How a logical internal link structure, earned media, and influencer marketing boost authority and reach. In addition to relevant content that aligns with the target audience’s search queries and a website that technically meets Google’s guidelines, authority in the form of relevant internal and external links (link building) is also essential for a well-developed SEO strategy in Germany.
Strong website authority is important for improving the rankings of broad keywords or long-tail combinations. Websites still unknown in Germany benefit from an SEO strategy focused on on-page and technical optimizations. Afterward, you can, for example, work with a marketing agency to gather valuable backlinks from other German websites that boost your website’s authority.
While the goal of link building in 2019 remains the same—namely, building authority, improving rankings in organic search results, and thereby increasing traffic—the approach has changed. The differences compared to link building in the Netherlands are significant. In the Netherlands, industry directories such as Startpagina.nl are still used. In Germany, however, it is no longer appropriate to place links to your own website via such web directories. In Germany today, quality matters more than quantity—and this is where the terms influencer marketing and earned media come into play.
Before you start link building, you need to determine what keywords you want your website to be found for and what content or product best matches them. Therefore, start with a comprehensive keyword analysis and an analysis of the website structure by a native German marketer. It is advisable to have internal links in order as well as to constantly work on building up your authority and to incorporate external links from other relevant websites.
A good internal link structure ensures that all pages can be easily reached and are logically arranged according to the top-down-bottom-up principle. For example, ideally on the homepage there are a number of main categories that link to subcategories. In the case of an online store, these subcategories link to appropriate product groups or single products. Make sure that each page contains at least one internal link that leads to another appropriate and relevant page. As for the link, it is important that both it and the content around it contain relevant keywords. A German native speaker can help you determine the right keywords and link titles.
If your website contains blogs or a lot of informational content, “pillar pages” offer a convenient way to logically structure the website internally. Many websites feature a large number of individual articles organized by search query or theme. A pillar page is an overarching page for each theme that contains internal links to various content clusters or subtopics. This not only ensures a search engine-friendly structure but also helps website visitors find what they’re looking for more quickly.
Pillar pages can also be used to clarify content and structural differences between the various language versions of websites. For example, Germans place great value on the origin of their products and are interested in topics such as sustainability. JoeMerino.com has therefore created a pillar page specifically for its German webshop focused on sustainability. Such pages not only allow for a logical internal structure but also ensure that certain keywords are more easily found and direct visitors to a specific theme. Therefore, analyze your Dutch content. Take a critical look to see if it is also suitable for your German website and if there are other themes that can be communicated to the target audience via a pillar page.
To link content and pages together, hyperlinks are embedded in the content that can be accessed by clicking on anchor text. An anchor is often a specific keyword or variations thereof. These are usually underlined in blue or another color within the text and can be clicked on. It is important that both the search engine and the visitor clearly understand where the link leads. For example, internally on the website, the name of a category or product can be used as an anchor, and an external blog can also link to the brand name to drive more visitors to the homepage and build authority for that page.
With a good link-building strategy, you determine in advance which pages and keywords you want to use to boost your website’s ranking. This helps you decide which keywords and anchor text to incorporate into your content.
Since the Google Penguin update, Google has been penalizing websites with unnatural link profiles. If you optimize your internal link structure using thorough keyword analysis and a comprehensive overview of your entire menu structure, you can adhere to best practices. The principles of logic and user-friendliness are unlikely to change anytime soon.
The options for obtaining relevant external links change regularly. For example, it used to be common practice to list your German online store in as many web directories as possible, and companies would even post links in forums. In 2019, that no longer works.
According to Google’s guidelines, an external link is a “recommendation.” Relevant, authoritative websites that align with your business or product signal through a link to your website that it is an authoritative and reliable source with high-quality content. This can improve your ranking in search results.
For your German website, it is essential that you acquire relevant links from within Germany itself. Companies are still tempted to purchase a large number of backlinks from abroad. Although this may initially result in an increase in organic rankings and traffic, it can quickly lead to a penalty from Google. Influencer marketing or earned media, for example, are effective ways to acquire strong backlinks.
With influencer marketing in Germany, you can showcase your website, services, or products to the right target audience and, in doing so, receive a strong backlink from a relevant and authoritative source. Make sure the recommendation remains authentic. A fashion blogger who suddenly starts posting about toolboxes will yield neither a relevant backlink nor many visitors.
If the influencer aligns with your target audience and reaches them through the right channels, a backlink combined with a smart marketing campaign can not only boost brand awareness and reach but also improve your website’s search rankings and enhance its authority. Since an influencer can be found in Germany for virtually every topic or niche, it’s important to make the right choices with the help of a German specialist.
If you also have websites in Austria or Switzerland, it’s best to familiarize yourself with the media and influencer landscape in these countries. While there is a blog for almost every industry in Germany, this is not the case in Austria and Switzerland. Not only are the prices for placements lower there, but there is also less competition. If you find a blogger who resonates with your Austrian or Swiss target audience, you have a great chance to grow alongside that influencer and their audience.
Criteria for a suitable blog or influencer include: relevance to the target audience, high engagement, and high authority. Using specialized tools, you can analyze whether the blog actually meets these requirements.
Be aware that while influencer marketing is an effective method for link building, it is rarely free and can be time-consuming. In addition to free sample products, influencers often ask for compensation, and you’ll need to set aside time for outreach, coordination, and negotiation.
Another option for acquiring relevant backlinks is earned media—any content written about a brand or online store by third parties, in addition to official brand communications. It is a form of advertising on social media or other channels that is generated by the target audience itself.
While press releases used to be distributed via press portals to generate a large number of backlinks, this method is now outdated, and links from such websites are no longer valuable. Moreover, these websites were often filled with press releases on a wide variety of topics and did not resonate with the target audience. You don’t want a hundred irrelevant backlinks, but at least one backlink from a relevant website in your industry.
Before you distribute a press release, you must first clearly identify who your target audience is and through which medium you will reach them. Ensure that the press release is published exclusively in trade media within your industry and prioritize quality over quantity. If the press release truly adds value and resonates with the target audience, trade media will be happy to publish your content and include a backlink to your website. This way, you can be sure you’ve earned a well-deserved link. The icing on the cake is an increasing number of relevant visitors and perhaps even additional backlinks generated through social media as a result.
Finally, when placing a backlink, it is important whether it has a "do-follow" or a "no-follow" attribute. With a do-follow attribute in the link's code, the Googlebot receives the signal that the backlink may be crawled and "trusts" the external website. With a no-follow attribute, the backlink is not crawled. A strong link profile in Germany requires a balanced mix from both types.
Authority is one of the cornerstones of a solid SEO strategy and, in addition to strong rankings in organic search results, can lead to brand awareness and a wider reach. However, before you start link building for your German online store, you need to establish a well-thought-out strategy that takes both internal and external links into account. Furthermore, you should be aware that valuable links must be earned over several months or even years, with quality taking precedence over quantity.
With a logical internal link structure, collaborations with the right influencers, and relevant content, your website’s authority will rise and you will conquer the German market.
Analyzing link structure, writing German content and link texts or distributing press releases can be tricky. Finding suitable influencers can also be time-consuming. At Dexport, you have the option of outsourcing the link building process to one of our experienced native German marketers.
