Did you know that more than 95% of web pages get zero search traffic from Google? With thousands of new websites being published every day, it is fair to say that the competition is fierce and increasingly challenging to rank high on search engine results pages (SERP). Most SEO experts agree that it can take between three to six months to rank on Google’s first. However, it is not very straightforward and requires consistent efforts including website optimisation, content creation, on-page SEO, off-page SEO, and more.  

While on-page and off-page SEO optimisation are equally important to achieve a good rank, off-page SEO is often overlooked or low on the priority list of digital marketing teams across many industrial sectors.  

This blog sheds light on off-page SEO and dissects a few effective off-page SEO techniques. Let us start by understanding what off-page SEO is.  

What is Off-Page SEO? 

As the name suggests, off-page SEO primarily refers to the external actions and SEO techniques applied to improve a website’s traffic and search rankings across search engines. How does it differ from on-page SEO? Well, simply put, on-page SEO focuses on the website’s structure, loading speeds, and content, whereas off-page SEO is more focused on building and improving a website’s credibility.  

Now, let us understand the importance of off-page SEO.  

Why is Off-Page SEO Important?

As mentioned before, on-page and off-page SEO are equally important to improve a website’s online visibility and ranking on search engines. This section provides insights into the importance of off-page SEO and why it should be an integral part of your digital marketing strategy.  

1. Improve Website Ranking

The main objective of off-page SEO is to improves search engine ranking. All search engines use backlinks as one of the key indicators to measure a website’s credibility and relevance. The higher the number of backlinks, the better the site’s search rankings.  

2. Build Website Authority 

Why do most of us head to Google to search for something online? Because it is a credible search engine, right? Similarly, off-page SEO techniques, particularly backlinks, serve as a vote of approval, indicating to search engines your content is credible, unique, and adds value to the target audience.  

3. Creating Brand Exposure and Recognition

Your brand or website gains valuable exposure if it appears on other websites. This helps your website improve traffic, generate more leads, and increase conversions, which makes off-page SEO an important part of your SEO strategy.  

4. Better Local SEO

Off-page SEO methods are especially important for businesses, particularly, small, or local businesses, that primarily serve local customers. Reviews on local directories, community engagement, and creating local listings are important off-page SEO strategies that help local businesses reach a wider audience.  

Important and Effective Off-page SEO Strategies

SEO is evolving rapidly driven by Google’s algorithmic updates and increasing adoption of innovative technologies including machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI). 

This section explores some of the most effective off-page SEO strategies every digital marketing team should deploy for better results.  

1. Link Building 

Link building is one of the most important off-page SEO strategies in the digital marketing world. It primarily involves getting backlinks from credible and authoritative websites to improve a website’s ranking and authority.  

Link building can be further divided into three categories – natural links, manually generated links, and self-created links.  

  • Natural Links 

Natural backlinks are backlinks achieved without taking any proactive actions to receive backlinks from other sites. For instance, a travel blogger may add links to the best hotels they have been to in a particular city in their blogs. Such links are typically known as natural links.  

  • Manually generated Links 

Most digital marketing teams focus on manually generated link-building activities to acquire backlinks. This can be done by creating an influencer network and pitching guest blogs to relevant websites.  

  • Self-created Links 

Self-created links are created by posting on online forums including Reddit or Quora, adding backlinks in an online directory, or publishing a press release with a relevant anchor text. That said, it is particularly important to tread with caution as Google may flag this as unethical SEO activity 

2. Content Marketing

Content marketing is another popular and effective off-page SEO technique influenced by Google’s evolving algorithms. What makes content marketing such a crucial off-page SEO tool? Well, it is a terrific way to create several types of content including blogs, case studies, videos, podcasts, lead generation weaponry including white papers, buyer guides, and more.  

Content marketing allows businesses to publish unique content particularly when they are using exclusive data, sharing thought leadership content, and sharing valuable insights that are not available on the internet. Creating a gamut of content assets improves your website’s SEO by improving brand mentions, increasing social visibility, and creating many other off-page signals.  

4. Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing is one of the most recent, yet powerful off-page SEO techniques wherein businesses leverage an influencer’s audience across different platforms to promote their products and services, drive website traffic, and increase revenue.  

Influencers can range from celebrities, digital content creators, vloggers or bloggers, and micro-influencers. Like how brands place their products in a TV series or a movie, product placement in the content created by influencers including blog posts, product reviews, demo posts, etc can help businesses generate backlinks, improve online presence, and boost brand visibility.  

5. Social Media Marketing

Although your social media activities do not influence Google rankings, it is one of the best ways to make your presence felt. You may have noticed how businesses add social sharing buttons across different website pages, blogs, whitepapers, and other digital assets to improve traffic and reach a wider audience. The more people share your content on social media, the higher your chances of increasing traffic and backlinks your content assets will get.  

Parting Words

We hope you understand why off-page SEO is important to improve your website’s ranking, website traffic, and online presence. Additionally, your off-page SEO efforts, including off-page link building, content and influencer marketing help you establish authority and pave the way for long-term growth and success.  

Your off-page SEO optimisation should primarily circle around creating unique, value-adding content, and crafting a robust backlink strategy. While these tasks may seem daunting, your off-page SEO efforts yield amazing results.  

Boost your website’s visibility with Crazy Domains’ managed SEO services. Enhance rankings, drive traffic, and build credibility. Get started today! 

Frequently Asked Questions 

How does link building impact off-page SEO? 

The backlinks to your website serve as upvotes or positive indicators, signalling search engines that your website is genuine, contains valuable content, and deserves a higher rank. It is important to note that higher the number of backlinks a domain has, the more authoritative it is for Google.  

Is off-page SEO still effective for SEO? 

Yes, off-page SEO allows search engines to learn what people think about your website, services, and products. Off-page SEO optimisation is also important to improve your site’s expertise, experience, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T).  

How long does it take to see results from off-page SEO?  

It can take around 3 to 6 months for your off-page SEO efforts to show tangible results.