6. @aleyda#SMX #22A3
Targeting international search audiences
can be an important growth driver
emarketer.com
Probably you
should too ;)
Some markets are
still unserved
8. @aleyda#SMX #22A3
It’s critical to connect with the audience through
the relevant Web presence though
Search Results for “Cape Town Holiday Rentals” in
google.co.uk: What are .co.za ccTLDs doing here?
co.uk
co.za
co.uk
co.uk
co.za
com
net
9. @aleyda#SMX #22A3
“Car Hire Sydney” in google.co.uk full of Australian
ccTLDs and only gTLD that is UK targeted
Definitely not like this
com.au
com.au
com.au
com.au
com
Hertz is ranking with its Australian ccTLD
despite having a UK one targeting that query
11. @aleyda#SMX #22A3
Check out this other example at a more granular
level comparing the same keywords performance
US positions for the UK subdirectory
are similar but with much lower CTR
12. @aleyda#SMX #22A3
And not only with different country versions, but
also language ones, cannibalizing themselves
Searching from Google Spain
15. @aleyda#SMX #22A3
The goal is to specify each of your URLs
language & alternatively country targeting
brand.com
brand.co.uk
brand.com/es/
English for the US
Default
Spanish for the US
English for the UK
17. @aleyda#SMX #22A3
Requiring always a language to be specified
and alternatively a country, no continent support
<link rel="alternate" hreflang=“en" href=“http://www.brand.com/“ />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang=“en-us" href=“http://www.brand.com/“ />
English
English in the US
OR
18. @aleyda#SMX #22A3
English for the US
Default
Spanish for the US
English for the UK
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="x-default" href=“http://www.brand.com/“ />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang=“en-us" href=“http://www.brand.com/“ />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang=“es-us" href=“http://www.brand.com/es/“ />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang=“en-gb" href=“http://www.brand.co.uk/“ />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="x-default" href=“http://www.brand.com/“ />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang=“en-us" href=“http://www.brand.com/“ />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang=“es-us" href=“http://www.brand.com/es/“ />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang=“en-gb" href=“http://www.brand.co.uk/“ />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="x-default" href=“http://www.brand.com/“ />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang=“en-us" href=“http://www.brand.com/“ />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang=“es-us" href=“http://www.brand.com/es/“ />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang=“en-gb" href=“http://www.brand.co.uk/“ />
Mapping each URL to their alternate
languages or countries versions
brand.com
brand.co.uk
brand.com/es/
19. @aleyda#SMX #22A3
For every page on the sites
English for the US
Default
Spanish for the US
English for the UK
<link rel="alternate" hreflang=“en-us" href=“http://www.brand.com/dogs/“ />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang=“es-us" href=“http://www.brand.com/es/perros/“ />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang=“en-gb" href=“http://www.brand.co.uk/dogs/“ />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang=“en-us" href=“http://www.brand.com/dogs/“ />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang=“es-us" href=“http://www.brand.com/es/perros/“ />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang=“en-gb" href=“http://www.brand.co.uk/dogs/“ />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang=“en-us" href=“http://www.brand.com/dogs/“ />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang=“es-us" href=“http://www.brand.com/es/perros/“ />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang=“en-gb" href=“http://www.brand.co.uk/dogs/“ />
brand.com/dogs/
brand.co.uk/dogs/
brand.com/es/perros/
20. @aleyda#SMX #22A3
Without changing the logic of canonical tags
English for the US
Default
Spanish for the US
English for the UK
<link rel="canonical" href="http://www.brand.com/dogs/“ />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang=“en-us" href=“http://www.brand.com/dogs/“ />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang=“es-us" href=“http://www.brand.com/es/perros/“ />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang=“en-gb" href=“http://www.brand.co.uk/dogs/“ />
<link rel="canonical" href=“http://www.brand.com/es/perros/“ />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang=“en-us" href=“http://www.brand.com/dogs/“ />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang=“es-us" href=“http://www.brand.com/es/perros/“ />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang=“en-gb" href=“http://www.brand.co.uk/dogs/“ />
<link rel="canonical" href=“http://www.brand.co.uk/dogs/“ />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang=“en-us" href=“http://www.brand.com/dogs/“ />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang=“es-us" href=“http://www.brand.com/es/perros/“ />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang=“en-gb" href=“http://www.brand.co.uk/dogs/“ />
brand.com/dogs/
brand.co.uk/dogs/
brand.com/es/perros/
21. @aleyda#SMX #22A3
Because of this!
