When you have a website, one of the first things you learn is that ranking well on Google is imperative. This is because a good Google rank gets you more organic traffic, as more people stumble upon your site and visit. However, in order to rank, you’ll have to cover a lot of seemingly irrelevant things. On-page SEO strategy is important (we might even say crucial), but you have to focus on more than that. Off-page SEO is equally important and it’s an integral part of any successful SEO strategy. Read on to find out what it is, how it works, and how you can use it.
What is off-page SEO?
When we talk about off-page SEO, we take into consideration all of the activity that doesn’t happen directly on your website. Even though these actions aren’t directly linked to your site, they still determine exactly where and how you rank on the search engine results pages (SERPs). Choosing to optimize for off-site SEO ranking factors is a smart move that will make your website appear more trustworthy and relevant. Google’s algorithm factors will directly mirror this, especially when you learn that off-page SEO makes up more than 50% of the ranking factors. With a strong off-page SEO strategy, you can easily see the difference between you and your competitors within the SERPs.
Take backlinks seriously
If you aspire to be ranked on page one on different search engines, you have to think about backlinks, how to create them and how to use them to your advantage. This might come as a surprise, but when Google determines your website rank, backlinks are the most important ranking factor they consider. Google will be much more likely to rank your website higher than that of your direct competitor if your domain happens to have more backlinks. Still, this doesn’t mean that you can just fill your website with low-quality links and call it a day. Google takes into account the quality of your links, and if your website is linked to a site with a higher domain, it will mean much more than being linked to a site with a low DA. However, Google’s algorithm also takes into account the relevancy of the link to your domain.
Focus on guest content
A great way to rank higher is to write guest posts for third-party websites. Providing content for someone else is an effective online marketing technique that comes with off-site SEO benefits as a bonus. If you’re unsure where to place your content, you can always collaborate with professionals. Look for tips or a partnership with a company like SEO Services Sydney, especially if you’re interested in the Australian market. Professionals have great contacts and you can find many wonderful opportunities if you rely on them. Of course, you don’t have to write if that’s not your forte. You could also record a “how to” video or a thought-leadership piece that will capture the attention of your readers.
Marketing on social media
Social media has become one of the best and most effective off-page SEO techniques you can use to improve your ranking. Social media platforms are fun and versatile, they have a lot of users, and they offer you an opportunity to extend the reach of your content. Having your website on social media means that it will be more visible, more people will click and visit, and it can also be a critical source of valuable backlinks from a trustworthy website.
You might be surprised to discover just how high some social media DA is:
- LinkedIn is by far the most valuable with DA:98
- Facebook is close behind with their DA:96
- Instagram has staggering DA:93
Local or directory listings
A pretty consistent yet very valuable off-page SEO technique, your local listings should be taken seriously. When you take time to prepare and do it correctly, submitting your business to local listings can make a world of difference. Not only could it be vital for increasing revenue, but you will get a better reputation with people close to you, and even end up with better rankings. This is especially prominent in localized search results, since those include results where the user typed in a particular location as part of their search. However, even if the users haven’t searched for a location actively, localized search results are also determined by the user’s location as well as their IP address.
Post to forums
When you do it right, posting on a forum discussion board can greatly benefit your business. You will be communicating directly with people who are often in need of your services, thus getting more exposure to potential new customers too. By talking to them directly, you will also gain a deeper understanding of their needs and wants, and be able to implement this knowledge into your line of work. You will also have an opportunity to directly answer their questions, making sure they understand that you’re on the forum because of them. There are downsides to forum posting, though, as this approach takes a long time and patience, as you’re building a trustworthy online presence, which always takes time.
Work with influencers
Today, influencers have a lot of power on social media, and you can use this power and their “reach” to your advantage. Marketing done by influencers has different forms, as before it was all about different popular bloggers doing sponsored posts, whereas today, influencers are using social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. Influencers talking about your brand helps you build authority and reach a new audience. Social media also happen to be a form of a search engine since users are there to be entertained but they are also actively looking for specific content. Working with influencers can go a long way to help ensure that your brand and business are present and visible on these platforms.
When you optimize your websites so that they rank well on different search engines, you work on more than one front. Any website work you do only gets you halfway to your goal, which is why you should take your off-page SE strategy seriously. Focus on the actions that will help you optimize your off-site presence since these make a significant difference.
