9.2
HomeSearch engine optimizationSEO in Duitsland
Read more

SEO in Duitsland

Do you want to enter the German market or further increase your visibility in Germany? Then SEO in Germany is an important step. With over 83 million inhabitants, Germany is a market with enormous growth potential for Dutch companies. With a well-thought-out SEO strategy, you can expand your online visibility in a huge market.

SmartRanking is happy to help you and is your partner in the field of SEO in Germany. With our extensive experience and native German colleagues, we ensure that e-commerce platforms and websites take the right steps for growth in Germany. In doing so, our German SEO specialists take into account the cultural differences between us and our eastern neighbors, so that you, as a Dutch company, can also attract customers in Germany.

The biggest differences between SEO in the Netherlands and Germany

Because Germany is close by and many Dutch people visit Germany from time to time, when expanding or growing in Germany, the differences between the Netherlands and Germany are often overlooked. However, there are major differences:

  1. German internet users often use longer search terms and have a strong preference for informative content that accurately matches their search intent.
  2. While iDeal is very popular in the Netherlands, it does not exist in Germany, where PayPal is the king of payment methods.
  3. Germans are very punctual, and even minor inaccuracies can arouse suspicion, causing the target group to abandon their purchase process.
  4. German internet users are more critical when it comes to privacy and security, such as the DSGVO legislation (the German abbreviation for the General Data Protection Regulation).
  5. Most German users are very hierarchical and want to be addressed in a serious tone.
  6. In Germany, it is customary to use the formal “Sie” form of address online (except when your target group is very young), whereas in the Netherlands we prefer to use the informal “du” form.

Further cultural differences between the Netherlands and Germany

In Germany, an appointment is an appointment. You might think, “Isn’t that the same in the Netherlands?” That’s true, but in Germany they take it even more seriously. In Germany, you don’t reschedule an appointment an hour beforehand. This applies to everything, including the promises you make on a website. Do you promise “order today = delivered tomorrow”? Then make sure you keep that promise. Reliability and quality are of paramount importance in Germany.

The internet is still growing in Germany, and many Germans make limited use of the internet to make their purchases. Those users who do start their search for products on Amazon. But many purchases are still made locally and paid for in cash. The shift to online is gaining momentum, but as a rule, Germany is 2 to 3 years behind the Netherlands. This offers opportunities for Dutch companies, which are often more advanced than their German competitors in terms of digitization, customer service, and information provision.

The challenge, however, is that the German target group is very focused on its own country. Germans prefer to make purchases from other German companies, partly because German companies are known for their reliability. Placing an order or request with a foreign company is a big step, and you really have to do your best to convey reliability and transparency.

The search behavior of the German target group

An effective SEO strategy in Germany starts with a detailed analysis of the market and the competition. To do this, it is important to understand the online search behavior of your German target group. Due to the size of the market, the (still) growing use of the internet, and the shift to buying products or requesting services online, searches are conducted in many different ways. Don’t be surprised if you discover a huge number of long-tail queries.

The advantage of working with SmartRanking

Many Dutch agencies are involved in SEO projects in Germany. Often with a 1-to-1 translation of the Dutch SEO strategy and limited knowledge of German culture and search behavior. We believe it is important to always deliver the right added value. Thanks to our complete focus on SEO, we have extensive international experience and work with German SEO specialists in our own team.

Native German colleagues

Keywords in top 10

Extensive experience with SEO in Germany

ROI SEO

Proven successful approach

Internationale SEO

E-commerce and B2B SEO

An effective SEO strategy in Germany

Many Dutch entrepreneurs choose to focus on online marketing for the Dutch target group, whereby international SEO is often overlooked. Due to Germany’s geographical location, the growth of e-commerce, and its population size, the German market offers enormous opportunities. However, it is a competitive market with many large platforms and cultural differences.

It is therefore not effective to copy your current SEO strategy and use it as a German e-commerce SEO strategy. To succeed, you need to have a good understanding of German culture. This includes not only the basics of SEO, but also knowledge of the German language, culture, use of terminology, and search behavior. You will therefore need to carefully analyze where your opportunities lie.

An effective SEO strategy in Germany therefore involves more than just translating content and starts with a German cross-border audit to immediately identify the right weaknesses. Based on this, you can use keyword research and keyword gap analyses to form the basis for a solid strategy.

