Cross-Domain Hreflang Setup for Same Brand – Two WordPress Sites with Duplicate

#1069452
  • Resolved Husky Dominant

    1 month, 4 weeks ago

    Rank Math free

    Hello RankMath Support,

    I manage two separate WordPress + WooCommerce websites for the same brand:

    1. [Domain 1] – Slovenia-specific site (Slovenian language only)
    2. [Domain 2] – Croatia-specific site (Croatian default + WPML Slovenian at /sl)

    Both sites run on separate WordPress installations with RankMath PRO installed.

    The issue: Due to payment processor requirements, we had to add Slovenian language to the Croatian site (/sl). Now we have identical Slovenian content on:
    – [Domain 1] (entire site)
    – [Domain 2]/sl (WPML translation)

    WPML confirmed they cannot handle cross-domain hreflang since these are separate WordPress installations.

    Questions for RankMath:

    1. How can I manually configure hreflang tags in RankMath to properly indicate the relationship between:
    – [Domain 1] (sl-SI)
    – [Domain 2]/sl (sl-HR)
    – [Domain 2] (hr-HR)

    2. Should I use RankMath’s canonical URL feature to point one Slovenian version to the other? If so, which should be canonical?

    3. Are there specific RankMath settings I should configure differently on each domain to signal to Google that these are legitimate regional variations, not duplicate content?

    4. Can RankMath’s sitemap settings be optimized to help Google understand this multi-domain, multi-language setup?

    5. Do you recommend any specific schema markup or structured data configuration in RankMath to clarify the brand/regional relationship?

    I want to ensure Google understands these are authorized regional versions of the same brand, not duplicate/plagiarized content.

    Thank you for your guidance on the optimal RankMath configuration for this scenario.

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
  • RankBot

    1 month, 4 weeks ago

    Hello,

    We apologize for the issue you are facing with your cross-domain hreflang setup. Thank you for providing detailed information about your situation. Here’s how you can configure Rank Math to handle your requirements:

    1. Manually Configure Hreflang Tags

    To manually configure hreflang tags in Rank Math, you can add them directly in the header of your site or use a custom function in your theme’s functions.php file. Here’s an example of how to set it up:

    function add_hreflang_tags() {
    echo '';
    echo '';
    echo '';
}
add_action('wp_head', 'add_hreflang_tags');

    This code will add the necessary hreflang tags to the header of your pages, indicating the relationship between the different language versions.

    2. Canonical URL Feature

    Yes, you should use Rank Math’s canonical URL feature to point one Slovenian version to the other. It is generally recommended to set the canonical URL to the primary version of the content. In this case, you might want to set:

    • Domain 1 (slovenian site) as canonical for the Slovenian content on Domain 2 (/sl).

    This way, Google understands that Domain 1 is the original source of the content.

    3. Rank Math Settings for Regional Variations

    To signal to Google that these are legitimate regional variations, ensure that:

    • Each site has its own unique meta titles and descriptions that reflect the specific region.
    • Use the Titles & Meta settings in Rank Math to customize these for each domain.
    • Ensure that the Canonical URLs are set correctly as mentioned above.

    4. Sitemap Settings Optimization

    For sitemaps, ensure that both sites have their sitemaps submitted to Google Search Console. Rank Math automatically includes all posts and pages in the sitemap, including translated versions. You do not need to make additional changes for hreflang as long as they are correctly set in the header.

    5. Schema Markup or Structured Data Configuration

    For schema markup, you can use the LocalBusiness schema type to clarify the brand/regional relationship. Make sure to specify the correct @type, address, and sameAs properties for each domain. This helps Google understand that both domains represent the same brand but cater to different regions.

    You can configure this in Rank Math under Schema settings for each post or page.

    By following these steps, you should be able to optimize your Rank Math configuration for your multi-domain, multi-language setup effectively. If you have any further questions or need assistance with specific settings, please reply to this ticket, and a human agent from our support team will assist you further.

    Thank you for raising this concern!

    Sources:
    Multilingual SEO with Rank Math SEO & WPML » Rank Math

    Husky Dominant

    1 month, 3 weeks ago

    Rank Math free

    5 days and still no support…

    Jeremy

    1 month, 2 weeks ago

    Hello,

    Thank you for contacting Rank Math support, and sorry for the unexpected delays and any inconvenience that might have been caused due to that.

    To clarify, Rank Math does not manage hreflang tags directly, as we defer that responsibility to multilingual plugins such as WPML. Since your sites are on separate WordPress installations, WPML’s limitations around cross-domain hreflang support will apply.

    Here’s how we can address your questions:

    1. Rank Math does not offer built-in support for manually adding hreflang tags across different domains. In such cases, we recommend using a third-party solution or custom development to implement cross-domain hreflang in your site’s <head> section or via filters/hooks in your theme.

    2. We do not recommend pointing one version as canonical over the other, especially since both versions are valid for their respective regions. Each should be self-canonical to avoid suggesting to Google that one version is preferred over the other. Using canonical tags incorrectly can lead to the deindexing of legitimate content.

    3. There are no special Rank Math settings required for this scenario. However, ensure each domain is clearly geo-targeted in Google Search Console and the content is region-specific where possible (e.g., currency, local references) to help search engines differentiate between versions.

    4. Rank Math’s sitemap includes only the default language of each site and does not support multi-language or cross-domain hreflang. As long as the hreflang tags are implemented correctly (either manually or via custom code), that should suffice for Google to understand the relationship between the language versions.

    5. There isn’t specific schema markup for regional variations, but you can ensure each site includes a consistent Organization schema with region-specific details (e.g., local phone number, address, logo). This helps reinforce the regional targeting to search engines.

    We understand this setup is a bit complex due to the multilingual and multi-domain structure, and we recommend consulting your developer to assist in implementing the hreflang relationships manually if WPML can’t handle it natively.

    Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if you have any other questions.

    RankBot

    2 weeks, 4 days ago

    Hello,

    Since we did not hear back from you for 15 days, we are assuming that you found the solution. We are closing this support ticket.

    If you still need assistance or any other help, please feel free to open a new support ticket, and we will be more than happy to assist.

    Thank you.

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)

The ticket ‘Cross-Domain Hreflang Setup for Same Brand – Two WordPress Sites with Duplicate’ is closed to new replies.