November 11, 2025
Hreflang
Auteur:
Daan Coenen
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What is hreflang?
The hreflang tag is an HTML attribute that you specify to search engines for which language and country a specific web page is intended.
For example, Google understands which version of a page should be shown to visitors from different language or region settings.
A hreflang tag looks like this:
<link rel="alternate" href="https://www.jouwwebsite.com/" hreflang="nl-nl" />
In this example, the page is aimed at Dutch-speaking users in the Netherlands.
If you use multiple language versions, add a hreflang tag for each variant.
Why is hreflang important?
The internet has no borders — but languages do.
When you have a website in multiple languages, you want users to see the correct version automatically.
The hreflang tag helps to:
- Prevent duplicate content issues (Google knows it's about translations).
- Display the correct page by country or language.
- Improving the user experience because visitors immediately see content in their own language.
Without hreflang, Google can display the wrong page (for example, the English version to a Dutch audience), reducing conversion and relevance.
How does hreflang work technically?
A hreflang always consists of two parts:
- Language code (according to ISO 639-1, e.g. “nl” or “en”)
- Country code (according to ISO 3166-1 Alpha-2, e.g. “NL” or “BE”)
Together, they form a unique name, for example:
hreflang="en-nl”→ Dutch (Netherlands)hreflang="en-be”→ Dutch (Belgium)hreflang="en-gb”→ English (United Kingdom)hreflang="fr-fr”→ French (France)
In addition, you use a x-default-value for users who have no specific language preference:
<link rel="alternate" href="https://www.jouwwebsite.com/" hreflang="x-default" />
The hreflang tags can be placed in the <head>-section of your HTML, in a sitemap or via HTTP headers.
The impact of hreflang on SEO
Using hreflang has no direct influence on your ranking, but it does have a strong impact indirect SEO impact.
Because search engines better understand which page is intended for which target group, traffic is distributed over the correct language versions.
The benefits:
- Less bounce due to irrelevant language rendering.
- Higher engagement and conversion.
- Better distribution of authority between translated pages
- Clear signals for international targeting in Google Search Console.
Many international websites see an increase in organic traffic once hreflang is properly implemented.
Common hreflang mistakes
- Using the wrong codes (e.g. “nl-NL” with capital letters does not work correctly).
- Missing mutual link: each language version must refer to the other versions.
- No x-default: As a result, a user without a language preference sometimes sees a random version.
- Not all URLs include: Google ignores incomplete hreflang sets.
Rank Rocket tip
Only use hreflang if you're offering truly international content.
For the Netherlands and Flanders together, it is often sufficient to use one version with neutral Dutch.
However, if you have multiple language variants or countries (e.g. the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany), hreflang is essential to keep your SEO signals clean.
Regularly review your deployment with tools like Ahrefs, Screaming Frog, or the Hreflang Tag Testing Tool from Google.
My advice
Always start with a clear international content plan.
Decide which countries you want to be active in and which languages your website should be available in.
Don't use hreflang until you have multiple language or country versions—not before.
Do you want a neutral fallback page? Then use x-default.
This way, Google knows exactly which version to show if a specific language setting is not available.
A well-designed hreflang structure ensures that your content is visible worldwide, without competition between your own pages.
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Daan Coenen
Ik ben Daan Coenen, SEO-specialist en oprichter van Rank Rocket. Al meer dan zes jaar help ik bedrijven in Nederland en daarbuiten om duurzaam beter vindbaar te worden in Google, met strategie, techniek en content die écht werkt.
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