Why build multilingual links?
International brands need more than just a multilingual website.
A recent study focusing on one million search results in Google showed that the number one factor that correlates with position is backlinks to a page. Google’s RankBrain algorithm can also easily tell which language backlinks come from. Therefore, backlinks must always be written in the same language as the page being linked to. For example, a site with hundreds of quality English links - but no French or German links - would rank well in the UK or US, but not in France or Germany.
Our SEO agency offers multilingual link building in nine languages including English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Dutch. These links, written in the form of guest posts - as well as infographics and social media profiles - will provide first impressions of your business for customers. For these to be effective, you must win your customer’s trust, convince them that you understand their needs, and explain how your product or service meets those needs.
On top of that, you need to start this process before they arrive on your site.
Fundamental site structure elements
Before starting a link building campaign, it's essential that certain fundamental multilingual SEO elements are in place:
- Each page on your site must have its own unique URL (web address). Some sites use Cookies to register the visitor’s language preference, which is fine if they’re used in conjunction with a redirect to a specific URL. However, if the content on the page changes while the URL doesn’t, a significant problem will arise for your SEO, as it will be impossible for Google to index the page in more than one language. It’s equally valid to use a sub-folder (e.g. /fr for French, /de for German, etc.) or a separate domain for each language. See our tips on choosing a multilingual domain name.
- Google treats hashtags in the URL as part of the same page. So, if your page structure is page14#fr for French pages and page14#de for German pages, Google will see them as one and the same.
- Pages need optimised Meta Titles and Descriptions, quality content, and other on-page SEO.
How to do international link building
When running a multilingual link building campaign, we adopt the following approach:
Start by creating something worth linking to
Even if your website is brand new, creating something worth linking to (called link bait by most SEO companies) will help you gain links and boost traffic and conversions. Research and write a blog that’s interesting and entertaining (if appropriate) and include at least one image per page. Say something unique and meaningful. In guest blogging, it's fine to build links primarily to your commercial pages, but also include a handful to pages that are educational rather than promotional. This helps your site appear more helpful, which is one metric Google use to rank sites.
Translate content into each language
There’s no point in building links to an English page from German and French sites. This is true for several reasons - visitors are less likely to be interested, it will be harder to gain the links, and it’s more likely to look like spam to Google. So, before building your multilingual links, you must translate the content you’re linking to.
Use Google to find opportunities to rank for important keywords in each language
It takes time to rank in a top position with Google. One way to gain an indirect first page result is to find a business listing directory, blog, or other content that’s already ranking well, then submit your site (or blog) to it. This way, you’ll get quality referral traffic and boost your own position. A link from a page that appears in the top 10 with Google is nearly as good as your own site appearing on the first page with Google.
See our guide on how to research multilingual keywords, even if you don’t speak the language fluently.
Build multilingual guest blogs
Write in-depth articles that are well researched. Carefully proofread these and always include a link in the article back to your website. Contact relevant blogs that rank high on Google and ask them to add the article to their site. This way, they gain new content for their site, while you gain a link. It’s a win-win.
Guest blogs are great for winning backlinks from relevant sites. If you write sufficiently engaging articles, some of them will appear high on Google for relevant keywords.
Focus on quality over quantity
Make everything you write unique. Focus on quality. Guest posting is a core part of link building and the best blogs will only accept content if it's relevant to their readers and engaging. Content that is itself shared and ranks well with Google will also give you substantially more benefit than content no-one reads. Include an image or two where possible, particularly in places where you’re selling something visual (a product, holiday accommodation, etc.). Google penalises sites that have manipulative backlinks, and link building packages that include 100s of links are very unlikely to help. A single top-quality link is worth more than any number of low-quality links.
Be aware of nofollow links
A nofollow link is something added to the code which tells search engines to not count the link as a 'vote of confidence'. They are used to indicate that links are sponsored, on adverts, or user-content. Typically all social media links and forum comments will have the "nofollow" tag assigned to them. Google do still value nofollow links to some extent, but dofollow link (any link without this code) are far more valuable.
To see if a backlink is nofollow, look at the source code (you can usually view this by pressing Ctrl + U) and see if it says rel="nofollow".
Submit to directories
There are plenty of directories in each country. To find them, simply enter a keyword and the directory (or "annuaire" in French, etc.). These are an easy place for you to start your multilingual SEO while also building links to your home page. By including a keyword in your search, you’re more likely to find relevant, niche directories.
Generate an international social media presence
Create a page on Facebook, Twitter and TikTok for each language and post four or five posts minimum to get the ball rolling. At least two of these should include a link to a page on your site. Make sure these vary between promotional items and informative links (either to your site or third party non-competing sites).
