Off-page optimization and Backlinks techniques for SEO

What is off-page SEO and Web backlinks?

Backlinks

A Backlink is a process of creating rich text on external websites that point back to your website. In other words it is a clickable piece of information outside your website that links your page URL to external web pages. So you create backlinks by connecting hyperlinks of your domain name or web pages to another website.

Off-page SEO

Off-page is the whole process of linking your website and brand to an external website. Thus off-page optimization does not always mean that you have to create external links only. This strategy helps business to mention their brand and website to external entities. So the main difference is that backlinks are about links whereas off-page includes URLs and brand awareness.
Remember that the relationship between off-page and backlinks is that both are parts of off-page SEO. Even though it is important to optimize off-page especially backlinks, you have to spend your time creating quality backlinks.

What is quality backlinks?

Quality backlinks are web links that are highly valuable so that they can improve search engine ranking and brand awareness of a business.

3 Types of backlinks

• Natural backlinks

Natural backlinks are external hyperlink texts you earn only just because a web user liked your content and wants to share them on his website or social networks.

• Manual backlinks

Manual backlinks are the web links you gain by approaching and requesting website owners to link your web pages to their own. These links are sometimes earned because you pay money or given for free.

• Self-created backlinks

Self-created backlinks are the links built by yourself. During these links you have to create an account to the external site that permits users to link their websites to their own. Those types of backlinks can be created on Business Directories, Yellow pages, Classifieds, etc.

4 components of quality backlinks

• High Domain authority; better between 50 to 60, below 40 is low and above 60 is great.
• Web pages that are related to your industry
• Has proper anchor text and are not over-optimized
• Written with do-follow HTML attributes

Guest blogging

Guest blogging is one of the strongest and toughest linking strategies you can use to get quality backlinks. During this technique a blogger proposes a website that has a higher domain ranking to write an article on a certain topic so that he can introduce himself to the new audience by creating a profile and backlinks to that authoritative website. Most of the website that accepts guest blogging does not do it for free, they charge some fees.

Local off-page SEO

Local off-page consists of optimizing your pages by targeting regional websites for instance business directories, yellow pages, and classifieds. This type of SEO helps local business owners to get leads, traffic, and ranking from local websites.

Linked vs unlinked off-page optimization

Linked off-page relies on creating only backlinks whereas unlinked consists of increasing brand mention and awareness. Keep in mind that unlinked off-page techniques mostly does help in terms of SEO and website ranking.

Do-follow vs No-follow backlinks

Do-follow backlinks are links that tell the search engines to follow and crawl a web page through created anchor text. Therefore do-follow backlinks help a lot in boosting website page rank and SEO.
No-follow backlinks tell the search engines to not follow and crawl a web page of a linked website. So the no-follow links help in brand mention and awareness but it does not help in SEO even though it can increase web traffic.

Social Media Backlinks

Social media backlinks consist of linking your website to social networks platforms. These backlinks might be created on social media profiles or posts. Hence most social media backlinks are no-follow attributes, it means its role in SEO is to generate online traffics and brand awareness.

Infographics

Infographics are graphical images that illustrate specific information about a topic. So the data from the presented graphical illustrations increase traffic and brand awareness of your business. Therefore another advantage is that you can also submit your images to infographics related directories.

Videos

It is advised always to mention your website in your video so that people who watch it on social media or advertising channels can visit your website.

Social Bookmarking

It means bookmarking your important webpages on bookmarking sites. This strategy uses social media platforms particularly created for bookmarking purposes. These bookmarking websites help webmasters to mention their brands and creating backlinks that bring new web traffics.

Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing consists of approaching public figures so that you can mention your business on his websites or social media platforms. Marketing influencer requires you to pay him so that he accepts to feature your brand or website on his channels.

Newsletters

Sending an email newsletter is another unlinked off-page strategy that helps companies to connect with their existing customers. This technique increases the company’s brand awareness and web traffics.

PR Blogs

Public Relations blogs are backlinks and brand mention strategy that business uses by submitting articles or news to PR Agencies. These posts are most of the time prepared and reviewed by an internal employee before being sent to those PR websites.

Commenting

Building web links by commenting on an external website is an old style of creating backlinks but people still use this technique though. It is dangerous to earn many backlinks this way because once you do it often especially on unrelated content you can end up being penalized by search engines. So be careful about where you link your website so that it will not affect your keywords ranking.

Forums

Joining an online community related to your business is a good way of earning new web traffics and leads. These forums help you to mention your website, creating a profile and connecting with new people who may like to interact with your business.

Questions and Answers

You can search for questions related to your industry so that you can try to answer those websites. Answering those questions might bring new traffics to your website. Remember that many of those websites only offer only no-follow backlink attributes for an SEO boost. But it increases your web traffics and leads.

Interviews

Getting interviews is another off-page strategy that helps your business to get web visitors. You have to mention your business during that time so that people will be able to search or visit directly your website.

Reviews

Getting your business reviewed by Review Company also helps you to earn backlinks. It is advised to be work with the companies that review the products or services related to your own.

Case studies

Featuring in a case study helps your business to be mentioned so that you can gain a new recognition. This technique will get you to earn either a backlink or brand awareness.

Broken link rebuilding

Broken link rebuilding consists of checking dead backlinks that might be on an external website so that you can benefit from them. Those backlinks may no longer exist or outdated. You can use link testing tools so that you can write down the number and web pages that contain those broken links. Then later you can approach a webmaster so that he can replace your web pages instead of those dead links. Keep in mind that sometimes this webmaster might not offer you those backlinks for different reasons.

Off-page and backlinks benefits

• Increase in SEO Ranking
• Transform the value of a website in a PageRank algorithm
• Boost domain name authority
• Drive more web traffics
• Generate new sales leads
• Gaining new brand mention and awareness

Note

• Do not link on unrelated backlinks or anchor text
• Do not build unnatural backlinks especially quickly
• Avoid wasting time linking on low authority domain names
• Do not comment so often and avoid commenting on unrelated topics