How to Set Your Website Up for International Success

Do you sell into multiple countries and have country-specific domains? If yes, you will need to setup a Hreflang attribute, so Google knows which part of the website to serve to which users, to avoid a duplicate penalty.
But what is a Hreflang attribute? Here we’ll explore what a hreflang tag is, what it’s used for, and how you can set your website up for international success.
Contents
A hreflang tag is a HTML attribute which specifies the geographical location and language of your website. These tags are used to boost your international SEO performance.
By localising your web content to different countries and regions, you provide useful, relevant content for international customers.
Examples of Hreflang Attributes
Here are some examples of hreflang tags that can help you target specific audiences: 👇
Targeting United States
For users in the United States, you can direct them to the most relevant version of your site using the following attribute:
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-us" href="https://www.kiaora.digital/seo/ecommerce-seo/" />
Targeting Australia
For Australian users, use:
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-au" href="https://www.kiaora.digital/seo/ecommerce-seo/" />
Targeting New Zealand
For users in New Zealand, direct them here:
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-nz" href="https://www.kiaora.digital/seo/ecommerce-seo/" />
Targeting United Kingdom
For UK-based users, implement:
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-gb" href="https://www.kiaora.digital/seo/ecommerce-seo/" />
x-default
For users who do not match a specific language or region, provide a fallback version:
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="x-default" href="https://www.kiaora.digital/seo/ecommerce-seo/" />
The x-default
value tells Google to serve the main website when they’re unable to serve the language or region the visitor is searching in.
Targeting English and Other Language Audiences
If your website caters to both English-speaking and other language audiences, you can direct users to these specific versions:
- English-speaking users:
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://astrologyreadings.online/" />
- Other language users:
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="vi" href="https://chiemtinhlaso.com/" />
These hreflang attributes help ensure that users are directed to the correct version of your site based on their region or language preferences. Optimizing hreflang attributes ensures better SEO performance, improved user experience, and seamless navigation for your international audience.
This will also show Google that each site is different and not a duplicate, which will give you the green light moving forward.
Go Global with International SEO today
At Kia Ora Digital, we’re dedicated to helping businesses flourish online and expand into new territories. Find out more about our international SEO services today.