Off-page SEO is basically all SEO activity performed on 3rd party sites which contributes to your rank in search engine result pages (SERPs). Optimizing off-site SEO ranking elements is critical for increasing the authority, relevance, and trustworthiness of your website. This is also reflected in Google’s algorithm, where off-page SEO contributes to more than 50% of the ranking factors. A strong off-page SEO strategy could make the difference between your ranking in the SERPs and where your competitors are.
Off-page SEO techniques can increase your Domain Authority (DA). Your Domain Authority score (DA) will be directly affected by how well you perform off-page SEO. The DA score of your site is a ranking score that determines how well it can rank in the SERPs. The score ranges from 1-100 and is determined by many factors, including the number of links to your site’s root domains and the total number of links. Google does not use the DA score of your site to determine your rank. However, it is an indicator of how well your site performs from an SEO perspective.
These are five techniques you can use to make sure your website ranks higher in the SERPs.
Creating valuable backlinks
Backlinks are a key component of off-site optimization. This is an essential technique for sites that want to rank on page 1. Google considers backlinks the most important ranking factor in determining where your site ranks. Google will rank a website higher if it has more backlinks. Google also considers the quality of the link. A link to your site from a higher domain is more effective than a link that comes from a lower DA site. Google does consider the relevancy of any link to your domain.
To boost your off-page SEO performance, there are two types:
- Natural Links: A link that is created without any action being taken. This could be a blogger, for example. They may have a positive view of your content and link to it on their site. This link can be a sign of trust, appreciation, or endorsement.
- Links made through self-promotion: These links can be generated by promoting your business online. This link can be obtained by asking clients to link directly to your site, or an influencer sharing your content.
Any digital strategy should include the creation of authoritative, relevant backlinks that follow the guidelines provided by Google. Google will consider your site a reliable and trustworthy source of data if you have links. Although building links can be difficult and requires a long-term strategic plan, if done properly, your website’s average rank in search results will improve.
Social Media Marketing
Social media is one of the best off-page SEO strategies. Social media platforms are a great way for your content to reach more people. Social media can not only encourage more people to click on your latest content but can also provide valuable backlinks to sites with high DA.
- LinkedIn (DA.98)
- Facebook (DA.96)
- Twitter (DA.94)
- Instagram (DA93)
Google has not explicitly stated that linking from social media platforms will improve your SEO. However, they have stated that data is crawled on social platforms in the same way as any other website.
While the SEO impact of backlinks from social platforms is still uncertain, some things can be certain: your social profile’s rank in the SERPs. Your social profile’s rank will be affected, but they are likely to rank at the top for any brand-related keyword. This is why it’s important to ensure that your social profiles reflect the company and its values. It can also influence users’ first impressions of your brand, especially if they are unfamiliar. Sharing insightful content via social media platforms will increase visibility and increase the chance of it being linked.
Guest Content
Another effective online marketing strategy is to provide guest content on third-party websites. This can help with off-site SEO. You could use this content to provide thought leadership or ‘how-to’ videos to grab their attention. Reach out to websites that target a similar audience to yours, such as niche trade publications and online trade magazines. You will increase brand awareness and exposure among potential customers. This will also increase the likelihood of driving referral traffic to your website. You will also get a valuable backlink. The key to generating qualified traffic and leads is building relationships online through the provision of insightful content.
You must ensure that the content you place on a website with strong DA is unique and in high demand by its audience.
Remember to be strategic when contacting sites you want to place guest content. Also, ensure you only reach out to trusted sites and sites that are relevant to your target audience.
Forum Posting
Forum posting sites are online discussion forum that allows users to engage in meaningful conversation through the posting of messages. Forum posting can have multiple benefits for your company if done correctly.
- New customers are at your disposal
- Improved understanding of your customers
- Customers and potential customers may have questions.
To build trust among other forum members, you need to take a long-term approach when posting on forums. You should search for forums that have a ready-made community who are interested in your service. This is a great way to engage with potential or existing customers online.
Find forums that are relevant to your business. Look for threads where you can offer expert knowledge or help answer questions. You may be able to include a link to your website in a forum discussion if this is appropriate. This activity should be done sparingly. A backlink to your site is only allowed if it is relevant to the discussion and helps answer a user’s question.
Listings in the Local Area
Local SEO, also known as directory listing, has been an off-page SEO technique for years. If done properly, local SEO can help increase revenue, reputation, and rankings in localized searches. Localized search results are those that the user has used to search for a specific location. These results can also be determined by the user’s IP address or geographic location. These include searches that use phrases like ‘near me/nearby. Local listings are free and powerful.
Your business can benefit from increased exposure and traffic. Listing in local directories also offers the possibility of building a valuable backlink to a site with high DA. You are likely familiar with many directories on the internet.
- Google my business (DA 100)
- Foursquare (DA92)
- Yelp (DA.70)
- Central Index (DA58)
Although it may seem simple to submit a local listing, you must have the same information for each listing. This off-page SEO technique can be very effective. All listings must have the same business information, including contact numbers, addresses, and business names. Although this may sound simple, Google can see through your listings if you have misspelled words or abbreviations. Google could display incorrect information or not show your listing in the SERPs.
If local listings are done correctly, they can be very powerful and bring in additional business from national and international markets.
How do you start your off-site SEO strategy?
It is difficult to plan your off-site SEO strategy. This requires expertise and skill. We can help you if you don’t have the right resource.