How a logical internal link structure, earned media and influencer marketing creates more authority and reach. Besides relevant content that matches the target audience's search queries and a website that technically meets the requirements of the Google guidelines, authority in the form of relevant internal and externallinks (link building) is alsoneeded for a well-developed SEO strategy in Germany.
A strong website authority is important for increasing the positions of broad keywords or long-tail combinations. Websites still unknown to Germany benefit from an SEO strategy focused on onpage and technical optimizations. After this, you can work with the help of a marketing agency, for example, to collect valuable backlinks from other German websites that increase the authority of your website.
While the goal of link building in 2019 is still the same, namely; building authority, increasing positions in organic search results and thereby also the number of visitors, the method of working has changed. The differences compared to link building in the Netherlands are big. In the Netherlands, industry directories such as Startpagina.nl are still used. In Germany, on the other hand, it is no longer appropriate to place links to your own website via such web directories. In Germany today, quality rather than quantity counts above all - and this is where the terms influencer marketing and earned media come in.
Preparing backlink strategy
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.
Internal links
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.
Pillar Pages
If your website contains blogs or a lot of informative content, "pillar pages" offer a convenient way to structure the website logically internally. Many Web sites contain a large number of individual articles by search query or theme. A pillar page is an umbrella page per theme that contains internal links to different content clusters/subthemes,. This not only ensures a search engine-friendly structure, but also helps website visitors find what they are looking for faster.
Pillar pages can also be used to clarify content and structural differences between different language versions of websites. For example, Germans value the origin of their products and are interested in topics such as sustainability. JoeMerino.com has therefore created a pillar page with the theme of sustainability especially for its German webshop. Such pages not only offer the possibility of a logical internal structure, but also ensure that certain keywords are found better and it refers visitors to a particular theme. Therefore, analyze your content. Look critically whether it is also suitable for your German website and whether there are other themes that can be communicated to the target audience via a pillar page.
Link anchors
To connect content and pages, hyperlinks are placed in the content that can be reached by clicking on an anchor text (anchor text). An anchor often involves a particular keyword or variations thereof. These are usually underlined in a text in blue or another color and can be clicked on. Important here is that it is clear to both the search engine and the visitor where the link leads. For example, internally on the website, the name of a category or product can be used as an anchor and, via an external blog, the brand name can also be referenced to lead more visitors to the homepage and build authority for this page.
In a good link building strategy, you determine in advance which pages and keywords you want to use to lift your website to a higher position. This is how you determine which keywords and anchors to incorporate into the content.
External links
Since the Google Penguin update Google penalizes websites with unnatural link profiles. If you work with good keyword analysis and an overview of the entire menu structure when optimizing your internal link structure, it is possible to adhere to best practices. The principles of logic and usability will not change as quickly.
For getting relevant external links, the options change regularly. For example, it used to be common to place your German webshop in as many web directories as possible, and links were even placed by companies in forums. Anno 2019, that no longer works.
According to Google's guidelines, an external link is a "recommendation." Relevant, authoritative websites that fit your business or product indicate through a link to your website that it is an authoritative and reliable source with quality content. This can increase your position in search results.
For your German website, it is essential that you collect relevant links from Germany itself. Still companies are tempted to buy a large number of backlinks from abroad. While this may initially increase organic positions and visitors, it can quickly lead to a penalty by Google. Influencer marketing or earned media, for example, are good ways to receive strong backlinks.
Influencer marketing
With influencer marketing in Germany you can present your website, services or products to the right target audience and thus receive a strong backlink from a relevant and authoritative source. Make sure it remains an honest recommendation. A fashion blogger who suddenly posts about toolboxes will bring neither a relevant backlink nor many visitors.
If the influencer fits your target audience and reaches them through the right channels, then a backlink combined with a clever marketing campaign can not only ensure brand awareness and reach, but also higher positions in search results and more authority of your website. Since an influencer can be found for almost any topic or niche in Germany, it is important to make the right choices with the help of a German specialist.
If you also have websites in Austria or Switzerland, it is best to read up on the media and influencer landscape of these countries. While in Germany you can find a blog for almost every industry, this is not true for Austria and Switzerland. Thus, not only are the prices for placements lower there, there is also less competition. If you find a blogger who matches your Austrian or Swiss target audience, then you have a great chance of growing with that influencer and his visitors.
Criteria for a suitable blog or influencer are: relevance with the target audience, high engagement and high authority. Using special tools, you can analyze whether the blog actually meets these requirements.
Be aware that although influencer marketing is an effective way for link building, it is rarely free and can be time-consuming. In addition to free trial products, influencers often charge a fee and you must set aside time to approach, arrange and negotiate.
Earned media
Another option for gathering relevant backlinks is earned media; anything 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 created by the target audience itself.
While press releases used to be distributed through press portals for a large number of backlinks, this way is now obsolete and links from such websites are no longer valuable. Moreover, these websites were often full of press releases on a wide variety of topics and did not connect 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, be clear about who the target audience is and through which medium you reach them. Make sure the press release is placed only in trade media in your industry and go for quality rather than quantity. If the press release really adds value and connects with the target audience, trade media will be happy to place your content and a backlink to your website. In this way, you can certainly speak of a well-deserved link. Moreover, the icing on the cake is an increasing number of relevant visitors and perhaps further backlinks via social media that are created this way.
Do-follow and no-follow links
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.
Conclusion
Authority is one of the pillars of a good SEO strategy and can lead to brand awareness and greater reach in addition to good positions in organic search results. Before you get started with link building for your German web shop, however, you should establish a well-founded strategy that takes into account both internal and external links. Furthermore, you should be aware that valuable links have to 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, the authority of your website will rise and you will conquer the German market.
Link building at Dexport
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.
