Problem: The client moved their site to a new domain and wanted to target Google.com (USA) instead of Google UK. They changed the hreflang tag for the English site from 'en' to 'en-us' in WPML settings but were unsure if it was the correct setup and how long it would take for the changes to affect their Google rankings.
Solution: 1. We confirmed that the hreflang tag needs to be set to 'en-us' in WPML > Languages > Edit languages to target the USA audience. 2. We advised the client to clear any server or plugin caches to ensure the changes are reflected on the site. 3. We confirmed that the changes were correctly showing in the code after the client cleared the cache. 4. We informed the client that it is their choice to target a specific language version and provided an example of Apple.com using 'en-us'. 5. We addressed the error/suggestion about adding non-region hreflang alternates for 'en' by confirming that it is up to the client to decide if they want to target a broader audience.
Please note that the solution provided might be irrelevant due to being outdated or not applicable to your case. If the issue persists, we highly recommend checking related known issues, verifying the version of the permanent fix, and confirming that you have installed the latest versions of themes and plugins. If you still need assistance, please open a new support ticket.
I recently found an issue with my site when trying to set up a staging site. I use different domains for different language, and it appears the primary domain and public_html are set as different sites.
From Siteground:
The main domain of your account(Site Tools) is -> your-domain.jp
The parked domain is -> your-domain.co.uk
The site in the public_html is configured to work/load as your-domain.co.uk:
What is the best/easiest solution to this problem?
Solution:
When setting up the Language URL format for A different domain per language, you must follow our guide here.
The server and DNS settings must be correctly applied to make it work. Those are not settings in WPML.
In your case, your-domain.co.uk should be your site's main domain associated with your site's default language language. All the other domains, including your-domain.jp, should be the alias of the main domain, according to how we explain in the guide.
I can't tell why you see it otherwise in Siteground's settings. You should make sure the settings are correct. Also, consult Siteground's support about it.
Problem: The client wants to remove the language switcher flags from the header/top bar and only have it in the footer. Additionally, the client has translated strings at the top of each page, but the translations are not appearing on the Japanese page.
Solution: 1) To remove the language switcher from the header/top bar, we recommend checking if you are using the default menu language switcher from WPML -> Languages -> Menu language switcher section. If so, you can delete it by clicking the red "X" icon.
2) If the language switcher is not in the WPML settings, it might be added through your theme options. Please check your theme options for a setting that might be displaying the language switcher. If you inspect the language switcher element in your browser, you may find code indicating a custom language switcher added by the theme.
