As a digital PR expert, I want to talk about a powerful tool that often gets overshadowed: off-page SEO. These techniques, if done correctly, will help establish your website’s domain authority, increasing your search rankings and helping you outrank competitors.
In this post, Morgan Thorp is going to break down the off-page SEO techniques that actually work. These are strategies that our industry experts swear by. Let’s get started.
What You’ll Learn
- What is Off-Page SEO?
- Off-Page SEO vs On-Page SEO vs Technical SEO
- 3 Off-Page SEO Techniques
- FAQS About Off-Page SEO
My Expert Opinion on Off-Page SEO
On-page SEO is crucial. It’s like making sure your website is sparkling clean and organized. But off-page SEO takes things a step further. It’s about building your website’s reputation and authority in the eyes of search engines, and potential customers.
Action Item: Take a quick audit of your website’s on-page SEO. Are your title tags and meta descriptions optimized for relevant keywords? Is your website mobile-friendly and easy to navigate? Ensuring a solid foundation with on-page SEO will make off-page SEO even more effective.
What is Off-Page SEO?
Off-page SEO refers to all the amazing things you do outside of your website to boost its ranking. When other well-respected websites link to yours, it’s like they’re saying, “This content is fantastic. Check it out!”
Here’s the deal: search engines want to deliver the most relevant and trustworthy results to their users. Off-page SEO helps search engines achieve that by showing them how others perceive your website. A website with a strong off-page SEO presence screams “expertise” and “credibility,” which basically translates to search engine gold.
There isn’t a single magic metric for off-page SEO. However, some key indicators include:
- Backlink Profile: This refers to the number and quality of websites linking back to yours. The higher the quality, the better.
- Brand Mentions: Even if a website doesn’t directly link to you, mentioning your brand shows awareness and can positively impact search rankings.
- Social Media Engagement: Shares, comments, and likes on social media platforms can also be a positive signal for search engines.
Off-Page SEO vs. On-Page SEO vs. Technical SEO
Imagine SEO as a three-legged stool. Each leg plays a crucial role in keeping your website standing tall in search results. Here’s a breakdown of the SEO trio:
- On-page SEO: This is all about making your website itself as user-friendly and search-engine friendly as possible. On-page SEO involves things like using relevant keywords, optimizing page loading speed, and making sure your website works flawlessly on mobile devices.
- Off-page SEO: This focuses on building your website’s reputation and authority outside of your own domain. The more other reputable websites link back to yours and talk about your awesome content, the more search engines take notice.
- Technical SEO: This is the behind-the-scenes work that ensures everything runs smoothly under the hood. It involves technical aspects that make your website easy for search engines to crawl and index, like having a clear sitemap and ensuring your website code is error-free.
Remember, you need all three legs of SEO to work together for optimal website performance. By focusing on each area, you can create a strong and stable foundation that helps your website rise to the top of search results.
3 Off-Page SEO Techniques Every Marketer Needs to Try
Now, let’s dive into the juicy stuff—the tactics that’ll make your website a link magnet!
1. Link Building
This is the king of off-page SEO. The more high-quality websites linking back to you, the better. Here are some ways to achieve that:
- Broken Link Building: Find websites with broken links on topics related to yours. Then, create even better content on that subject and reach out to the website owner, suggesting your content as a replacement.
- Unlinked Brand Mentions: Did someone mention your brand online but forget to link back? Reach out politely and remind them of the awesome content you have on that topic (and subtly suggest a link.
- Site Relevancy: Does your website content align with the user’s search query? Google will judge this based on the sites that link to you. If a site you’re earning backlinks from isn’t relevant, the link juice you’ll have will be limited.
- Page Authority: PA is a score (ranging from 1 to 100) that predicts how well a website is likely to rank in search results. It’s important to use when qualifying outreach efforts – you’ll want to prioritize sites that are relevant and have a high PA when creating your strategy.
2. Content Marketing
Creating high-quality, valuable content is a fantastic way to attract links naturally. People will want to share your insights and expertise, linking back to your website as the source.
- Long-Form Blogs: In-depth blog posts that delve into complex topics tend to attract more attention and links compared to shorter pieces.
- Strategic Guest Posting: Don’t just guest post anywhere. Target websites with a good reputation and audience relevant to your niche. This ensures your content reaches the right eyes and gets valuable backlinks.
- Publish Studies, Whitepapers, and Guides: Creating informative resources establishes you as a thought leader in your field. Other websites will probably reference your work and link back to your website.
3. Improve Your EEAT
EEAT stands for Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. By consistently producing high-quality content and building a strong online presence, you signal to search engines that your website deserves a top spot.
- Press Releases: Share your company’s newsworthy announcements through press releases. If your press release gets picked up by relevant publications, you’ll score valuable links.
- Get Positive Reviews: Encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews on platforms like Google Business Profile, Yelp, and industry-specific review sites. Positive reviews not only build trust with potential customers but can also be seen as a positive signal by search engines.
- Podcast: The podcasting world is booming! Consider starting your own podcast on a topic relevant to your niche, or aim to be a guest on established podcasts. This is a fantastic way to reach a wider audience and potentially score backlinks from the podcast website.
- Participate in roundup posts: Roundup posts compile insights from various experts on a specific topic. Reach out to bloggers who create roundup posts and offer your unique perspective. If your contribution is included, you’ll gain exposure and a valuable backlink.
- Local SEO: If you have a brick-and-mortar presence, local SEO is crucial to help your business stand out in your community.
- Brand Mentions: Encourage local publications and influencers to mention your business.
Frequently Asked Questions About Off-Page SEO
1. What is off-page SEO?
Off-page SEO refers to all the activities you do outside your website to improve its ranking in search results. It’s about building your website’s reputation and authority by getting other websites to link to you, mention your brand, and share your content.
2. What are some off-page SEO elements?
Key off-page SEO elements include backlinks, brand mentions, social media engagement, and positive online reviews.
3. How do keywords play a part in off-page SEO?
While off-page SEO doesn’t directly involve on-page keyword optimization, it can be indirectly influenced by keywords. By creating high-quality content that targets relevant keywords, you’re more likely to attract links and mentions from other websites using those same keywords. This can improve your website’s overall ranking for those keywords.
Unleash the Power of Off-Page SEO with Ignite Visibility
Tired of being buried in search results? Wish your website attracted more qualified leads? We hear you! At Ignite Visibility, we’re obsessed with providing off-page SEO services, the secret sauce to skyrocketing your rankings.
We don’t mess with generic checklists. Our expert team gets to know your business and then crafts a personalized off-page SEO checklist to get you noticed. From high-quality backlinks to powerful brand mentions, we’ll amplify your online presence and turn website visitors into raving fans.
Stop settling for second-rate SEO. Ignite Visibility is your off-page SEO partner.
Let’s conquer the search engine landscape together and watch your business goals become reality. Contact us today!