OFF Page SEO

SEO is all about optimizing the website and getting it noticed. There are two main types of SEO: On-page and OFF Page SEO. The first one is related to everything you do on your website, while the second one deals with everything you do on other websites for getting the top positions in the search results. We can’t deny the importance of both. This guide will explain everything related to OFF page SEO.

OFF Page optimization means we have to improve the website’s popularity and credibility so that the search engines and the users consider it an authority website.

The difference between ON page and OFF page SEO

As already discussed in our On-page SEO guide, On-site SEO deals with improving website security, user experience, and content structure, content optimization so that the search engine can crawl it easily and rank it accordingly.

OFF Page SEO deals with social media posting, guest posting, influencer marketing, and content marketing. It increases our website’s awareness and thus helps the users and search engine find it easily. Ultimately, it results in achieving higher rankings.

A study in 2020 clearly showed a correlation between quality backlinks and Google search results rankings.

We have discussed off-page SEO and how it is different from On-page. Let’s move to some basic terms used in Off-page SEO.

Terms used in OFF Page SEO

Backlink

When our website gets mentioned on someone else’s website with a link to the homepage or any post of our website, it is known as a backlink. The authority of a web page increases as it gets more backlinks.

Anchor text

Anchor text is the text hyperlinked with the URL of our website. It is the clickable part of the text.

Referring domains

Referring domain (RD) shows the number of domains that are pointing to our website. The difference between backlink and RD is that a website can have multiple backlinks from a website. However, it will be counted as 1 referring domain.

Broken Link

When a web page has an external URL, but the website or webpage of the external URL has been removed, it is a broken link.

Dofollow backlink

Google introduced this term in 2005. A dofollow backlink means the search bot and users can follow the Link of the external website. When we give a dofollow link to a website, we allow the link juice to pass from our website to others.

Nofollow backlink

When a backlink is marked as no follow, we instruct the search bots not to crawl the linked web page. In this case, the link juice does not pass from our website to others.

Sponsored backlink

When an external backlink is labeled as a sponsored backlink in off page SEO, we want to tell the search engines that the given Link relates to an external website advertisement.

Comment backlink

When we or someone else mentions our websites’ Link in the comment section of a website, it is known as a comment backlink.

Brand mention

When someone mentions our brand/company name, it signals to the search engines that our website is an authoritative source. It is known as brand mention.

What makes a good backlink?

The short answer to this important question is the quality and relevancy makes a good backlink. In off page SEO, the following are the characteristics of a good backlink.

Authority source

A single backlink from an authority website is better than the 1000 backlinks from a spammy website. When a website with good authority links to us, it means we are a trusted source. Hence it helps us build our authority too.

Relevancy

We can’t ignore the niche relevancy when we consider the characteristics of a good backlink. When we get a backlink from a website related to our niche, it sends a signal to search engines that our website is of high quality. That’s why it has been able to get a link from a similar website.

Diversity

We need to avoid every single thing that can make the search engines doubtful about our website. A considerable number of dofollow or nofollow backlinks in a short span means we are trying to manipulate the rankings. A large number of backlinks from high authority websites means we paid for this or did something spammy. Even we need to have the diversity in anchor text too to avoid any penalty by google.

So, our website’s backlink profile should contain a mix of dofollow, Nofollow, low authority, high authority websites, and versatile anchor text.

Natural

Google does not want us to spam the internet. It doesn’t allow us to use bots to automate things. It doesn’t like the links placed as a link exchange process or through payment. That’s why it is essential to focus on quality content. The natural links will come automatically.

Traffic

A link placed on a dead website is considered spammy. The search engines assume that the website has been specifically built to offer the Link. On the other hand, not only do we get a good chunk of traffic, the value of our Link is increased if it’s placed on a website having good traffic.

OFF Page SEO techniques

As discussed earlier, the purpose of the off-page SEO is to build our website’s authority without spamming. Following are some off-page SEO techniques that you can use to build your website’s authority without spamming.

Content marketing

Content is the king. SO, we should focus on content that will compel the readers to share your content. Following are some proven techniques that can help you market your content instantly.

1. Focus on current trends: People love to read about the things happening at the moment. Nobody likes old and outdated content. If your content somehow relates to the current trends. There is a higher chance that it will get viral.

2. Share case studies: Usually, the high authority websites need data for their content. Detailed case studies can help you get noticed. Once you catch a high authority website’s attention, there are chances that more people will read and share your case studies. 

Usually, long content outranks the short content.

3. Use infographics: Not everybody has time to read long articles. Many people love to read and understand the concept at first sight. High-quality infographics, charts, and graphs can help your content get viral. Remember that it has been proved that even the brand mentions also help in ranking.

4. Interact with the audience: When we interact with the audience, they feel they are talking to a topic expert. Moreover, they will share your content without hesitation as they consider you an expert in the respective field.
5. Send newsletters: We can ask our website visitors to subscribe to our newsletters. In exchange, offer them something that they can’t resist—for example, a free book, case study, or free tips. However, remember to send newsletters at the appropriate time and day. Keep an eye on the open rate and click-through rates. 

