As well as all of the on-page SEO factors that we have previously talked about, there are numerous factors off-page that impact on your success when it comes to SEO. These elements of search engine optimisation are influenced by your audience, visitors to your website, and also by other publishers. Unlike the on-page factors, your control of these off-page elements is somewhat compromised – but there are things you can do when you are aware of them.
9 off-page elements that impact your SEO include:
- Authority – your website should position itself as a trusted authority. How do you achieve this? By using reputable and valuable links and shares, and by having a regularly published blog that offers not a sales pitch but quality content that is industry-focused and both interesting and informative to readers.
- Quality – Ensure all links used on your website are from quality trusted and respected sources.
- Country and locality – This relates to the location of both your site and its audience or visitor.
- History – Has your website been present and active for a long time, or is it brand new? It takes time to build reputation and authority in search engines, as well as an audience. Has your site actually been visited, shared, or favourited?
- Reputation – Reputation is critical. A site that has been flagged for piracy or duplication by search engines will not perform well in these search engines. Always ensure all content is unique, and that any quoted or shared content is clearly cited for sources.
- Identity – Does your website have a method of verifying its identity and its authorship?
- Text – Do you have many links directing the audience to your inner pages? Do they use relevant and appropriate keywords? Are keywords embedded in your text content?
- Engagement – Do visitors to your site spend time there and click through to inner pages, or do they glance and move on quickly?
- Social – Does your business have a social media presence? Are there links to your webpage to your social profiles and vice versa? Is your content (e.g. blog articles) shared on social media by respected users?
Elements to avoid:
- Spam – never create links by spamming others on blogs and forums
- Ads – avoid ad-heavy content
- Stuffing – avoid keyword stuffing or overuse
- Cloaking – this refers to delivering different content to a search engine than what is delivered to a human user – it is deception
- Piracy – never host pirated content – your page will be flagged and your reputation in search engines will suffer.
Off-page SEO factors are best managed by an expert service provider in SEO, as it can be a complicated process.
All of these off-page elements of SEO work together, and as with the previously discussed on-page elements, some are of higher importance than others. No single factor can, on its own, guarantee top ranking but when you work to achieve a good mix of many elements, the odds are in your favour!
Want to know more about SEO? Here’s another blog on the very subject!
