Make it clear to search engines what language your website is in
If you create a website in Dutch, it is important to make this clear to search engines. You can do this with a simple addition to the HTML code of your website: lang="nl". It may seem like a small detail, but it affects how well your website is found in Google and how pleasant your site works for visitors.
In this article we explain what exactly lang="nl" means, why it is important for SEO and usability, and how to use it correctly.
What does lang="nl" mean?
When you create a web page, you usually start with an HTML structure like this:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="nl">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>My Dutch website</title>
</head>
<body>
<p>Welcome to my website!</p>
</body>
</html>
In this code you see: <html lang="nl">. That lang="nl" tells the browser and search engines that the content of your website is written in Dutch.
The abbreviation “nl” stands for “Dutch” and follows the standard language code according to ISO 639-1. For example, for English you use lang="en", for French lang="fr".
Why is this important for SEO?
SEO stands for search engine optimization. That means: making your website so that search engines like Google can read it well, understand it and show it to people who are searching for information.
Using lang="nl" helps with SEO in the following ways:
1. Search engines understand the language of your site better
Google wants to show users the best and most relevant results. If someone in the Netherlands is searching for information, Google prefers to show Dutch pages. By using lang="nl", Google knows for sure that your page is in Dutch and suitable for Dutch-speaking searchers.
2. Better targeting for multilingual websites
Do you have a website with multiple languages, for example Dutch and English? Then it is extra important to use the correct language code for each language page. This way, Google knows exactly which page belongs to which language, and the correct version is shown to the correct user.
3. Impact on featured snippets and voice search
If your site is set up properly with the correct language code, Google can better determine how your text should be read or displayed in special search results, such as featured snippets or voice search results via Google Assistant.
Benefits for visitors
1. Better pronunciation with screen readers
People who are visually impaired or blind often use screen readers. This software reads the content of websites. If you do not set a language, the screen reader will choose a language itself - and that often goes wrong. By adding lang="nl", the screen reader knows that it is Dutch and the text is pronounced correctly.
2. Better automatic translations
Browsers such as Google Chrome often automatically offer a translation button. If you do not specify a language, the browser cannot properly assess whether a translation is necessary. With lang="nl", the browser understands: this is Dutch. If a visitor has a different preferred language, translation is easier and better performed.
How do you use lang="nl" correctly?
Adding the language code is very simple. You put it in the <html> tag, like below:
<html lang="nl">That's it. However, there are a few extra things that are useful to know:
1. Always use lowercase letters
The standard prescribes that your language code should be in lowercase letters. So not lang="NL", but lang="nl".
2. Use additional codes if necessary
Sometimes you can also use country-specific codes. For example:
<html lang="nl-BE">– Flemish (Belgian Dutch)<html lang="nl-NL">– Dutch for the Netherlands
But in most cases, lang="nl" is sufficient.
3. Also indicate language within texts
Suppose you use an English sentence on your Dutch page, then you can also indicate a separate language within your text:
<p>This is a Dutch sentence, but here comes a <span lang="en">English phrase</span> in between.</p>This helps screen readers and search engines to give the correct pronunciation and interpretation.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting to set the language
- Using the wrong language code, such as
lang="dut" - Setting the language via javascript (this does not work well for search engines)
Helps lang="nl" to score higher in Google?
In itself, lang="nl" does not ensure that you suddenly rank first in Google. But it does help indirectly:
- Your site is easier to understand for search engines
- The right language version is shown to the right people
- The user experience is better for visitors
- You prevent confusion with screen readers and translators
And all of that together counts in the bigger picture of SEO and accessibility. Google rewards websites that are well structured, clear for users and work well on all devices.
Conclusion
A good website is not only beautiful and informative, but also technically well constructed. A simple addition such as lang="nl" in your HTML helps with that. It makes your website clearer for search engines, more accessible for people with disabilities, and more usable for international visitors.
In short: it only takes a few seconds to add, but it will give you many benefits in the long run. So always add it to your website when you write Dutch.
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