Why Hreflang Implementation Matters for Shopify SEO
Taking your Shopify store to new audiences around the world is an incredible opportunity. Think of it like hosting a grand international event; every guest should be greeted in their own language, offered familiar food, and made to feel at home.
But as exciting as it is, there’s one technical hurdle that can make or break your global visibility, ensuring search engines show the correct version of your store to the right visitors. That’s where hreflang tags come in.
These small but mighty bits of HTML code tell search engines which version of your web page to display for each specific language or region. Done correctly, your French customers see your French pages, your Canadian shoppers get your English-Canadian pages, and everyone feels right at home.
Done incorrectly, and you risk confusing search engines, leading to duplicate content issues, incorrect language codes, and missed opportunities in organic search results.
In this guide, we’ll walk through how to implement hreflang tags in Shopify. From Shopify’s built-in hreflang implementation to manual coding and app-based solutions, we’ll show you how to implement hreflang tags correctly so your multilingual Shopify store performs at its best in international markets.
Understanding Hreflang for Shopify Stores
Before diving into implementation, let’s make sure we have a clear understanding of hreflang tags. These hreflang attributes are pieces of HTML code that tell search engines which language and region each page targets.
In essence, they’re a meta tag that ensures search engine crawlers can identify the most appropriate version of a page for each audience.
A typical example of hreflang annotations looks like this:
<link rel=”alternate” href=”https://yourstore.com/fr” hreflang=”fr”>
<link rel=”alternate” href=”https://yourstore.com/en” hreflang=”en”>
This tells search engines: “Here are alternate versions of the same page in different languages.” The rel alternate element connects language versions and regional URLs, helping your Shopify store avoid duplicate content and showing users the correct version automatically.
Here’s what to keep in mind:
- Language codes like “en” or “fr” specify the language.
- Region codes like “en-GB” or “fr-CA” specify the geographic location.
For example, your multilingual Shopify store might have:
- com/en for English
- com/fr for French
- yourstore.com for the UK
This hreflang implementation becomes essential when your store targets multiple languages and international markets. It ensures that users in both the US and France see the most relevant version of your pages, improving user satisfaction and search engine rankings.
Shopify’s Built-In Hreflang Setup
Shopify’s built-in hreflang implementation is a great starting point. If your online store uses Shopify Markets or a multilingual theme, Shopify automatically generates appropriate hreflang tags for every translated version.
When you set up multiple languages in Shopify Markets, the platform creates unique URL paths or domains, like /en, /fr, or regional subdomains, and adds hreflang attributes in your HTML header to connect them. For example:
<link rel=”alternate” hreflang=”en” href=”https://yourstore.com/en”>
<link rel=”alternate” hreflang=”fr” href=”https://yourstore.com/fr”>
This automation works well for most international versions, but Shopify doesn’t allow deep customization of hreflang tags. For example, you can’t modify hreflang attributes for both the US and UK separately without manual input. In cases like these, you’ll need to manually add hreflang tags or use third-party apps.
Manual Implementation: Step-by-Step Hreflang Tag Setup
For full control, it’s best to manually add hreflang tags to your Shopify theme. Here’s how to implement hreflang step by step.
Step 1: Access your theme code
Go to Online Store > Themes > Edit Code and open the theme.liquid file.
Step 2: Add hreflang tags manually
Inside the <head> section, paste hreflang HTML tags for each translated version of your page:
<link rel=”alternate” href=”https://yourstore.com/fr” hreflang=”fr”>
<link rel=”alternate” href=”https://yourstore.com/en” hreflang=”en”>
Step 3: Automate with Liquid logic
Instead of hardcoding each link, use Shopify’s Liquid to dynamically generate hreflang tags for all the pages, including collection and product pages.
{% for locale in shop.enabled_locales %}
<link rel=”alternate” hreflang=”{{ locale.iso_code }}” href=”{{ shop.url }}/{{ locale.iso_code }}”>
{% endfor %}
This automates hreflang tag implementation across all the pages of your Shopify store. It’s the best way to ensure every alternate page and translated version references each other correctly.
