What does Google say about SEO? /

Official statement

The lang attribute in HTML is not used by Google for ranking purposes. Google determines the primary language of a page by analyzing its actual content. Nevertheless, this attribute is important for accessibility (screen readers).
🎥 Source video

Extracted from a Google Search Central video

💬 EN 📅 23/07/2021 ✂ 34 statements
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Other statements from this video 33
  1. How should you configure canonical tags for multilingual websites?
  2. Does translated content really count as unique by Google?
  3. Do multilingual backlinks really build themselves?
  4. Should you really worry about localized URLs for SEO?
  5. Why is active promotion essential for new websites in SEO?
  6. Why is using nofollow in press releases crucial for your SEO?
  7. Should you really worry about negative SEO?
  8. Why is submitting entire domains for disavowal more effective?
  9. Is it true that Google overlooks suspicious links without penalizing SEO?
  10. How can you prevent your pages from being classified as soft 404?
  11. What’s the relationship between Core Web Vitals and soft 404 errors in SEO?
  12. Why does Google sometimes rewrite your meta descriptions without warning?
  13. How does Google tailor your meta descriptions for every search query?
  14. Should you automate meta descriptions for SEO on a large scale?
  15. How does placing key text at the top of HTML enhance your SEO?
  16. Is it true that Core Updates are actually independent of Core Web Vitals?
  17. How will the gradual rollout of Core Web Vitals impact your SEO strategy?
  18. How does hreflang really affect your SEO strategy?
  19. Should You Rethink Your Geographic Content Strategy Due to Doorway Pages?
  20. Why does Google recommend a gradual approach for local pages?
  21. Why Does Google Penalize Published Automatic Translations As They Are?
  22. Why doesn’t Google guarantee the display of rich results?
  23. What Factors Truly Influence Rich Results Quality?
  24. Do Dashes in Domain Names Really Affect SEO?
  25. Is it true that migrating your domain for keywords could backfire on your SEO efforts?
  26. How does the Search Console's URL Inspection Tool change the game for SEO?
  27. Is it true that Google ignores certain lang attributes in your templates?
  28. Is it true that Google treats product pages and articles the same in SEO?
  29. How does Google My Business enhance your local SEO efforts?
  30. How can you effectively optimize your pages for 'near me' searches without complicating your strategy?
  31. How can you leverage free Google Shopping to boost your product visibility?
  32. Is selective internal linking more effective than a massive approach for SEO?
  33. Should You Focus on Profitable Products in Your Internal Linking Strategy?
📅
Official statement from (4 years ago)
TL;DR

Google does not utilize the HTML lang attribute for ranking. The language is determined by the actual content. However, this attribute remains crucial for accessibility.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

L'attribut lang influence-t-il le référencement ?
Non, Google se base sur le contenu pour déterminer la langue, pas sur cet attribut.
Pourquoi l'attribut lang est-il important ?
Il est crucial pour l'accessibilité, aidant les lecteurs d'écran à prononcer correctement.
Devrais-je toujours utiliser la balise hreflang ?
Oui, pour gérer les sites multilingues et indiquer les versions linguistiques des pages.
🏷 Related Topics
Domain Age & History Content International SEO

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Other SEO insights extracted from this same Google Search Central video · published on 23/07/2021

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