• Mehr als 3 Millionen Wörter Inhalt
  • |
  • info@itmedialaw.com
  • |
  • Tel: 03322 5078053
ITMediaLaw - Rechtsanwalt Marian Härtel
Warenkorb
Plugin Install : Cart Icon need WooCommerce plugin to be installed.
  • en English
  • de Deutsch
  • Informationen
    • Ideal partner
    • About lawyer Marian Härtel
    • Quick and flexible access
    • Principles as a lawyer
    • Why a lawyer and business consultant?
    • Focus areas of attorney Marian Härtel
      • Focus on start-ups
      • Investment advice
      • Corporate law
      • Cryptocurrencies, Blockchain and Games
      • AI and SaaS
      • Streamers and influencers
      • Games and esports law
      • IT/IP Law
      • Law firm for GMBH,UG, GbR
      • Law firm for IT/IP and media law
    • The everyday life of an IT lawyer
    • How can I help clients?
    • Testimonials
    • Team: Saskia Härtel – WHO AM I?
    • Agile and lean law firm
    • Price overview
    • Various information
      • Terms
      • Privacy policy
      • Imprint
  • Services
    • Support and advice of agencies
    • Contract review and preparation
    • Games law consulting
    • Consulting for influencers and streamers
    • Advice in e-commerce
    • DLT and Blockchain consulting
    • Legal advice in corporate law: from incorporation to structuring
    • Legal compliance and expert opinions
    • Outsourcing – for companies or law firms
    • Booking as speaker
  • News
    • Gloss / Opinion
    • Law on the Internet
    • Online retail
    • Law and computer games
    • Law and Esport
    • Blockchain and web law
    • Data protection Law
    • Copyright
    • Labour law
    • Competition law
    • Corporate
    • EU law
    • Law on the protection of minors
    • Tax
    • Other
    • Internally
  • Podcast
    • ITMediaLaw Podcast
  • Knowledge base
    • Laws
    • Legal terms
    • Contract types
    • Clause types
    • Forms of financing
    • Legal means
    • Authorities
    • Company forms
    • Tax
    • Concepts
  • Videos
    • Information videos – about Marian Härtel
    • Videos – about me (Couch)
    • Blogpost – individual videos
    • Videos on services
    • Shorts
    • Podcast format
    • Third-party videos
    • Other videos
  • Contact
Kurzberatung
  • Informationen
    • Ideal partner
    • About lawyer Marian Härtel
    • Quick and flexible access
    • Principles as a lawyer
    • Why a lawyer and business consultant?
    • Focus areas of attorney Marian Härtel
      • Focus on start-ups
      • Investment advice
      • Corporate law
      • Cryptocurrencies, Blockchain and Games
      • AI and SaaS
      • Streamers and influencers
      • Games and esports law
      • IT/IP Law
      • Law firm for GMBH,UG, GbR
      • Law firm for IT/IP and media law
    • The everyday life of an IT lawyer
    • How can I help clients?
    • Testimonials
    • Team: Saskia Härtel – WHO AM I?
    • Agile and lean law firm
    • Price overview
    • Various information
      • Terms
      • Privacy policy
      • Imprint
  • Services
    • Support and advice of agencies
    • Contract review and preparation
    • Games law consulting
    • Consulting for influencers and streamers
    • Advice in e-commerce
    • DLT and Blockchain consulting
    • Legal advice in corporate law: from incorporation to structuring
    • Legal compliance and expert opinions
    • Outsourcing – for companies or law firms
    • Booking as speaker
  • News
    • Gloss / Opinion
    • Law on the Internet
    • Online retail
    • Law and computer games
    • Law and Esport
    • Blockchain and web law
    • Data protection Law
    • Copyright
    • Labour law
    • Competition law
    • Corporate
    • EU law
    • Law on the protection of minors
    • Tax
    • Other
    • Internally
  • Podcast
    • ITMediaLaw Podcast
  • Knowledge base
    • Laws
    • Legal terms
    • Contract types
    • Clause types
    • Forms of financing
    • Legal means
    • Authorities
    • Company forms
    • Tax
    • Concepts
  • Videos
    • Information videos – about Marian Härtel
    • Videos – about me (Couch)
    • Blogpost – individual videos
    • Videos on services
    • Shorts
    • Podcast format
    • Third-party videos
    • Other videos
  • Contact
ITMediaLaw - Rechtsanwalt Marian Härtel

ITMediaLaw - Rechtsanwalt Marian Härtel > Law on the Internet > SEO and law – a balancing act between visibility and security

SEO and law – a balancing act between visibility and security

21. November 2023
in Law on the Internet
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0 0
A A
0
img LkyqWNCTGcprds9IuQPTVGz9
Key Facts
  • The Higher Regional Court of Stuttgart clarified the liability for misleading metadata in the SEO sector.
  • Website operators need to be aware of the legal implications of their SEO strategies.
  • Careful design of metadata is crucial to avoid legal risks.
  • The selection of keywords must take into account both visibility and legal requirements.
  • Another ruling confirmed liability for misleading reviews on online platforms.
  • Website operators have a duty of care with regard to the authenticity of customer reviews.
  • The balance between effectiveness and legal certainty is essential for SEO strategies.

