Off-Page SEO in 2016
The misconception that off-page SEO is all about links is a popular one amongst marketers who don’t strive to stay up to date. Making an effort to create a comprehensive and varied SEO strategy is the only way to see results in 2016. Although on-page SEO is of course important, Google also places a lot of emphasis on the things that happen away from your website. It is true to say that Google won’t give your site any visibility in the search engines if you have zero links pointing at it, but once you have gained some momentum in this area then it’s time to do more.
Gone are the days when the number of links pointing to your site determined its importance. Now when Google sees a link directed at your site, it stops to ask where the link came from, why it is linking to you, how naturally it fits into the link profile of your website and more. Essentially, the quality is really being called into question and this can either be of help or hindrance to you, depending on where the link came from.
The amount of time you commit to off-page SEO depends on your aims as a marketer. It also depends on the existing strength and intensity of your past efforts. Some people will tell you that it’s important to spend the majority of your SEO allocated time doing off-page optimisation, whereas others will tell you that more time should be spent on your on-page SEO. The key is to find what works for you and your business whilst also striking a balance.
It is safe to assume that if you have amazing content on your website then people are going to discover it and they are going to link to it. However, simply writing great content and assuming people will find it is not enough. You must make an effort with your social media at the same time as well as forming beneficial relationships with other relevant businesses.
Close to 100 billion searches are made on Google each month for services, products and content alone. That is clearly a huge market and staking your claim to visibility is important for driving traffic and making sales. Data also shows that more than half of these search requests are made on a mobile device, which shows the need to really optimise your site for mobile.
Check back soon for more in-depth tips on how to boost your off-page SEO strategy!
By Alix Jones
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