The ultimate off-page SEO checklist
An important goal of any marketing strategy is to make your website more appealing to search engines. You can do a lot of work on your own site and fine-tune it to meet the criteria of the latest algorithm update. However, there are some SEO techniques that don’t just include optimizing the pages of your site. We are going to walk you through the ultimate off-page SEO checklist so that you can get a higher rank with Google.
What is off-page SEO?
In general, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) includes a set of actions that you can take to have your website ranked higher on search engine results pages (SERPs). Naturally, some of those actions are going to be on your own website, and they often include optimizing your pages and their content. For this reason, those types of actions are called on-page SEO. Unfortunately, it’s not only about how optimized your site is that affects its overall rank.
Google has put a lot of effort into changing its algorithm so that it looks out for what they consider to be in the user’s best interest. This includes having a professionally designed website that has high usability and offers visitors a good user experience. For this reason, you might want to look into web design services NYC and ensure that your site is user-friendly. However, a large part of SEO comes from how other websites view your site.
Off-page or off-site SEO refers to improving the popularity and authority of your site. You can achieve this by having your website linked to and mentioned in multiple other places. If Google considers those places to be trustworthy, then your site will gain authority and rank better. In short, the popularity and importance of your site are like a reputation meter. If the links are coming from verified sources, you will get a boost in SEO, which will expose your site to more users.
Here is our 6-step ultimate off-page SEO checklist:
#1: Monitor your backlinks
Keep track of all of the links pointing to your site. Similar to how links from trusted websites can improve your SEO rating, so can low quality backlinks have a negative effect. If you are looking for a free way to monitor your site’s backlinks you can use Google’s Search Console. On the other hand, there are numerous alternatives that can give you a comprehensive and in-depth analysis.
Take a look at the websites from which the backlinks are originating. You should get rid of spammy links, and encourage link building on authoritative sites. The best way to get quality backlinks is to host amazing content. Write guides and in-depth explanations, have an FAQ section, and create interesting videos and infographics. People love sharing these types of content, and it’s a good way to get your site mentioned.
#2: Online reviews
Another important off-page factor that can influence your site’s popularity is user reviews. Although your site can have a testimonials section, it’s also a good idea to ask customers to leave you a review on Google. Keep in mind that you adhere to the best practices when asking for reviews and that you shouldn’t offer direct incentives.
Depending on the type of business your company is doing, there might be specialized websites or apps for leaving reviews. Perform customer research to get a good idea of where users go when they need the type of service you are providing. Try to make a presence on those platforms and do your best to acquire positive reviews. Word of mouth has an incredible effect in online spaces, and recommendations from satisfied customers can boost your off-page SEO.
#3: Check your Google Business profile
Optimize and claim your Google Business profile. You can also submit your business citation to other online directories. We would actually recommend that you go through all of the places you are listed and update your NAP. If your listing information is out of date, it can lead to an SEO penalty. Therefore, you should check to see if all of the mentions are consistent and update the relevant information. Avoid spammy local SEO tactics when building citations, and remember that you should focus on getting listed in the directories that are important in your line of work. Unfortunately, the off-page SEO checklist isn’t a one-and-done affair. You will need to periodically revisit your listings and update them.
#4: Get off-page SEO from social media
Another great place to build mentions for your website is social media networks. People regularly share content they find interesting on their personal profiles. Experts for SEO services NYC consider content creation to be an important part of a complete SEO strategy. In order to promote your content and your brand on social media, you can enlist the help of influencers. It’s also important to increase user engagement on those shares and mentions by replying to comments. Get involved in discussions regarding your company, and see what your users have to say.
#5: Guess post on other websites
There are plenty of websites that accept guest posts from writers. Most of them will allow you to add a link to your own website in the article you are writing for them. This can be a good opportunity to build backlinks on trusted websites. Some sites will limit the number of links you can place in your article, or restrict links to the author bio. Before you offer to write a guest article, you should do a bit of research on the website and come up with a good writing pitch. Know their target audience and approach them with something that will interest their users.
#6: Press releases
Even in the age of online marketing, press releases still represent an important way to build interest in your brand. This can be especially effective for building local SEO. You can contact a digital marketing agency New York to see if they can help you with assembling a digital press kit. If you want your company mentioned it’s also recommended to have either interesting content or news that is important to your local community.
In conclusion
Off-page SEO is much more than just building a large number of links to your site. It’s also about getting mentioned in the right places. We’ve gone through the important steps you should pay attention to in the ultimate off-page SEO checklist. Now it’s up to you do develop a marketing strategy that incorporates these off-page SEO techniques.