Off-Page SEO Techniques That Get Backlinks

Let us try something: Open a new tab and type womens jeans into the search bar. Lucky Brand is currently Google's top organic search result, beating out Macy's, Abercrombie & Fitch, Nordstrom, Lands' End, and even Levi's. Now look up mobile payments. Square is ranked higher than Visa and every single bank (including those with more than 100 years in operation). Search for custom Apple Watch bands as an alternative. Case Station outperforms a long list of more well-known sites, including Etsy, Amazon, and even Apple itself.

What exactly is off-page SEO?

OFF-PAGE SEO

Off-page SEO (also known as off-site SEO) refers to any actions you do away from your website in order to boost search engine optimization. Building links, writing guest posts, monitoring social media, and other tasks are frequently included.

Key Points

• The scale of your company alone will not put you ahead of smaller, disruptive businesses in search results.
• Because Google cares about what others think of your brand, on-page SEO isn't enough.
• Learn the off-page SEO Golden Rules.
• Creating exceptional content is no longer enough. To increase your organic search results, go big and bold using efficient off-page SEO tactics.

If you are the CEO of a Fortune 1000 firm, you cannot afford to ignore off-page SEO in your marketing strategy. Off-page characteristics are important for establishing trust and authority in your domain, and these signals can help your content rank higher in organic search results.

Let's be honest: as a huge corporation with a sizable digital marketing budget, it's easy to believe that smaller firms lack the horsepower to compete with you in search results. That, however, is not the case. Google is concerned with making searchers happy, and how does it do so? By displaying only the most relevant search results.

More advice can be found in our thorough SEO strategy Guide!

Large brands do score well in organic search, but they rarely attain categorical dominance on their own. If you become complacent, Google will rank smaller firms' content higher, especially if they have a good off-page SEO strategy. So don't think that your brand's size or even a high Moz domain authority would keep you ahead of disruptive brands.

Brands who value SEO as a channel can outperform even the largest corporations in organic search. However, you require more than just outstanding content ideas. You must understand how to execute on-page SEO correctly.

That implies content that is intent-aligned and full-funnel, with optimised title tags, meta descriptions, and URLs. It entails having a well-organized website architecture and optimising internal links. And, if huge corporations want to dominate organic search results, they must also have a solid off-page SEO plan in place.

The Importance of Off-Page SEO

If you're familiar with search engine optimization, you're aware that your website doesn't live in a vacuum. Google, on the other hand, continually analyses your content to millions of other comparable pages to choose which ones to show searchers.

However, Google is also interested in what others think about your brand. Search rankings are similar to popularity contests in certain aspects. The site with the most positive signals

is more likely to rank high in search results.

That is why off-page SEO is so crucial. It is all about improving your brand's internet presence so that Google sees positive signals from a range of reliable sources. It assists you in proving to Google that your brand is reliable, reputable, and trustworthy. You must demonstrate to Google that your material is important, sought for, and deserving of being listed high in search results.

So, why is this important for Fortune 1000 companies?

Because, as in high school, popularity is fleeting. If a smaller disruptive company begins to dominate the spotlight, search engines will take notice. Regrettably, search rankings are sometimes a zero-sum game. If one of your competitors succeeds, you will fail.

But, as an enterprise organisation, you must have a sufficient number of backlinks, right? If such were the case, upstart brands would have no chance of unseating industry titans. Nonetheless, it occurs on a regular basis.

Don't be concerned. The next sections are jam-packed with information to assist you up your off-page search engine optimization game.

Some backlinks are more important than others.

Backlinks are still one of the most important off-page SEO variables for increasing the trust and authority of your website. Building links at scale, on the other hand, is a difficult task. Quality backlinks, as you might expect, do not grow on trees.

While you are most likely aware that backlinks are one of the top three Google ranking factors, did you know that not all links are made equal? Links in syndicated press releases have no SEO effect, and a large number of low-quality links might potentially harm your results. Unfortunately, many low-cost off-page SEO firms continue to rely on questionable private blog networks and sponsored link schemes.

Stridec, on the other hand, certifies our editorial placements using a strict 9-point off-page SEO checklist. Here are a handful of the questions we ask:

• Does the context of the post apply to our client?
• Is the link's intent clear?
• Is the brand citation useful to the article?

