Quality over quantity
In the beginning, it was still very difficult for Google's algorithms to determine which websites were authoritative enough to appear at the top of the search results. There were some methods they used to determine this, but these were also obvious to the public. As a result, shortcuts were regularly taken to outsmart Google and appear at the top of the search results without earning it. Backlinks, for instance, were initially considered to be votes for your website. The more people voted for your website, the more important it would be. At least, that is how Google saw it.
In practice, however, it turned out that more and more companies bought huge amounts of links in order to obtain a higher position quickly. This while the information that was shared was not relevant to the reader at all. This jeopardises the success of Google. When users of this search engine receive other information than what they are looking for, they will quickly use another search engine. For this reason, Google has repeatedly adjusted its algorithm over the years. It now consists of more than 650 different algorithms, of which not all are known. In this way, Google tries to keep the quality standard high. Good for Google, but all the more difficult for a company to end up at the top of the search results.
The above certainly applies not only to the Netherlands, but to every country. Quality should always come before quantity. Otherwise it will hardly yield any results. It could even backfire. When Google notices that you are paying for large amounts of links, it will mark you as spam and your current position will be lowered drastically. Think of it as a Google penalty. You should try to avoid this penalty in order to protect your company's visibility. Not only in our country, but also when you do link building in Austria.
What is a quality link?
Google nowadays does not count the amount of links pointing to your website, but only looks at the quality links. But when is something called a quality link? To determine whether a link is qualitative, a number of factors are looked at. This applies to both domestic and foreign links. The following factors are important:
Linkjuice is a term often used in the world of internet marketing. It means that one page 'leaks value' to another page. If you place several links on a page, this leaks back to the different links. The pages that leak the most value therefore have more value. You can build up the linkjuice by both internal and external links. When more valuable links are placed to your page, you have a higher linkjuice than the competition and a higher authority position.
With link building in Austria, it is also important to look at where exactly the links are placed. From which country. You will hardly benefit if links from Dutch websites are placed to your page. This is not considered relevant for the reader, so it has no (or even a counterproductive) effect on your position in the search results. Therefore make sure that only links from other important Eastern sites are placed to your website.
Also think about the relevance of the link. It is important that you build a natural link profile. One that is not easily judged by Google. It is also important that the link fits the profile of the website where it is placed. Do you have a gardening company, for example? A link from a home improvement blog is likely to get you a lot of traffic, as it is relevant to the reader. A link from a technical blog, on the other hand, will yield little to nothing. Also, Google can then check your ranking manually or keep a closer eye on the entire link profile.
The reputation of the source is also very important. How important is the link authority of the website where the link is placed? Quite simply, links on popular sites and blogs will yield much more than when placed on a relatively unknown (yet relevant) site. For example, do you get a reference to your website in a blog of a celebrity? Then this will have an almost immediate impact on your authority position. Moreover, it is not only because of Google that you will subsequently see the number of visitors rise, but also simply because there are more readers and therefore the curiosity is aroused to click on your site. Win-win!
How to get the right backlinks in Austria?
Now that you know what quality links are, it is time to start collecting them. But how do you do this exactly? There are several ways to build a natural link profile. You can choose to approach other entrepreneurs and to do link exchange for example. Don't do this too often though, because Google might also penalise you for this. What many people also do is the use of article marketing. They write interesting articles for their target group, which they then place on important blogs. With a reference to their own website, of course. These so-called guest blogs are a proven successful method for obtaining a higher position within Google.
These are just a few of the methods used in the Netherlands. But how do you do this abroad?
Internal links
First of all, there are many things you can do yourself. You can already build a much stronger website by applying internal links. Link from the homepage to subpages that are of interest to the reader. This will not only ensure that visitors to your website have access to the right information quickly, but will also increase your authority position. This applies to every country, including Austria. Internal links are also easy to process yourself, which means that it doesn't have to cost you a lot of time or money. A method that you should definitely use when you start link building in Austria.
Build relationships with other entrepreneurs
Logically, you do not know too many other entrepreneurs in Austria. Especially when you have never started a business here. Therefore, it is good to invest enough time in building new relationships with other entrepreneurs. It never hurts to have a good number of contacts. This is where you can go for help, to exchange ideas or simply to find inspiration. When you don't speak the language well, this might be more difficult. Therefore, see if you can arrange for a translator to communicate with other entrepreneurs. These relationships can also be very valuable in building a natural link profile in Austria. Consider link exchange with other relevant shops, for example. A good marketing strategy that benefits both of you. You can also focus on your own business by unexpectedly linking to a company or blog that has caught your interest and then mentioning it. This will get your business noticed and they may even want to post a reference of their own.
Make use of press releases
Putting out press releases has many advantages for your own publicity, but also for obtaining the necessary valuable backlinks. You can fill such a press release not only with information about new products that you are going to launch or the philosophy behind your company, but also with links to your own website. Make sure that this is done in moderation. The press release should be fun to read and informative.
The biggest advantage of press releases is that they are often placed on multiple sites. This way you spread your information (and links) over the wide web. This automatically gives you more valuable backlinks, without you having to do anything else. A nice way to get more backlinks and it takes very little effort. Make sure you have your press release written by a native speaker, so you can be sure that the information is correct and that the message is easy to read.