While organizations have a lot of control over on-page SEO, off-page SEO can be more challenging. Off-page SEO refers to the reputation and popularity of websites and web pages. To maximize the impact of marketing SEO, external references to a site or page – known as “backlinks” – are crucial.
Links, authority, geography, and social media are some of the important aspects of on-page SEO.
1. LINKS
Search engine marketing relies heavily on external links to an organization’s digital content. Links from one page of a website to another demonstrate organization and cohesion to major search engines. There is, however, a difference between all links.
It is often more important to focus on the quality of a link than the quantity of links to a particular site or page. It is best to link to digital content from reputable online destinations. There is a high degree of authority on these websites (more on this below), which indicates that they are credible and useful.
In addition to quality, the number of links to a site or page is also important for SEO marketing. The number of links to a piece of digital content can indicate its value and popularity. However, this is not a quid pro quo arrangement. If the links have little value or come from low-level destinations, increasing link quantity does not necessarily improve search rankings.
In the end, marketers should remember that building a solid link profile takes time. Search engines tend to devalue spammy links that add little to no value, so there are no shortcuts in this arena. A website or webpage that has discrete links from numerous reputable sources may be more trustworthy. Furthermore, internal links can enhance SEO marketing efforts and help organize a website’s layout.
2. AUTHORITY
Another important aspect of off-page SEO is the authority or trustworthiness of a website. In the major search engines, trustworthy and authoritative websites generally rank first on the first page of results when viewed from a macro perspective. Build a credible reputation online and employ transparent SEO practices over time in order to build authority over time.
From the perspective of marketing SEO, authority includes:
- An entire website’s Domain Authority determines how it will rank in search engine results. An analysis of backlinks, top-level domains, and other factors determines domain authority. Search engine results tend to favor websites with a high domain authority.
- An important aspect of authority is the domain age. Older websites usually rank higher than newer ones. In and of itself, domain age does not improve rankings. As a result, a website’s search ranking does not improve simply because it has been around for some time.
- A ranked score that tries to predict how a page will rank in search engine results is called Page Authority. In page authority, a single page is analyzed in a similar way to a domain, but only one page is analyzed at a time. High-authority pages perform better in search results.
- A website’s bounce rate refers to the number of users who view one page before leaving. If a user bounces because of poor content, slow loading times, or a poor experience, the implication is clear. A high bounce rate makes a website less authoritative, thereby reducing its SEO potential.
3. GEOGRAPHY
Off-page SEO is primarily concerned with location and demographics. As mobile searches become more prevalent, geography plays a significant role in ranking search results. A growing number of people are turning to local search results within a particular city or zip code. Many types of queries have shifted to local results as a result of search engines responding in tandem.
Generally, search engines have separate websites for each country. By segmenting websites and webpages by country, websites can be tailored specifically for users in that country. Users typically want results within their own country, even if two countries share the same language, such as the United States and Great Britain.
Global organizations typically establish separate marketing SEO strategies for each country in which they operate, including any necessary translation. By using a targeted approach across multiple countries and search results, international organizations are able to attract prospective customers from around the world.
4. SOCIAL
Search engine marketing efforts can also be boosted by establishing a solid presence on social media. Specifically, search engines look at how users share an organization’s content based on:
- In social shares, quality refers to the sentiment or opinion of the user, including comments, replies, and ratings. As such, quality metrics attempt to determine whether the user shared the content in a positive, negative, or indifferent way.
- Rather than measuring the total number of social shares, the quantity metric measures the quantity of social shares. The number of shares is undoubtedly a good thing, but it doesn’t necessarily translate into conversions or customers.
As part of off-page SEO, content plays a vital role in maximizing the social aspect. In order to increase the quality and quantity of social shares, you should create superior-quality content and post regularly.