Step 4: Verify your setup
After adding hreflang tags, view your page source to confirm the links are appearing in the HTML header. Tools like Google Search Console, Screaming Frog, and Merkle’s Hreflang Tag Checker are excellent for identifying hreflang issues, incorrect language codes, and missing return links.
Using Shopify Apps for Simplified Hreflang Management
If coding isn’t your thing, Shopify apps make it easier to implement hreflang tags correctly. Here are some of the best options for streamlining hreflang implementation:
- Langify – Translates your site into different languages and adds hreflang annotations automatically.
- Weglot – Simplifies translation, creates alternate versions, and handles hreflang attributes seamlessly.
- Hreflang Manager – Focuses on hreflang tag implementation and validation for multilingual stores.
These apps automatically add hreflang and rel alternate links to your HTML code, update your XML sitemap, and ensure each web page points to its corresponding version. They’re especially helpful for multilingual Shopify stores with multiple versions of product pages and translated pages.
Testing and Validating Hreflang Tags
Testing is crucial to ensure your hreflang tags are working as intended. Even small mistakes can confuse search engines or lead users to the wrong page. Here’s how to test effectively:
- Go to Google Search Console and open “International Targeting.”
- Check for missing return tags, wrong language code formats, or hreflang issues.
- Other Search Engines and Tools
- Test with Merkle’s Hreflang Tag Checker, Screaming Frog, or Ahrefs.
- Verify alternate versions and self-referencing hreflang tag presence.
- Fix common hreflang issues:
- Ensure you have a self-referencing hreflang tag on all pages.
- Update your XML sitemap with all alternate versions.
- Avoid mixing the same language versions for different regions.
- Confirm hreflang annotations appear in the HTML header or HTTP header if used server-side.
By maintaining consistent hreflang annotations, your search engine rankings and SEO performance will improve significantly.
Best Practices for Shopify Hreflang Implementation
To implement hreflang tags correctly and maintain SEO integrity:
- Include a self-referencing hreflang tag for every page.
- Match hreflang with canonical URLs for clarity.
- Ensure every translated version links back to all the pages in other languages.
- Use consistent URL paths across your international versions.
- Combine hreflang attributes with your international SEO strategy and market research for targeted traffic.
The most complex aspects of hreflang are technical setup and tag validation, but when done right, they deliver measurable improvements to your site’s organic search visibility and user satisfaction.
Common Shopify Hreflang Mistakes to Avoid
Common errors include:
- Missing reciprocal hreflang links between alternate versions.
- Applying hreflang to the same page incorrectly.
- Using non-indexable URLs or meta tag noindex pages.
- Forgetting to update your XML sitemap after changing translated pages.
These mistakes can confuse search engines and lower your site’s ability to display the correct language or most relevant version in search results.
FAQs
- What are hreflang tags in Shopify?
They are HTML attributes that tell search engines which language and region version of a page to display, helping your web page reach the right audience. - How do I manually add hreflang tags?
Edit your theme’s HTML header and add:
<link rel=”alternate” hreflang=”…” href=”…”>
for each language version.
- Do I need hreflang tags if I use Shopify Markets?
Yes, but still verify and adjust your hreflang attributes for accuracy. - How do I check hreflang tags?
Use Google Search Console, Screaming Frog, or Merkle’s Tag Checker. - How does hreflang help my SEO performance?
Proper hreflang tag implementation improves international SEO, boosts search engine rankings, and ensures targeted traffic sees the right translated version of your site.
Conclusion: Optimizing Shopify for Global SEO
Hreflang tags are one of the most important yet overlooked parts of international SEO. They’re essential for ensuring your Shopify store appears in the right search results across multiple languages and regions.
Follow this checklist:
- Implement hreflang tags properly across your online store.
- Validate using Google Search Console and other SEO tools.
- Maintain accurate hreflang annotations in your HTML code and XML sitemap.
- Keep your international SEO strategy aligned with your hreflang implementation.
Done right, hreflang ensures Google and other search engines serve the most appropriate version of your site to every user, improving user satisfaction, search visibility, and your overall SEO efforts.
Kadima Digital offers comprehensive Shopify SEO services, helping businesses optimize multilingual Shopify stores for global growth, managing hreflang setup, Shopify website speed optimization and more.