Off-page SEO best practises and tips

To ensure that your link building approach provides the most SEO value possible, follow these golden rules:

• Engage with high-quality, trustworthy websites and influencers. One relevant backlink from CNN is worth far more than a hundred links from Pete's Pizza Shop or Betsy's Basket Weaving Blog.
• Make sure the websites you're linking to are relevant to your business. Backlinks from a math tutoring website to an auto insurance brand are a huge red flag for link manipulation.
• Expand your backlink profile. Getting 100 backlinks from the same website isn't as valuable as getting 100 backlinks from 100 different, high-quality domains.
• Avoid using spun content or cookie-cutter outreach methods. They are easily detectable via Google.
• Link purpose is crucial, so be sure you're being cited correctly. Was the link placed because your business was mentioned, to back up a fact, or to encourage a purchase?
• Take note of your anchor text. Exact match anchor is a really potent ranking factor. However, if you overdo it, you may find yourself in Google's penalty box.
• To rank, you must have deep ties. While homepage links are beneficial for increasing sitewide domain authority, significantly smaller competitors with more direct target page connections can outrank you.
• Be cautious when leaving comments on blogs. For starters, most blog comments are nofollowed by default, thus they do not pass page-rank. Aside from that, comment links appear spammy and should be avoided.
• NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER PAY FOR FOLLOWED LINKS. Period.

16 effective off-page SEO strategies

Earning positive linked mentions is difficult, especially in ecommerce SEO. You may, however, dominate the SERPs with the correct strategy and technology. So, here are sixteen effective off-page SEO actions and methods to help you kickstart your off-page SEO programme.

#1 Create a one-of-a-kind product or service that people want to speak about.

This may not feel like a SEO approach, but that's because it's basically just marketing 101. However, it is also the most fundamental, foundational component of all off-site SEO strategy.

Create exceptional products and services that generate online buzz (think Zappos, Nordstrom, and Slack). Give people a cause to discuss (and link to) you on review sites, social media platforms, and major digital news sources.

#2 Collaborate with industry influencers.

Influencers are well-known persons in your business who have a big engaged following and impact people's opinions. In fact, Nielsen finds that 92 percent of customers choose products and services based on the recommendations of others.

There are plenty of ways to collaborate with influencers through content marketing that benefit both of you. You can, for example, do the following:

• Make useful material for their platform.
• Create new high-quality material with them and have them review your goods.
• Make a unique offer for their target demographic.
• Conduct a poll among partners.
• Allow them special access to an event in exchange for a review.
• Plan a product launch.
• And there are many more...

Influencer partnerships raise brand awareness and frequently result in important backlinks that drive referral traffic.

#3 Get your work published.

When you publish guest posts on reputable industry websites, you will generate powerful off-page SEO signals in a variety of ways. For starters, you'll indicate to search engines that you're an industry expert. Two, you can frequently gain a contextually relevant backlink to an essential target page within the post.

One of the most important rules of guest blogging is to provide as much value as possible. Never write fluff or keyword-stuffed content merely for the purpose of obtaining cheap backlinks. Publishers will be eager to showcase your work if you provide high-quality content that is actionable, valuable, and unique.

#4 Obtain an interview

Journalists are constantly on the lookout for reputable sources to mention in their stories. There is no better approach to establish your brand's relevant expertise than to get quoted in a major news outlet's piece.

Furthermore, the majority of those brand references have a strong hyperlink to your homepage. Fortunately, there are numerous ways to contact journalists. You can work with local reporters, use platforms like HARO, hire a public relations firm, or even contact out directly.

#5 Make use of strategic alliances

Make use of current strategic alliances with other brands to acquire valuable backlinks. Some companies, for example, have official Partners pages on their websites where you can be listed. Alternatively, you may collaborate with a partner to co-create content that appeals to both of your target groups.

You can at the very least share each other's content on social media. The increased social reach may result in more natural backlinks.

#6 Conduct one-of-a-kind research and surveys

Conducting market research and then publishing the results in engaging ways is an incredibly successful off-page SEO tactic. What is it about this method that makes it so effective? Your brand will be the sole proprietor of such content, and search engines like uniqueness!

Furthermore, media outlets, influencers, and journalists are constantly looking for original research. As a result, this method is beneficial for both public relations and SEO potential.

How well does it function? Check out this OkDork article that generated over 1,000 backlinks from unique domains in just two months. The link love didn't stop there, either. Over the last year, it has added more than 30 new connecting domains each month.

#7 Make shareable photographs

Shareable visuals, like as infographics and memes, continue to be an effective off-page SEO technique. A frequent approach is to produce an eye-catching infographic, upload it on your website, and then include a little bit of HTML underneath it so that other organisations can embed it on their own.

A link to your website is included in the HTML. Every time the image is placed on another website, it earns a backlink for you and raises overall brand awareness.

Even if your image isn't used, there's a significant chance that others may extract data or insights from it and credit you as the source.

#8 Make shareable videos

Videos that are amusing. Surprising video clips. Interesting videos. Videos with strong emotions. Beautiful vids. Videos that are educational.

Produce movies and animated GIFs that people will want to share, and you'll have yet another opportunity to expand your brand's reach and earn inbound links. Furthermore, because YouTube is the market's second largest search engine, you may be able to enhance your marketing ROI with your videos.

