Hreflang Tags
Hreflang tags are HTML attributes that specify the language and geographic targeting of a webpage. They tell search engines which version of a page to show to users based on their language and location — for example, showing the French version to French-speaking users.
Why It Matters for Shopify Stores
For Shopify stores selling internationally or in multiple languages, hreflang tags prevent duplicate content issues between language variants and ensure the correct regional page appears in search results for each market. Without hreflang, Google may show the wrong language version to shoppers, reducing CTR and conversions from international markets. Shopify Markets and translated storefronts require proper hreflang implementation.
How to Check Your Store
If you have multiple language or market storefronts, view source on each and check for <link rel='alternate' hreflang='...'> tags. Google Search Console's International Targeting report shows hreflang errors.
Use the free shopify seo score toolHow to Fix It
Shopify Markets automatically implements hreflang for multi-market stores. For third-party translation apps, verify that hreflang tags are correctly implemented and validated in Search Console.
Related Terms
Canonical URL
SEOA canonical URL is an HTML tag (<link rel='canonical' href='.
Duplicate Content
SEODuplicate content refers to blocks of text or entire pages that appear at multiple URLs on the same or different websites.
URL Structure
SEOURL structure refers to the format and organization of a website's web addresses.
XML Sitemap
SEOAn XML sitemap is a file that lists all the URLs on a website along with metadata (last modified date, priority, change frequency) to help search engine crawlers discover and index pages efficiently.
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