Understanding Unlinked Hreflang URLs

2 responses to “Confusion over Screaming Frog’s Unlinked Hreflang URLs report”

1. Certainly! Let’s break down the concept of “Unlinked Hreflang URLs” and why they might appear in Screaming Frog’s reports.

   Understanding Hreflang

   The hreflang attribute is used to specify the language and optional geographical targeting of a webpage. It’s mainly used by search engines like Google to deliver the correct language or regional URL in search results to users based on their language preferences and geographical location.

   Unlinked Hreflang URLs

   When Screaming Frog reports “Unlinked Hreflang URLs,” it is identifying URLs that are specified within hreflang tags but are not linked anywhere else on the site in the HTML content. This means:

   1. Existence Only in Hreflang: These URLs exist only in the context of language/regional alternates specified by hreflang tags. They might not be accessible through regular site navigation.

   Why Link to Other Domains?

   There are a couple of reasons why URLs on different domains might appear in your hreflang tags:

   1. Multiple Regional Variants: Your site might have different versions across separate domains (e.g., example.com for the US and example.co.uk for the UK). The hreflang tags can signal these relationships to search engines.

   2. Shared Multinational Content: If there are similar contents hosted on different TLDs (top-level domains) for various regions or languages, it’s a practical use case for hreflang.

   Is it a Problem?

   If your business intentionally has different language or regional versions on different domains, using hreflang attributes is a valid strategy. However, consider these points:

   1. Crawlability and Discovery: If URLs aren’t linked in the site’s HTML beyond hreflang tags, search engines may have difficulty discovering them, potentially affecting indexation and ranking.

   2. Consistency and SEO: Ensure all hreflang implementations are consistent and correctly referenced. Misalignments can confuse both users and search engines, potentially diminishing SEO value.

   3. User Experience: Typically, it’s beneficial for users to find alternate language pages via navigation elements, ensuring a robust user experience.

   What To Do?

   • Verify Implementations: Double-check your .xml sitemap, TLD strategy, and hreflang tag implementations.

   • Consider Internal Linking: Where appropriate, consider adding internal links to these language/region-specific pages if it aligns with UX and business objectives.

   • Monitor Performance: Use

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2. Hi there!

   Great question about unlinked hreflang URLs—it’s definitely a topic that can cause some confusion. To clarify, while it’s not uncommon to see hreflang tags pointing to URLs that aren’t linked in your site’s content, there are a few important points to consider.

   Unlinked hreflang URLs can signal to search engines that your site has multiple language versions but not provide a clear pathway for users or crawlers to navigate to these versions. This could potentially lead to issues with indexation or user experience, as visitors might not easily find the localized versions of your content.

   That said, it’s not inherently problematic to have unlinked hreflang URLs as long as you’re ensuring those pages serve valuable content and are discoverable through alternative means—like sitemaps or through user searches.

   To enhance your strategy, you might want to consider:
   1. **Adding contextual links:** Where possible, link to these pages within your content to create a more cohesive structure.
   2. **Reviewing your Sitemap:** Ensure that all important localized pages are included in your XML sitemap.
   3. **Monitoring performance:** Use tools like Google Search Console to see if those pages are being indexed and if users are engaging with them.

   The goal is to strike a balance between SEO best practices and a seamless user journey. Always happy to discuss further if you have additional questions! 😊

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