Do you want to go deeper? Check out these fantastic video SEO tips for dominating YouTube and search engine results pages (SERPs)!

#9 Reclaim broken or missing links

If your firm has a number of brand references on other websites, call out and request that a link to your website be included. That is frequently the most effective link development strategy, and it significantly enhances your SEO.

But don't stop with brand mentions. Online publications may have linked to pages on your website that are no longer available. If you transferred material to a different URL or deleted a page, make sure to notify content managers so that broken links are updated.

#10 Look for inbound links from competitors.

To locate low-hanging fruit, examine your competitor's backlink profile. If the website is a list of industry resources, request that the site owner include your brand. If it's a comparison article with numerous competitors mentioned, see if you can persuade the author to include

your site as well.

Is the article directing readers to a stale or out-of-date piece of material on your competitor's website? If this is the case, create a 10x article on your own site and ask those domains to link to you instead.

Do your competitors' websites have a lot of broken links that return 404s? Create a better article for your website. Then, notify everybody who is connecting to the missing material that you have an appropriate alternative. You will increase their user experience while also increasing your own SEO off-page optimization signals.

More ideas can be found in our piece on how to do a competitive analysis.

#11 Participate actively on social media.

Maintaining an active social media presence is crucial for fostering a great digital customer experience with your brand. However, it is also an opportunity to broaden your audience and possibly earn a few natural backlinks.

When you interact with your audience across several social channels, you give them reasons to comment positively about you in other places. While social media participation isn't a direct ranking criteria, it can lead to important linked brand mentions in articles.

#12 Participate in online forums

Discussion platforms such as Quora and Reddit enable you to demonstrate your authority on a specific issue while also developing relationships with future consumers. They also provide you with a venue to (deliciously) share content you've developed that is relevant to the debate at hand.

Although these are usually nofollow links, they nonetheless direct visitors to your website. These new visitors can be deliberately directed to your most significant content if you have a good internal linking system in place (such as topic clusters).

Even if they don't pass page-rank, the contextual importance of the content in which your brand is mentioned will benefit you.

#13 Carry out public relations campaigns

Create a database of reporters and other members of the media (bloggers, radio personalities, podcasters, etc.) and make them aware of your brand's activities.

If you feel compelled to send out every dull company update, journalists will begin to ignore your press releases. Instead, utilise them to promote research that will supplement your off-page SEO efforts.

Alternatively, you could promote a new series of trend guides that you created in collaboration with a group of micro-influencers.

You may even think about tracking the news and then launching targeted newsjacking ads. Once you've established contacts with members of the media, they'll be more willing to feature your stories, especially if they've previously performed well.

#14 Organize events

Looking for a simple approach to build off-site buzz? Organize events. You'll often get brand mentions when the event is being marketed, and you'll get even more if attendees write recap articles afterwards.

There are numerous reasons why your event landing page might draw links. Perhaps people simply enjoy the occasion. Perhaps a speaker would like to promote it. Influencers may also share it for the sake of providing value to their audiences. For example, if you give an exclusive present to the first 50 registrants, you may increase interest in your event. You may increase enthusiasm even further by bringing in a celebrity or well-known influencer as a speaker.

Include other industry experts if the event is educational in nature. Prospective participants will not only sense a higher value, but expert panellists will also aid in promotion.

#15 Launch outreach campaigns.

You've probably heard it before: create excellent content for your website that will position you as a thought leader, address client pain areas, and attract social shares. You can't, however, stop there. Off-site SEO outreach activities must be worked hard to market your content.

Make a list of influential people, blogs, personalities, partners, newspapers, organisations, and so on. Then request that they share tailored content you've created for their audiences. By far the most difficult component of off-site optimization.

If you get it wrong, you might squander hundreds of hours sending out terrible emails that don't convert and possibly harm your brand's reputation. If you're going to ask someone to write about your brand for free, you must provide them a compelling reason to do so. Your blogger outreach strategy should focus on the value you can provide to their target audience.

#16 Establish relationships

Hopefully, you're noticing a recurring thread throughout many of these off-page strategies: developing strategic alliances. If you truly want to hit the ground running with your off-site SEO efforts, aim to cultivate genuine relationships with complimentary companies, site owners, webmasters, bloggers, journalists, influencers, partners, and so on. It all comes down to helping people, collaborating, and doing things together that multiply the effects of your efforts.

Consider the big picture

Don't limit your off-page SEO activities to traditional SEO techniques like guest posting. Your brand exists in the ever-changing online ecosystem, where Google regularly compares your worth to that of your competitors. Content is better than it has ever been because to constant Google upgrades.

That is why it is critical for business organisations to have a comprehensive content strategy that targets the entire client journey.

So on improving your technical SEO and creating fantastic content. However, don't stop there. Think big, think daring, and think Stridec when it comes to off-page optimization tactics.