Google’s John Mueller just dropped a helpful reminder about hreflang in a chat with SEO whiz Neil McCarthy. Seeing Belgian French (fr-be) pages pop up in France, Mueller clarified that hreflang is more of a polite suggestion than a firm instruction. Here’s the lowdown on what this means for your international SEO game, including those all-important canonical tags.
French-Belgian Pages in French Search Results
McCarthy observed that pages tagged for French-Belgian audiences (fr-BE) were appearing in searches conducted from France (fr).
In a screenshot shared on Bluesky, Google stated the result:
- Contains the search terms
- Is in French (fr)
- “Seems coherent with this search, even if it usually appears in searches outside of France”
McCarthy asked whether Google was ignoring his hreflang instructions.
What Google Says About hreflang
Mueller replied:
hreflang doesn’t guarantee indexing, so it can also just be that not all variations are indexed. And, if they are the same (eg fr-fr, fr-be), it’s common that one is chosen as canonical (they’re the same).
In a follow-up, he added:
I suspect this is a ‘same language’ case where our systems just try to simplify things for sites. Often hreflang will still swap out the URL, but reporting will be on the canonical URL.
Key Insights
Hreflang as a Directive Signal, Not an Enforcement Mechanism
Google interprets hreflang attributes as signals rather than strict directives. While they inform regional URL preferences, inclusion in search results is not guaranteed, nor is separate indexing of each variant.
Canonical Tags May Supersede Regional Variants
When content across regional pages is largely identical, Google may designate one as the canonical version. As a result, indexing and performance metrics are attributed to the canonical URL.
Language-Based Consolidation Logic
In cases where multiple hreflang-targeted pages share the same language, Google may group them together algorithmically. Despite hreflang correctly directing users, Search Console data may reflect consolidation under the canonical page.
Implications for International SEO Teams
Add unique content elements to each regional page. The more differentiated the content, the less likely Google is to consolidate them under a single canonical URL.
In Google Search Console, check which URL is recognized as canonical. Do not rely on hreflang tags alone to produce distinct indexing or separate performance metrics.
Use VPNs or geo-specific testing tools to simulate searches from various countries. Confirm that Google displays the appropriate regional pages to the intended users.
Review Google’s official guidelines on hreflang implementation, sitemaps, and HTTP headers. Remember, hreflang is a signal, not a directive, and works most effectively when combined with a robust and well-structured website architecture.
Next Steps for Marketers
International SEO involves complexity, but a structured approach enables effective execution:
- Audit Your hreflang Setup: Validate tag syntax, confirm correct references in XML sitemaps, and ensure HTTP header implementations are accurate and consistent.
- Review Page Similarity: Verify that each language and regional version addresses distinct user intents to minimize canonicalization overlap.
- Monitor Continuously: Implement monitoring systems and alerts to detect anomalies in traffic trends or declines in regional search visibility.
By understanding the limitations of hreflang and how Google handles canonicalization, SEO teams can establish achievable objectives and refine their global strategies. Ongoing testing, precise content localization, and continuous performance tracking are essential to sustaining successful international SEO efforts.