As a lawyer specializing in IT law, copyright law and competition law, I face the challenges that arise at the interface between technology and law on a daily basis. In my consulting work for clients in the SEO sector, I experience how important it is to have a deep understanding of the dynamics of the internet and the legal framework. Today I would like to share my thoughts and experiences on a topic that is of central importance to many of my clients: the legally compliant design of SEO measures.

Content Hide
1. The legal dimension of SEO
2. SEO strategies and their legal pitfalls
3. A look at another relevant judgment
4. Conclusion: The balance between effectiveness and legal certainty

The legal dimension of SEO

A recent ruling by the Higher Regional Court of Stuttgart (decision of 11.08.2023, ref.: 2 W 30/23) has once again drawn attention to the legal aspects of SEO. In this case, a website operator was held liable for misleading metadata that led to incorrect search results. This ruling is a clear example of how quickly you can get into legal trouble if you don’t carefully consider the implications of your SEO strategy.

Specifically, this case concerned a website that used the term “Systemic Coach + Psychotherapist (HeilprG)” in its metadata. However, this information was abbreviated and misleadingly presented as “systematic coach + psychotherapist” in the Google search results. The court found that this representation was misleading and therefore anti-competitive, as it did not correspond to the actual qualifications of the operator.

The Higher Regional Court of Stuttgart affirmed the responsibility of the website operator for the misleading presentation in the search results. It was argued that the defendant had adequately and causally contributed to the creation of the misleading search engine entry through the selection of its metadata. The court emphasized that website operators have a responsibility for how their content is displayed in search engines and that they must reckon with the possible consequences of their SEO decisions.

This ruling highlights the need for website operators to consider their SEO strategies not only in terms of visibility and marketing, but also the legal implications. It shows that a careful and legally secure design of metadata and other SEO-relevant content is essential in order to avoid legal risks.

For my clients in the field of IT law, especially those involved in online marketing and SEO, this ruling is an important reminder of how important it is to consider both the technical and legal aspects when optimizing their websites.

SEO strategies and their legal pitfalls

In my practice, I often see that optimization for search engines and compliance with legal requirements are in conflict. The design of metadata, the selection of keywords and the creation of content must not only be aimed at improving visibility in search engines, but must also be legally compliant. A regular legal review of the website, in particular of the metadata, is therefore essential.

A look at another relevant judgment

In addition to the judgment of the Higher Regional Court of Stuttgart, I would like to point out another landmark judgment that deals with misleading reviews in online marketing. In this case, which was heard by the Munich Regional Court (judgment of 12.03.2022, Ref.: 33 O 15892/21), the focus was on the practice of publishing customer reviews on a commercial website. The court ruled that the website operator can be held liable for fake or misleading reviews published on its platform.

In the specific case, the operator of an online platform had published positive reviews that did not originate from real customers. This practice was classified as misleading and anti-competitive as it deceived potential customers about the quality of the offer. The court made it clear that website operators have a duty of care to check the authenticity of reviews published on their site and to ensure that these reviews reflect the actual experiences of customers.

Conclusion: The balance between effectiveness and legal certainty

In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that developing an effective and at the same time legally compliant online strategy is one of the biggest challenges for website operators and SEO experts. In my role as a lawyer and advisor, it is my aim to point out these important aspects to my clients and to support them in designing such a strategy. Only through such a balanced approach can we ensure that our online activities are not only successful, but also legally secure.

Tags: Competition lawDevelopmentEntscheidungenGoogleIT LawJudgmentLawyerLegal certaintymarketingolgrightSicherheitTechnologyUrheberrecht

Weitere spannende Blogposts

Commercial use of Discord: A legal guide

What about liability with a Discord server?
18. October 2023

Introduction Discord has become a popular platform for gamers, communities, and most recently professional teams since its inception in 2015....

Read moreDetails

BFH, copyright warnings and VAT

ECJ: Advocate General assesses sampling as copyright infringement
13. May 2019

A judgment of the Federal Finance Court has been in place since 2016, which seems to be unknown to many...

Read moreDetails

Sample contracts: opportunities and threats when used in the business world

Sample contracts: opportunities and threats when used in the business world
4. April 2023

Introduction: Sample contracts are especially beneficial for small businesses and sole proprietors who cannot afford expensive legal advice. The use...

Read moreDetails

ECJ on the definition of communication services and regulation

Publication of sales advertisements and classification as a trader
14. June 2019

In response to a request from the Higher Administrative Court of Münster, the ECJ delivered its ruling on the question...

Read moreDetails

ECJ rulings on compensation for data protection breaches

District Court Frankfurt a.M. on the right to be forgotten
26. June 2024

Analysis of the ECJ rulings In its recent decisions C-687/21 and C-340/21, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) provided important...

Read moreDetails

Facebook: New rulings on deletion claims

Facebook: New rulings on deletion claims
7. November 2022

Recently, there have been some decisions on deletion claims against Facebook, which I would like to present here. Amount in...

Read moreDetails

Designing your SaaS solution in compliance with data protection regulations as a US company!

