Engage the right marketing agency
Before you start link building in France, it is first important to engage a good marketing agency. Be aware that link building in France is very different than in the Netherlands. Although the principle is the same, different rules apply everywhere. This sometimes has to do with cultural differences. Google's algorithm is fully geared to this. Therefore, a successful link building campaign in the Netherlands can have a negative effect when extended to other countries. It takes a lot of time to research the differences and also to gain the necessary knowledge and experience for this. That is why it is smart to outsource this.
You should also realise that setting up a company in a foreign country takes an enormous amount of time and energy. It is therefore a waste to put extra energy into something that you can also outsource. Moreover, there is a good chance that you will make mistakes in the process, which will result in the overall strategy not being very successful. A great waste of your marketing budget and the energy you have put into it. Outsourcing is in most cases the best choice. That way, you know for sure that it will be done in the right way, you can focus on your business and the marketing will be taken out of your hands.
Make sure you choose a marketing agency that has experience with link building on an international scale. If they have only done link building in the Netherlands, they will be like you in the dark and that will not help you. With the help of a marketing agency with extensive experience at home and abroad, you know for sure that your link building campaign will actually be successful. Moreover, the results are also measurable by such a company, so you know for sure that your marketing budget is spent in the right way.
Why the domain choice is essential
If you only target Dutch buyers, you won't have to think twice about choosing a domain. A .nl domain is by far the best decision. However, if you also want to expand your business abroad, you will have to take other factors into account. Keep in mind that you will never score high in a French search engine if you only use a .nl domain. No matter how well you optimise your website, it will simply not be considered relevant for French visitors.
If you only want to expand into France, it is a good idea to choose a French domain. This will not only make you more visible in Google, but it will also create more trust with consumers. A French consumer feels much more comfortable buying a French website than a website with a foreign domain. This gives you a better competitive edge.
However, it does not always have to be the best choice to choose a country domain. Sometimes a .com domain suffices too. Especially if you want to expand on an international basis. Many large companies have gone before you and are visibly successful. Think of large companies such as Bol.com. This one is well visible in search engines in both the Netherlands and Belgium, without using a country domain. There is something to be said for both choices. To ensure that you make the right decision, it is a good idea to call in an SEO specialist to discuss the matter. That way, you can be sure that you will not make any mistakes.
French web texts
It may seem superfluous to say, but we cannot leave it unmentioned. Optimising your website also means using French web texts. In doing so, you also apply French SEO techniques. Unfortunately, this is still often forgotten. People who simply use English and want to score in France still regularly do so. However, the chance of achieving a higher position in Google is very small. It is important to remain accessible to the largest target group. The reality is that there are still many French people with a poor command of English. This means that you immediately lose a large part of your target group. Moreover, you will score less quickly on keywords in French search engines.
Choose a native speaker when optimising your web texts. Even if you speak quite a bit of French yourself. The spoken language is often slightly different. A good example is the Dutch and Flemish language. Although we understand each other well, sometimes words are used which one of the parties does not understand well. At the same time, these words can have a high search volum
It may seem superfluous to say, but we can't leave it unmentioned. Optimising your website also means using French web texts. It also means applying French SEO techniques. Unfortunately, this is still often forgotten. People who simply use English and want to score in France still regularly do so. However, the chance of achieving a higher position in Google is very small. It is important to remain accessible to the largest target group. The reality is that there are still many French people with a poor command of English. This means that you immediately lose a large part of your target group. Moreover, you will score less quickly on keywords in French search engines.
Choose a native speaker when optimising your web texts. Even if you speak quite a bit of French yourself. The spoken language is often slightly different. A good example is the Dutch and Flemish language. Although we understand each other well, sometimes words are used which one of the parties does not understand well. At the same time, these words can have a high search volume. A native speaker knows exactly how a real Frenchman would pronounce it.
Make sure that the native speaker, in consultation with an SEO specialist, uses a number of keywords with a high search volume in the web texts. This will immediately guarantee your position in Google. The biggest mistake you can make is to launch the website first and only then think about SEO. Not only are you running behind the facts, but it also costs a lot of extra time and money.
Have a search term study carried out
Now that the website has been further optimised, it is time to reach the target group. It is important to find the right keywords. Keywords on which you can then focus your search efforts. How and when do you want to be found in the search engines and by whom? Delve into the most important terms that people search for in France and what is relevant to your company. You can use Google's keyword planner yourself, but you can also leave this to an SEO specialist. A link building strategy stands or falls with keyword research.
How does link building France work?
In international link building, the principle remains the same. Just like the goal. By using links on relevant websites, you ensure that your authority position increases and Google raises your position within the search engines. However, this sounds a lot easier than done. It is not a question of haphazardly throwing out links or paying for a huge bulk of links. When link building is not done in the right way, it can have the opposite effect on your position within Google.
Quality over quantity. That is the main rule of link building in France - and actually in any other country. If you want to rank higher in the search engines, it is important that your company is referred to via other important pages. Think of well-known blogs or other websites that attract many readers. However, you can't choose for every important website. It is also important that they are relevant to your business. For example, if you rent out holiday homes in France, then it's good to try to get a link on a holiday blog in France. However, if this link is placed on a game website, it will have little effect. It is simply not relevant for the reader or the target group. Not only does it have little effect, but Google can also quickly label it as spam. With all its consequences.
Do you want to rank with a French site? Make sure you get links from other important French sites. So don't try to score with links through a Dutch or Belgian site, because this will also be of little use.
Don't see it coming? Then invest some of your marketing budget in hiring a marketing specialist. Make sure that this specialist also has real experience in providing SEO abroad. This way, you can keep yourself busy with your business while the marketing part is taken care of.