Hreflang Tags
HTML tags that tell Google which language/regional version of a page to show to which users.
Hreflang is the annotation that tells search engines which language and region a page is for, so the Spanish version is shown to Spanish readers instead of the English one. Every page in a set must point to all the others, including itself, and the return links must be reciprocal — most hreflang problems are broken reciprocity.
Definition
Hreflang tags are HTML attributes that tell Google which language and regional version of a page to show to users in different countries. They prevent duplicate content issues for multilingual sites and ensure users see the correct language version.
Format: <link rel="alternate" hreflang="ur-pk" href="https://example.com/pk/page" />
Across every site SlapMyWeb has audited, 84.2% declare a page language — which leaves 15.8% with no language declared.
Measured from SlapMyWeb audits of live public URLs. The full aggregate is published as a CC-BY-4.0 dataset.
Why It Matters
Without hreflang, Google may show your English page to Urdu-speaking users in Pakistan, or your Pakistani page to users in the US. Hreflang ensures the right content reaches the right audience.
Example
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://example.com/page" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="ur" href="https://example.com/ur/page" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="x-default" href="https://example.com/page" />Related Terms
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