Social sharing

Social sharing plays a vital role in building a community. It also helps us to get targeted traffic. Furthermore, social media users find it convenient to find the required content easily. Social sharing helps in;

• Building the brand
• Increase social visibility
• Targeted traffic
• Share views with the like-minded people
• Building loyalty

Optimizing social media for Off Page SEO

Since social sharing aims to build visibility, it’s crucial to optimize the social media channels for SEO. Here are some tips to improve social media SEO.

Use the same branding

It’s important to have similar branding across well social media profiles. It helps the audience to identify your website quickly. Hence, it increases the chances of engagement.

Optimize the profiles

Almost every social media website allows you to add your website link in your about section. Mostly. These links are nofollow. However, they are good for the sake of diversity and traffic.

Be consistent

For off page SEO, we need to be consistent. Same applies to social media posting. We need to post the content regularly to keep the audience engaged. When we publish an article on a website, we should share it on social media too. It will increase the chances of getting it viral, and hence more social signals will be generated. These social signals play an essential role in off-page SEO.

Build the community

When we engage with the audience, it increases the chances of building a loyal community. A loyal community means we will be getting visitors to our website regularly. Furthermore, once we get the visitors regularly, it sends a signal to search engine crawlers that our content is interesting and unique.

Guest posting

Guest posting is one of the most effective techniques in off page SEO. Guest posting or guest blogging means we write content for other websites with an aim to get a dofollow link from the targeted website. Usually, the content is written for those websites which are related to our niche. However, it should be kept in mind that Google does not like paid or unnatural links. They could lead to a manual penalty. That’s why we should prioritize quality over quantity.

It’s tough to get a quality link from high authority websites. Guest posting is an art, and it requires time and patience. Here are some tips which can help you to get your guest posting approved.

Find niche related websites

In off-page SEO, we need to get as many niche related links as we can. A simple google search can help us identify the websites related to our niche. For example, if our website is related to technology, we can use these search parameters:

Technology + “write for us”

Technology+ “become a contributor”

Technology + “contribute”

Technology + “guest blogging”

Identify a problem

Once we find niche related websites, we need to identify a problem on those websites. We will use our guest post as a solution to that problem.

The problem can be a broken link. You can use Ahrefs to find the broken links of a website. You can also offer to write on a topic related to the niche which hasn’t been covered yet by the website owners. Usually, when we offer to write a case study, the response is positive most of the time.

Find email

We need to contact the website admin before writing a guest post. Usually, the websites contain the contact us pages. However, many website owners don’t respond to queries they receive through the contact form. It’s because most of the spammers use these forms for spamming purposes. Remember that our aim in off page SEO is to get a quality link, not to spam.

You can use Google search to find the email addresses.  Tools like Hunter can also be used to find the email addresses.

Start with the Name

When we start our email with the name, it captures the attention of the recipient. Furthermore, it gives a personal touch to the email.

Include links and screenshot

Our aim should be to make it convenient for the website owner to understand what we are trying to convey. A link to the page having broken links or related topics with a screenshot usually works. You can also include 2-3 links to your writing samples.

Be aware of the timings

Mostly, people do not like to check the emails when it’s the start or end of the week. Furthermore, we should avoid sending emails during work hours. We need to find the timezone of the recipient and send the email accordingly. Usually, emails sent on Tuesdays get more click-through rates.

Research showed that the best day for email outreach is Tuesday and the best timing is 2 pm.

Send a reminder

Usually, it happens that website owners forget our email or they need some time to think. A reminder should be sent after 5-7 days asking for their decision. Remember that we should not disturb them through repeated emails. Once gaon, our aim in off-page SEO is to get quality links to spam.

A study found that only 8.5% of outreach emails receive a response

Email outreach templates for OFF Page SEO

At RankMove.com, we aim to make it easier for our readers to do SEO, whether on-page, technical or off page SEO. That’s why we have included three templates that we use for email outreach.

Template #1

Hello (Name),

I have been an avid reader of your blog (blog name). I regularly visit your blog to enjoy reading your posts.

Recently, I came across one of your blog posts (Link). It includes this source (Link) which looks broken. I thought to inform you so that you can replace it.

By the way, I recently wrote on a similar topic (Link). Feel free to replace the broken Link with this one (Link).

Thanks and regards

(Your Name)

Template #2

Hey (Name),

I was researching quality information related to (Topic) and stumbled upon your website. Your website looks amazing, and the articles are of high quality.

I would love to contribute to your website. I can write high quality and well-researched articles on these topics:

Topic 1

Topic 2

Topic 3

I am looking forward to hearing from you.

(Your Name)

Template #3

Hi [Name],

My name is [name], and I run a blog at (Link].

I came across your website [Link)] while researching for [Topic]. I 

I love your content.

I also write about [Topic 1], [Topic 2] . I thought it might be a good fit as a guest post for your website.

Here is a sample of my writing: [Link]

I will just take 1-2 days to write after your confirmation.

Here’s the list of topics;

[Topic 1]

[Topic 2]

I am waiting eagerly for your reply.

Thanks & Regards,

[Name] from [Website]

Conclusion

Off-page SEO requires time, skill, and patience. But, it’s worth the time and effort. Even a single link from a high-quality website can do wonders for you. Do not waste your time spamming and using black hat techniques. Use content marketing, social sharing, and email outreach for off-page SEO, as discussed in this article.

Happy rankings!

Remember – Don’t Build Links. Build Relationships.