Glossary
hreflang
The signal that tells search engines which language version to show.
What it is
hreflang annotations tell a crawler that two URLs are the same page in different languages or regions, and which one suits which audience.
Why it costs you money
Without it, localised versions compete with each other and the wrong one shows to the wrong market. With it wrong — mismatched pairs, missing return links — the signal is ignored and you have spent the effort for nothing.
How to check it yourself
Every version must reference every other, including itself, and the pairs must agree. Search Console reports errors under international targeting.
Where this matters