Using hreflang for regional targeting on a single-language (dot)com site?

Optimizing Regional Targeting with Hreflang on Single-Language Websites: Best Practices and Considerations

In the realm of international SEO, implementing hreflang tags is a common strategy to inform search engines about different language and regional versions of your website. However, when dealing with a single-language site targeting a specific region, questions often arise regarding the best approach. This article explores whether and how to utilize hreflang for a regional focus on a site with the following characteristics:

• The website targets Canada exclusively.
• The primary domain is a generic top-level domain (gTLD), specifically a .com, as a country-code TLD (.ca) is not an option.
• The site is only presented in English, with no additional language versions.

Understanding hreflang and Its Typical Use Cases

Hreflang tags are primarily designed to serve multilingual and multi-regional audiences by indicating to search engines the language and regional targeting of particular pages. They help in:

• Ensuring the correct regional or language version appears in search results.
• Avoiding duplicate content issues across different versions.
• Enhancing user experience by delivering region-appropriate content.

In most scenarios, hreflang implementations involve multiple language or regional variants. For example, an English-UK version and an English-US version, or French and English versions for different regions. These create a network of related pages, marking their relationships explicitly with hreflang.

Applying Hreflang to Single-Language, Region-Specific Sites

The question arises: Is it beneficial or advisable to include hreflang tags when your website:

• Is only available in one language.
• Targets a specific region (Canada) but uses a gTLD (.com).
• Has no other language variants.

While there is no strict prohibition, several considerations should inform your decision:

1. Regional SEO Benefits
   Including hreflang tags with regional variants such as en-CA can potentially signal to search engines that your content is intended for a Canadian audience. This may help in geo-targeting, especially when combined with other signals (such as Google Business Profile or local backlinks).

2. Potential Technical Drawbacks
   Since hreflang is designed to manage relationships among different content versions, using it without actual alternate pages in other regions or languages could lead to confusion or misinterpretation by search engines. In some cases, improper implementation may even harm your SEO performance.

3. **Best Practice Recommendations