Off-site, or off-page, SEO refers to the techniques that are implemented to improve the ranking of a website among search engine results pages (SERPs) that do not directly affect the experience of the user in relation to the way that they experience your content. Many times, off-site SEO is associated with link building, but it is so much more than that. After you have worked on getting all of your website content into order and perfectly optimized, you will need to focus on things like building your website's credibility, increasing the important inbound links, and also building your own social media presence. Google will never reveal their specific algorithm for search ranking, but the search engine giant does give out masses of information regarding creating relevant content that will make for a good user experience.
Additionally, there is a large amount of research, information sharing, and testing happening with those who optimize websites professionally. Because of this, there is a lot of information available regarding how to aide a website in ranking highly in a search. Google is not shy about sharing the fact that they use over 200 factors to decide the ranking of a website, but which of these factors are the most important? One thing that most experts will agree on is that the number and quality of the links coming into the website is high on the top of the list of importance. It is not enough to buy inbound links from spam sites anymore- Google actively works against this practice and penalizes those who still take part. While it hurts those who use it, the practice greatly benefits the webmasters who are creating content that has real value because their competition gets taken out by the search engine authority. This is what you need to know about using off-site for search engine optimization.
Even with off-site SEO you will need to implement your target keywords. These target keywords are what will help you to find people to link to. Don't just choose something that sounds good to you, you'll need to pick thematic keywords in order to bring this organic traffic into your site. All of these keywords will have to relate to a specific subject. Don't spread the net too wide, or you'll end up looking like you've lost your focus. In addition to your powerful keywords, you will still need to be creating content that is actually useful and is valuable to the readers. Keep the content tone as if it were a conversation while using your thematic keywords, and don't forget to place these keywords near the beginning of the title tag so that it will carry more weight with the search engines and rank higher in the search engine results pages. Don't forget to implement synonyms and relevant keywords even off-site. When you mention the target keyword too many times, this will alert Google to a possible instance of keyword stuffing, which is something that will get even the best website penalized. When using the synonyms, it allows your content to be optimized the best way.
Social media is a relatively new way for any business to create brand awareness, boost SEO, and direct traffic to their site. Research has shown that factors such as the amount of shares or likes on Facebook, followers on Twitter, tweets that link to the site, and Reviews and Links from Google+ circles are all things that are taken into consideration by search engine algorithms and bots for determining search engine ranking. These things also lend to a more positive SEO outcome for the website. Additionally, if you have a B-to-B structure, promoting content through LinkedIn may help to drive direct traffic and a rare shared link from the network. Here are some tips regarding SEO and social media:
There is no denying the importance of online reviews for a business, and the reasons to simultaneously fear and value them just keep growing. It needs to be known that these reviews actually create valued inbound links, contributing to the important SEO. Review websites like Yelp and Google+ are extremely important to the companies that are working through a local or regional SEO strategy. This is because the reviews will give you insight as to what people are saying about your brand on the most important review sites. This accountability will also make any team members responsible for interacting in a diplomatic way to any negative reviews while linking to important but relevant information from your site, like policies or terms of service. These review websites also encourage those who have had a positive experience to review the brand and share their thoughts. With the way that Facebook is structured now, a lot of customers will seek out the brand's social media and review them there.
Reviews done on Facebook are a double-edged sword. When an individual takes it upon themselves to post something on the Facebook page of a business, it can be seen by everyone, and will actually show up on the timeline of all friends of the person that posted it. From there, it can be shared and commented on, and when the conditions are right the post may become viral. When the post is praising the company or an employee it is great, but when the viral story is a scathing review for awful service, the same cannot be said. Internet users are steering away from the traditional review websites in favor of posting their experiences right to Facebook or Twitter. Many companies employ staff whose sole purpose is to take care of their social media presence and take care of any potentially harmful reviews or posts. Regardless, companies that choose to employ these social media sites to promote their content should know that they will also be responsible for answering questions or concerns that arise from their visitors. Another idea is to direct traffic to a page on the website if they have any questions about the content. Point them in the direction perhaps of something that will complement or expand on the content in question.
These tips are really just the tip of the iceberg regarding off-site SEO tactics, but they are a good starting point for anyone that is taking a step toward the optimization process. These things are not a totally exhaustive list of what drives up organic growth, but they are among the most important factors. Essentially, these off-site activities are those that are done away from the website with the goal of raising the ranking of the web page within the search results page. As described, it is so much more than simply link building. Aside from everything described above, even when you post a comment on a blog or do a guest post, that is off-site promotion (as long as you are linking back to yourself somehow).
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