Hreflang Tags in Full View: Beginner’s Guide

Hreflang tags signal to search engines that these are alternative versions of the same content, eliminating the risk of duplicate content issues. The first code type (language code) indicates a specific language and follows the ISO 639-1 format. This is because Google perceives the first code as language and be is recognized as the Belarusian language code. Placing hreflang tags on or pointing to non-canonical URLs can confuse search engines about the relationship between different language or regional versions. Without specifying a default page, search engines may choose a URL that isn’t the one you intended.