Plenty of Australian businesses sell into New Zealand as well. Some also serve customers in the United Kingdom or further afield. The pages for each market often look almost the same. Search engines then need help to show the right version to the right person.
That is where hreflang annotations come in. They tell Google which page suits which language and country. This guide covers how to set up regional pages and which address structure to choose. It also explains the errors that stop the annotations from working.
Multilingual and multi regional sites
Google separates two kinds of international websites. A multilingual site offers content in more than one language. A multi regional site targets users in different countries. Some sites are both at once.
An Australian and New Zealand site is usually multi regional rather than multilingual. Both versions are in English, with small differences in prices, delivery details or contact information. Google notes that small regional changes in one language are a good reason to use annotations. Google also lists regional versions in the same language as a common cause of duplicate pages.
Choosing a URL structure
Before adding any code, decide how the regional pages will be addressed. The Google guide to managing multi regional sites compares the main options. Each has trade offs in cost and upkeep. The right one depends on how separate each market needs to be.
- A country domain such as a .com.au and a .co.nz gives the clearest signal, but costs more and needs more upkeep.
- Subdomains on one main domain are easy to set up and can be hosted in different places.
- Subfolders on one domain, such as a /nz/ folder, are easy to set up and cheap to maintain on a single host.
- URL parameters, where the region is added to the end of the address, are not recommended by Google.
Country domains are described as a strong signal to both users and search engines. Each one can only target a single country, though. Subfolders are simpler, but visitors may not see the region from the address alone. Subfolders keep every version on one host, which suits a smaller site.
How hreflang works
An hreflang annotation lists every version of a page and the audience each one is for. You add the same set of annotations to each version. Google accepts three methods. You can use link elements in the page head, HTTP headers or entries in your XML sitemap.
The three methods are treated as equal. Google says using more than one gives no extra benefit in Search. HTML tags suit most sites built on a content management system. Sitemaps suit large sites where editing every page template is hard work.
Language and region codes
Each annotation uses a language code, with an optional region code after it. The language follows ISO 639-1 and the region follows ISO 3166-1 Alpha 2. So English for Australia is en-AU and English for New Zealand is en-NZ. The codes are not case sensitive, but capital region letters are the usual style.
A region on its own is not valid. Some codes trip people up as well. Google lists UK as a code it ignores, because the correct code for the United Kingdom is GB. Using en-GB fixes it.
The x-default fallback
You can also add a fallback page with the x-default value. It tells Google which page to show when a searcher matches none of your listed versions. A language or country selector page is a common choice. Your main global page can do the same job.
Rules that make the annotations count
The full rules are in the Google guide to localised versions of a page. The most important one is return links. If two pages do not point to each other, Google ignores the tags. The Australian page must list the New Zealand page, and the New Zealand page must list the Australian one.
Each version must also list itself as well as all the others. Every address must be written in full, including the https part. Relative addresses are not accepted. Alternate pages can sit on different domains, so a .com.au can point to a .co.nz.
Canonical tags need care on regional sites. Each regional page should point to itself as canonical, not to the other country. Pointing both pages at the Australian version would tell Google to drop the New Zealand one. Keep the canonical and the hreflang in the same language and region.
Signals beyond hreflang
Google also looks at other clues when working out which country a page suits. These include local addresses and phone numbers, local currency and links from local sites. Business Profile details can count where they are available. Server location is used, but Google says it is not a definitive signal.
Some old tricks do not work. Google says it ignores location meta tags and geotargeting attributes in the code. It also does not use the HTML lang attribute to work out the language of a page. It reads the visible content instead.
Avoid automatic redirects by location
Many sites try to send visitors to a regional page based on their IP address. Google advises against adapting content this way. It says most of its crawling comes from the United States, so it may never see your other versions. Location checks by IP are also unreliable for real visitors.
A better approach is a clear link or selector on every page. Visitors who land on the wrong version can switch with one click. Search engines can follow those links to every version. This also suits people travelling between the two countries.
Making each regional page worth visiting
Hreflang tells Google which page to show, but it does not make the page useful. Each version should carry the right prices, delivery times and contact details for that market. Local reviews and local examples help as well. The same thinking applies to local SEO for a law firm website, where relevance to the area matters most.
Content plans can follow the same split. A post written for Australian buyers may need changes before it suits New Zealand readers. Fresh ideas from content marketing strategies can be adapted to each market. Service businesses that cover several areas, such as those using online marketing for moving companies, face a similar task on a smaller scale.
Setting up a regional site is a technical job with many small parts. A missing return link can quietly undo the work. If you are unsure who should handle it, our post on choosing an SEO consultant sets out the options. Ask whoever builds it to test every version before launch.
Frequently asked questions
Will hreflang stop my regional pages being treated as duplicates?
Not always. Google says localised pages count as duplicates when the main content is untranslated, so regional English pages may still be grouped together. Hreflang tells Google the pages are alternates for different countries. That helps it show the right address to each searcher. Each page still needs its own canonical tag pointing to itself.
Do I need a separate domain for New Zealand?
No, a subfolder or subdomain can also work with hreflang. A country domain gives a stronger signal but costs more to run. Subfolders are easier to maintain on one host. Choose based on how separate the two businesses need to be.
What happens if I only add the tags to one version?
Google ignores annotations that are not returned. Both pages must point to each other for the tags to count. This is the most common reason hreflang fails. Check every version when you set it up.
Should I redirect New Zealand visitors automatically?
Google advises against using IP addresses to change content or redirect people. Its crawlers mostly visit from the United States and may miss your other pages. A visible country switcher is the safer option. It lets both people and search engines reach every version.