How to fix: Pages with no hreflang and lang attributes

hreflang and lang attributes Semrush site audit tips

Issue: Pages without hreflang and lang attributes make it harder for search engines to show the correct language version of your site to users. This can confuse search engines and lead to misrepresentation in search results.

Fix: Add both lang and hreflang attributes to your pages to ensure proper language targeting and recognition.

How to Fix for Beginners

  1. Add the lang Attribute to Your <html> Tag: This tells search engines the primary language of your page.
    • Example: <html lang="en"> for English or <html lang="es"> for Spanish.
  2. Add hreflang to the <head> Tag: Use this to point search engines to alternate language or regional versions of your page.
    • Example:
      <link rel="alternate" href="http://example.com/" hreflang="en">
      <link rel="alternate" href="http://example.com/es/" hreflang="es">
  3. Ensure URLs Match Languages: Double-check that the URLs in hreflang point to the correct language-specific versions of your pages.
    • Example: Use /fr/ for French content and /de/ for German.
  4. Use Google’s Testing Tools: Use tools like Google Search Console’s International Targeting report to verify your hreflang implementation.
  5. Apply Consistently: Ensure all pages on your multilingual site have the appropriate lang and hreflang attributes.

Tip: Proper use of hreflang and lang ensures users see the right language version, improving SEO and user experience.

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