Designing your SaaS solution in compliance with data protection regulations as a US company!
5. January 2021

In its judgment of July 16, 2020 (Case C311/18), the European Court of Justice declared the European Commission's Decision 2016/1250...

Read moreDetails

Semi-fungible tokens (SFTs) in a legal context

Fractionalized Digital Assets and their Position in German and European Regulatory Law
19. March 2024

Introduction: The distinction between SFTs and NFTs As a lawyer specializing in advising clients in the blockchain sector, I am...

Read moreDetails

How to set up and design the terms and conditions of an Esports event

How to set up and design the terms and conditions of an Esports event
28. December 2022

If you are organizing an Esports event, it is important to set up clear and detailed T&Cs, otherwise conflicts and...

Read moreDetails
Jurisdiction agreement

Jurisdiction agreement

16. October 2024

A jurisdiction agreement is a contractual clause in which the parties specify which court is to have jurisdiction to decide...

Read moreDetails
More consumer protection when buying apps and software

Pseudo self-employment

11. April 2025
Capital gains tax

Capital gains tax

16. October 2024
New OLG rulings on product descriptions in online trade

Triple damage calculation

26. June 2023
fef58753 0e7b 493e 806b 4e8636913fce 202010382

Cybersquatting

29. March 2025

Podcast Folgen

Blick in die Zukunft: Wie Technologie das Recht verändert

Blick in die Zukunft: Wie Technologie das Recht verändert

18. February 2025

In der letzten Folge der ersten Staffel des ITmedialaw.com Podcasts werfen wir einen Blick in die Zukunft des Rechts im...

7c0b449a651fe0b81e5eec2e23515012 2

Urheberrecht im Digitalen Zeitalter

22. December 2024

In dieser aufschlussreichen knapp 20-minütigen Podcast-Episode von und mit mir wird das komplexe Thema des Urheberrechts im digitalen Zeitalter beleuchtet....

“Digitales Recht Entschlüsselt” mit Rechtsanwalt Marian Härtel

“Digitales Recht Entschlüsselt” mit Rechtsanwalt Marian Härtel

25. September 2024

In diesem spannenden 30-minütigen Podcast entschlüsselt Rechtsanwalt Marian Härtel die komplexe Welt des digitalen Rechts für Selbstständige, Startups und Solopreneure....

Rechtssichere Influencer-Agentur-Verträge: Strategien zur Vermeidung unerwarteter Kündigungen

Rechtssichere Influencer-Agentur-Verträge: Strategien zur Vermeidung unerwarteter Kündigungen

19. April 2025

Anna und Max sprechen in dieser Episode über typische Fallstricke und Gestaltungsmöglichkeiten bei Verträgen zwischen Influencern und Agenturen. Im Mittelpunkt...

  • Privacy policy
  • Imprint
  • Contact
  • About lawyer Marian Härtel
Marian Härtel, Rathenaustr. 58a, 14612 Falkensee, info@itmedialaw.com

Marian Härtel - Rechtsanwalt für IT-Recht, Medienrecht und Startups, mit einem Fokus auf innovative Geschäftsmodelle, Games, KI und Finanzierungsberatung.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
  • Informationen
    • Ideal partner
    • About lawyer Marian Härtel
    • Quick and flexible access
    • Principles as a lawyer
    • Why a lawyer and business consultant?
    • Focus areas of attorney Marian Härtel
      • Focus on start-ups
      • Investment advice
      • Corporate law
      • Cryptocurrencies, Blockchain and Games
      • AI and SaaS
      • Streamers and influencers
      • Games and esports law
      • IT/IP Law
      • Law firm for GMBH,UG, GbR
      • Law firm for IT/IP and media law
    • The everyday life of an IT lawyer
    • How can I help clients?
    • Testimonials
    • Team: Saskia Härtel – WHO AM I?
    • Agile and lean law firm
    • Price overview
    • Various information
      • Terms
      • Privacy policy
      • Imprint
  • Services
    • Support and advice of agencies
    • Contract review and preparation
    • Games law consulting
    • Consulting for influencers and streamers
    • Advice in e-commerce
    • DLT and Blockchain consulting
    • Legal advice in corporate law: from incorporation to structuring
    • Legal compliance and expert opinions
    • Outsourcing – for companies or law firms
    • Booking as speaker
  • News
    • Gloss / Opinion
    • Law on the Internet
    • Online retail
    • Law and computer games
    • Law and Esport
    • Blockchain and web law
    • Data protection Law
    • Copyright
    • Labour law
    • Competition law
    • Corporate
    • EU law
    • Law on the protection of minors
    • Tax
    • Other
    • Internally
  • Podcast
    • ITMediaLaw Podcast
  • Knowledge base
    • Laws
    • Legal terms
    • Contract types
    • Clause types
    • Forms of financing
    • Legal means
    • Authorities
    • Company forms
    • Tax
    • Concepts
  • Videos
    • Information videos – about Marian Härtel
    • Videos – about me (Couch)
    • Blogpost – individual videos
    • Videos on services
    • Shorts
    • Podcast format
    • Third-party videos
    • Other videos
  • Contact
  • en English
  • de Deutsch
Kostenlose Kurzberatung