Google: hreflang routes users but does not boost page rankings

Google's Gary Illyes said hreflang directs users to the right language or regional URL but gives that URL no ranking benefit. He described hreflang variants in a duplicate cluster as "alternate names," noting that indexing and serving are separate processes.

• Illyes called hreflang variants "alternate names" within a duplicate cluster
• Google may serve a non-indexed alternate URL when it better matches the user
• Hreflang cannot compensate for thin localization or near-identical market pages