While social media links are nofollow, Google have filed hundreds of patents connecting social media and search engine ranking, therefore they're still an important factor if you want to rank high.Start with less competitive keywords
The more competitive the keywords you choose, the longer it takes to reach those treasured first page spots on Google. So, start by aiming for long-tail keywords (short search phrases rather than one or two words), then gradually focus on more competitive keywords. As you create new links, keep focusing on quality. Also, make sure to vary the links sufficiently so they’re natural.
The above SEO tips will start driving international traffic to your site. Link building is a continuous process, and as your business takes off, make sure that you or someone else has time to maintain your multilingual link building campaign.
Indigoextra’s SEO service in Europe
If your website is active in more than one country and multiple languages, your international SEO partner must be able to provide a quality multilingual link building service. Without the ability to provide multilingual links, you may find that your website does well in one language zone but not in others, even if the content of your site itself is fluently translated.
Indigoextra’s multilingual link building capability provides a truly international SEO service in nine different European languages. Our content writers are native speakers in English, French, German, Dutch, Italian and Spanish. Through original, targeted and well-constructed copy, we will ensure that your website reaps the benefits of our highly effective SEO programme in any of the above European jurisdictions. We can also complete small backlink campaigns in several other languages.
Indigoextra ensures that content used for link building will be original and of the highest calibre. Our strategies will ensure that traffic is effectively directed to your website.
We provide the following services:
High Authority Guest Blogs
We will research your industry, write original articles, and then place those articles on high authority, high traffic, language specific and relevant blogs. These articles will include a dofollow link back to your site, giving you referral traffic and an SEO boost. We have built relationships with hundreds of bloggers and webmasters in nine European languages including:- English, French, German, Spanish, Italian and Dutch so using our service will save you significant time and provide you with a good return on investment.
Infographic Design and Marketing
A picture is worth a thousand words. Our infographics merge pictures, text and data to educate readers and guide them through the buying process. We will design branded infographics in your chosen language(s) and share them on related blogs and popular social media sites, while always providing a link back to your site.
Link Baiting
If you have great content on your site, people are more likely to spontaneously link to it. We will create exciting, image-rich content, promote it, and encourage website visitors to share it.
Premium Directory Submissions
We will submit your site to the top country specific directories in Europe, the US or Canada.
Multilingual Social Media Marketing
We will create and (if necessary) manage social media profiles in each language, writing a healthy mix of content that engages the reader. We also design and share images with descriptions that link readers back to your site and share them in groups where members have specifically registered an interest in businesses like your own. One advantage of this approach is that there's no need to have your own social media profile in every language.
Good international optimisation service providers - with detailed knowledge of the techniques required to deliver real and lasting results - are few and far between. If you’re looking for a creative partner, someone with the ability to deliver high-quality multilingual content and the benefits of effective international SEO, then talk to the team at Indigoextra to see how we can help you.
Our multilingual and experienced agency
If you choose to work with Indigoextra, you will be assigned a Project Manager who will be your main point of contact. They will ensure that we understand your company and your requirements. They will speak to you in your own language. This will make it easy for you to communicate, even if you don’t speak the language you’re looking for a link building service in. The project manager’s role is also to ensure that the content and links meet our high-quality standards, while also coordinating with our team of multilingual experts.
Case Studies
German Real Estate Site – Triple the traffic in 14 months
We started working on a German link building campaign for Real Advisor in September 2021.
In the first 14 months, we boosted their ranking, more than tripling their organic traffic from 50k to over 150k monthly visits.
“The process was smooth, and their team was able to adapt quickly to our specific internal changes and goals. They took the time to understand our business and tailored their services to meet our specific needs.”
Multilingual eCommerce site – From 0 to 50K+ visits
From 2017 to 2022 we ran an SEO campaign for Maxilia. It was a brand-new site with zero traffic and we took them to over 50K visits across six languages.
“Indigoextra Ltd greatly facilitated the client's success. They're diligent about sending reports and are committed to overcoming challenges. They've delivered consistently high-quality work during the 3-year partnership.”
Read more case studies and reviews of our international SEO agency.
Your multilingual SEO team
- SEO Experts - Our SEO experts will research keywords and help identify the best strategy for your business.
- Copywriters - Our copywriting team consists of all native speakers in the applicable language. Each writer is educated to degree level or higher with substantial previous experience. Copywriters work remotely from their own homes, as this allows us to recruit the best team internationally.
- Graphic designers - Our service includes the sharing of infographics, quotagraphics and other images; we also include an image with every article we publish to be sure it has maximum impact.
- Link builders - Whether it’s contacting bloggers, submitting your site to directories, or running a social media campaign, our link builders are here to ensure that your content reaches the best places on the web.
