . The system displays URL [A] in search results for users with language .

The search engine sees that the resource contains links between content, and each URL is tied to the corresponding target audience (speaking a particular language or living in a specific region). The complex architecture of multilingual web sites is easier for Google to perceive.

How to properly mark language versions on a website

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Hreflang markup plays an important role in any geotargeting strategy. However, it does not solve all problems. Google uses the following geosignals to understand the language or region of the content:

generic country code top-level domains (ccTLDs);

the language in which the content is written;

currency and addresses on pages.

Generic country code top-level domains are considered powerful geotargeting signals by Google algorithms. Using ccTLDs (.ua, .ru, .kz, etc.) lets the system know that the resource is intended for users located in a specific region.

At the same time, the URL structure is kept short and neat. In search results, residents of the country are most likely to choose the option with a local domain, since they consider it the most relevant. This ensures high click-through rate (CTR) and better ranking positions.

Google uses its own algorithms that allow it to recognize the language based on the content on the resource. In order not to confuse the system, it is not recommended to place multilingual text on one page, as this will lead to an incorrect association of the URL and language. However, it is still possible to use phrases in two languages ​​in limited quantities. This is allowed for the name of a brand or product card.



When determining the language of a resource, search engines do not take into account the value of the “lang” attribute for HTML pages.

Local currency and company contact information in a particular country carry more weight in determining geotargeting for Google.

Important! If possible, create a Google My Business listing for each physical location of your business and link it to the relevant country website. This will improve the visibility of your regional results in search engines.

Hreflang markup, if you follow Google's recommendations, is appropriate in several cases:

The page template is translated . The main content is presented in the original language. Typically, the navigation bar and footer are translated, while the main content remains unchanged, especially if the resource is filled by the users themselves.

The content of the pages is almost the same . It is relevant for international sites designed for users from different regions, but who understand one language. It is often used in the CIS countries, when Russian is equally well perceived by residents of Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Russia.

The content exists simultaneously in several languages . For example, there are identical pages in Russian and Ukrainian.

When using hreflang markup, one must not forget about two-way content linking: all duplicated articles must overlap with each other. This is the only way Google can understand the structure of the web resource. Its violation is caused by setting hreflang markup in one direction, which is not valid for the search engine.