 

SEO in Duitsland in samenwerking met SmartRanking
“Most Germans are very punctual. The smallest errors on a website can cause them to abandon their purchase process.”

Choosing a domain name in Germany

Choosing a domain name is an important part of conveying relevance and reliability. A .de domain sends a clear signal to both users and search engines that your website is aimed at the German market. This helps improve your findability in German search engines, as local domains are often given preference in search queries.

It is also important to consider whether you want to create a separate German website or expand your existing website with a German section. Both options have their own advantages and challenges, but our advice is to choose a .de domain. This sends a stronger signal to your target audience and usually results in a higher conversion rate.

German SEO for your business

German SEO is not just a matter of technical adjustments and using the right native keywords. It also involves understanding German culture and the behavior of German consumers. This includes adapting your strategy to meet the expectations of German users and creating a user-friendly website that meets their needs, including specific content for different regions in Germany.

With a well-executed German SEO strategy, you not only increase your online visibility, but you also gain the trust of German consumers. This is important for success in the German market, especially since Germans often rely on reviews and detailed product information before making a purchase.

The SmartRanking approach

Over the past few years, we have extensively developed and refined our working method into a proven approach for increasing findability in Germany. We go through various steps to achieve the desired result together.

1

Online introduction

During a no-obligation online introductory meeting, we will discuss the challenges you face in growing your business in Germany, who your target audience is, what your objectives are, and how you are currently working on SEO.

We will also briefly explain our vision on SEO, how we work, and discuss what we can potentially do for each other. This way, we will both know whether there is a match between your needs and our approach.

2

Presentation of the approach

If there is a match on both sides, we will get to work on a proposal and schedule a time to go over it. The proposal for collaboration includes a debriefing, status of the current situation, and the opportunities we see based on the four pillars of SEO. This is an investment of time on our part in a potential collaboration and is therefore non-binding. The proposal also includes more information about the proposed collaboration, objectives, and budget.

3

SEO Blueprint®

Once the proposal has been approved, we schedule the project. We start with a kick-off meeting to discuss our approach and the specific schedule for the first month. We then get to work on further developing the strategy, including various valuable analyses. This includes keyword research, drawing up the content plan, a technical audit, and a cross-border audit. This forms the backbone of the success we will achieve together.

4

Keyword research and content strategy

An effective SEO strategy in Germany starts with a detailed analysis of the market and the competition. It is important to know which keywords are popular in Germany and how you can use them optimally, including examples of long-tail keywords such as “best refrigerators with energy label A+++ in Berlin.” Our SEO specialists therefore start the SEO Blueprint® with a keyword analysis. SmartRanking employs German native colleagues who understand the German language and culture like no other. Instead of translating Dutch keywords into German, we look at keywords that the German target group searches for and with what intention they do so. We therefore carry out a ‘German native’ keyword analysis.

5

Technical audit

Other important factors within the SEO Blueprint® are the foundations of your findability: technical SEO. You need to take into account the technical requirements of German search engines, such as the correct implementation of hreflang tags, ensuring a mobile-friendly website, implementing structured data, and the preferences of German internet users, who are sensitive to privacy issues. Our native specialists have developed audits specifically tailored to the German target group. From the extremely important loading time of your website to the navigation and link structure.

6

Presentation of the strategy

At the end of the first month, the strategy will be fully developed. We will present the strategy to all relevant stakeholders, providing further insights into the competition, your position in the market, growth opportunities, and the recommended follow-up budget.

7

Monthly sprints

Once we have agreed on the strategy and the budget, we will start optimizing the website in the form of monthly sprints. Each month starts with an SEO meeting, a fixed moment to review the planning and KPIs together. Are there other priorities for the month? Then we will adjust the planning accordingly. Because we go through continuous iterations, the strategy is adjusted where necessary in order to achieve the goals.

Grow your visibility in Germany

Are you serious about entering the German market or taking the next step in the German market? SmartRanking is the SEO agency that has all the expertise and experience to help your business succeed in Germany. By working with our team of native SEO experts, you can be sure that your website is fully optimized for German search engines. Contact us today to conquer the German market!

Contact us

SEO in Germany for SoundImports

See more cases

Our services

About search engine optimization Our vision
The most important SEO trends
General SEO information
The SEO trends in 2025