SEO for Germany: being found by people who search in German
Getting found in Germany: German keywords, hreflang, local search, technical SEO and AI search. Findings in English, 48 hours on working days.
Updated: · Author: Dmitri Shelkov
Your English site ranks. Your German site doesn't.
It's a common path. A company does well in English-speaking markets, launches a German version, and waits. Months later, the German pages get a fraction of the traffic the market size suggests. Often they aren't indexed properly, sometimes Google shows the English version to German users, and sometimes the German pages simply target words German speakers don't use.
Germany is a large search market with its own habits. Searches are in German, often longer and full of compound nouns. Local intent is strong: for many services people search with a city or "in der Nähe". And the competition is mostly German companies writing for German readers.
Werbechirurg is a second opinion with a log. Before anyone writes more content or buys links, we look at what is holding your German pages back.
What we check
Indexing and international setup. Are German pages indexed? Are hreflang tags correct and reciprocal, or does Google treat your German pages as duplicates of the English ones? Do canonicals point where they should? Does the server redirect German visitors automatically in ways that confuse crawlers? If your German site is only one part of your market entry, see also Google Ads in Germany.
German keywords. We look at what German users actually type for your product or service, and compare it with what your pages target. Often the translated term is not the searched term.
Content quality in German. Do the pages read as written for German buyers, or as translations? Are prices, shipping, payment options and contact details adapted to the German market? German readers also look for an Impressum and clear company details. Missing ones cost trust. What the Impressum must contain: Consent, TDDDG and Impressum.
Technical SEO. Mobile performance, crawl errors, redirect chains, structured data, internal linking between German pages.
Local visibility. If you serve customers locally, for example from a Berlin office: Google Business Profile, local listings, consistent company details.
Links and mentions. Who links to your German pages? German-language mentions from relevant sites carry more weight for German searches than links from elsewhere.
AI search. Is your business described clearly enough, in German and English, for ChatGPT, Perplexity or Google's AI Overviews to understand and cite it?
How we work
1. Diagnosis in 48 hours on working days
We crawl your German pages and check indexing, international setup, keywords, technical SEO and local presence from public sources. No logins. Free (terms).
2. Written findings
In English, with sources, priorities and effort estimates. Yours to keep, also useful for your in-house team or agency.
3. Repair with a change log
If you hire us, every change is logged: which page, before, after, reason, rollback (how we work). We back up before touching your live site. We then track what changes in Google Search Console, and log it even when nothing changes.
Prices are on our homepage in the “Preise” section of our homepage.
Germany, Austria, Switzerland: one language, three markets
German-language search is not one market. Austrian and Swiss users often use different words, see different competitors and expect local prices and contact details. If you sell only to Germany, your pages should say so, and your targeting should match. If you sell across all three, hreflang can separate de-DE, de-AT and de-CH versions, but only if the pages actually differ in something that matters to the reader. We check whether your setup reflects where you really deliver.
What we don't promise
No guaranteed rankings or traffic numbers. No "page one in 30 days". We don't buy links or build link networks, which can work briefly and damage a site for a long time. And we won't tell you SEO is your best channel in Germany if search demand for your product is small. If that's the case, the report says so.
Find out what's holding your German pages back
Send us your website. Within 48 hours on working days you'll have written findings in English.
Frequently asked questions
Is translating our English pages enough?
Rarely. Translated pages often target words nobody searches for in German, and they read like translations. Good German SEO starts with how German users actually search, then writes pages for that.
Should we use a .de domain or a /de/ folder?
Both can work. A folder on an established domain often inherits its authority, a separate .de domain can build stronger local trust. The right choice depends on your setup, and either way hreflang must be correct.
How long until we see results?
Technical fixes such as indexing errors can show effects within weeks. Ranking for competitive German terms usually takes months. We don't promise a timeline we don't control.
Do you write German content?
We review and structure German pages and can draft them. Anything published under your name goes live only with your approval, and claims about your product remain your responsibility.
What about AI search like ChatGPT or Google AI Overviews?
These systems draw on pages that are accessible, clearly structured and unambiguous about who you are. Solid technical SEO is the foundation for being cited.