English for the US
Default
Spanish for the US
English for the UK
<link rel="canonical" href="http://www.brand.com/dogs/“ />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang=“en-us" href=“http://www.brand.com/dogs/“ />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang=“es-us" href=“http://www.brand.com/es/perros/“ />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang=“en-gb" href=“http://www.brand.co.uk/dogs/“ />
<link rel="canonical" href=“http://www.brand.com/es/perros/“ />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang=“en-us" href=“http://www.brand.com/dogs/“ />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang=“es-us" href=“http://www.brand.com/es/perros/“ />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang=“en-gb" href=“http://www.brand.co.uk/dogs/“ />
<link rel="canonical" href=“http://www.brand.co.uk/dogs/“ />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang=“en-us" href=“http://www.brand.com/dogs/“ />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang=“es-us" href=“http://www.brand.com/es/perros/“ />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang=“en-gb" href=“http://www.brand.co.uk/dogs/“ />
brand.com/dogs/
brand.co.uk/dogs/
brand.com/es/perros/
23. @aleyda#SMX #22A3
Depending on the site characteristics,
it might be better to use one or the other
Add them in HTML in
sites with lower
number of versions &
coding flexibility
Add them in XML
Sitemaps in non-
flexible sites with a high
number of versions
24. @aleyda#SMX #22A3
… or avoid completely
Only if you want to
invest a lot of time
validating the HTTP
headers
27. @aleyda#SMX #22A3#SMX #22A3 @aleyda
Start by making sure that the hreflang annotations
are accesible and recognized in the code
http://searchengineland.com/case-study-javascript-
blocking-googles-view-hreflang-259312
https://www.seroundtable.com/google-head-
section-break-hreflang-unrecognizable-22340.html
30. @aleyda#SMX #22A3
Including a country without a language,
which is mandatory to add
hreflang="pt-br"
hreflang="en-ca"
Not supported
hreflang="es-mx"
hreflang="en-us"
33. @aleyda#SMX #22A3
Not including the correct URLs in the hreflang
annotation
Better use absolute URLs and make
sure to add the right one for the
specified language-country
40. @aleyda#SMX #22A3
Or adding a language or country value to a
URL that is in another one
Better use absolute URLs and make
sure to add the right one for the
specified language-country
43. @aleyda#SMX #22A3
Ugh! So many different types of hreflang errors :/
Incorrect hreflang country
or language Values
Mistaken, non-indexable or
non-existing URLs
Non-relevant target market
values
Not including the hreflang
tags to every version to
point back
46. @aleyda#SMX #22A3
Adding non-original URLs, such as redirected or
canonicalized ones in hreflang annotations
@aleyda#SMX #22A3
For the Generation
HREFLANG Tags Generation
1
47. @aleyda#SMX #22A3
Adding non-original URLs, such as redirected or
canonicalized ones in hreflang annotations
@aleyda#SMX #22A3
Obtain the right hreflang tag pattern to use in
your HTMLs with the Hreflang Generator Tool
bit.ly/generatorhreflang
48. @aleyda#SMX #22A3
Adding non-original URLs, such as redirected or
canonicalized ones in hreflang annotations
@aleyda#SMX #22A3
Like this! Ready to update every page URL
49. @aleyda#SMX #22A3
Adding non-original URLs, such as redirected or
canonicalized ones in hreflang annotations
@aleyda#SMX #22A3
Do you Prefer to use an XML sitemap? Include
your hreflang in them with the hrefbuilder
hrefbuilder.com
50. @aleyda#SMX #22A3
Adding non-original URLs, such as redirected or
canonicalized ones in hreflang annotations
@aleyda#SMX #22A3
It allows to import URLs from many sources,
specify its international structure & edit values
51. @aleyda#SMX #22A3
Adding non-original URLs, such as redirected or
canonicalized ones in hreflang annotations
@aleyda#SMX #22A3
As well as to validate them before their
generation
52. @aleyda#SMX #22A3
Adding non-original URLs, such as redirected or
canonicalized ones in hreflang annotations
@aleyda#SMX #22A3
For the Validation
HREFLANG Tags Validation
2
53. @aleyda#SMX #22A3
There are page specific hreflang validators but
these are painful to use with big sites
https://technicalseo.com/seo-tools/hreflang/
57. @aleyda#SMX #22A3 @aleyda#SMX #22A3
Like this one with URLs pointing to not compliant
(not found, non-indexable, etc.) alternates
58. @aleyda#SMX #22A3 @aleyda#SMX #22A3
OnPage.org has a multilingual settings report
showing URLs mapping to a translated version
onpage.org
Shows each language and country
version pointing out and in for each URL
63. @aleyda#SMX #22A3
Adding non-original URLs, such as redirected or
canonicalized ones in hreflang annotations
@aleyda#SMX #22A3
For the On-going Monitoring
HREFLANG Tags Monitoring
3
64. @aleyda#SMX #22A3
It’s a must to check for any change or issue with
the Search Console International Targeting report
If you have multiple sitemaps you don’t know in which one these
issues are, but you can identify their location with the crawlers