HREFLang Generator Solves Localized URL Complex URL Alternate Mapping

In talking to multinational site owners, one of the main reasons many global sites do not use HREFLang elements is their inability to map localized URLs and generate a HREFLang site map.

HREFLang Builder has integrated a number of methods to automatically generate, sort and map URL’s even if they are not the same.   The following describes the various HREFLang Generator methods available:

• Method 1 – Matching Exact Match URLs and Directories  – this is the easiest of the mapping methods.   Any URL that is an exact match to another gets mapped by default.  For example, If you have ten language sites with the same URL across markets, they will all be mapped by default.  If the URLs are localized or the structure changes across countries, the user will need to use one of the options below to map them to each other.
• Method 2 – Matching Localized Directories/Sub Directories – the user selects one or multiple local directory names from URLs and assigns them to a master classification. This works well if only a category or subcategory directory has been localized. We can show these on the screen, and the user can select them and map them.   Alternatively, you can upload a mapping file of the different versions and dynamically map them.
• Method 3 – Matching Localized URLs – the user selects one or multiple local directory names from URLs and assigns them to a master classification. This works well if only a category or subcategory directory has been localized. We can show these on the screen, and the user can select them and map them.   Alternatively, you can upload a mapping file of the different versions and dynamically map them.
• Method 4 – Matching Product Code or Parameter in URL – Sites that use a unique product parameter in the URL representing an SKU or a category can map each variable across languages to all equivalent pages. We need to upload a master list of the product SKU’s and the system will match them no matter the language of the URL.  This is very common when companies have multiple CMS installations.
• Method 5 – Local/Global ID Meta Tag Mapping – A number of eCommerce systems use productID or other unique identification tags on their pages and wrap this with a custom meta tag.  Once we tell our system which tag(s) to import we can extract it and import it during the diagnostic process and map all pages that have the same tag.  The ID’s are mapped and parsed out into HREFLang alternate blocks in the XML site maps. This spans different URL structures, CMS and languages very efficiently.
• Method 6 – Local/Global ID JavaScript Tags –  Similar to the meta tag option above, many eCommerce systems call a product ID or some other unique tag from JavaScript in their pages to take certain actions.  Once we tell our system where to look for that tag, we can import it during the diagnostic process and map all pages with the same tag.  The ID’s are mapped and parsed into HREFLang alternate blocks in the XML site maps. This spans different URL structures, CMS, and languages very efficiently.
• Method 7 – Local/Global ERP SKU Mapping – Similar to the previous method of using a unique product ID in this case, we take that ID from the client’s ERP system and map the pages in a database and import the matching table into HREFLang Builder. For a few more significant sites with complex structures and product ID’s, we have leveraged this successfully with customized mapping and management.

We have built a few other custom mapping solutions for clients that have very unique requirements.   If you have a site that the above solutions do not match please contact us to see if we can develop something custom.