Search engine optimization (SEO) is vital in today’s digital world if you want to grow your business and bring people to your website. Search engines, and specifically Google, determine your online visibility and allow people to find you when they search the Internet. With most people choosing results from the first page of Google, effective SEO can help your brand to improve ranking results, which will ultimately bring your website traffic.
SEO is comprised of three main components: on-page SEO, off-page SEO and technical SEO. Many people do not understand the key differences between what happens on a webpage vs SEO tactics that can be done off page to improve results. In this blog we will explore those differences as well as some best practices that businesses can leverage for optimal results.
Understanding On-Page SEO
On-page SEO is the work that is done on the webpage itself that impacts search engine rankings with the goal of driving traffic to the page. The content on a webpage is in itself critical for rankings, making sure that any intended keywords are leveraged on page based on search intent. Other elements such as the title, meta and header should be optimized and play a vital role in ranking ability. Optimization also means making sure your website has a high level of expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness to be able to compete for quality keywords.
Best Practices for On-Page SEO
- – Keyword optimization
- – Crafting compelling meta titles and descriptions
- – Valuable and engaging content
- – URL structure
- – Internal linking
Exploring Off-Page SEO Practices
Whereas on-page SEO deals with actually producing and optimizing web pages for rankings, there are other actions that you can take outside of your website that can impact rankings. Off-page efforts are extremely important for SEO because they help build authority and trust with search engines. Search engines like Google will prioritize a website that delivers a quality experience but is also endorsed by others across all online mentions. Off-page SEO helps establish your brand with the use of backlinks, brand mentions and social signals.
Key Off-Page SEO Strategies
There are various strategies you can take to ensure that you build trust. Link building is top of mind and important for SEO growth. Linking happens when one website “points” or “nods” at another. If you have reputable websites that people trust giving you a virtual shout out, search engines will see you as highly credible.
Social media platforms also play a large role in SEO. Leveraging your social media marketing to promote consistency and boost engagement and website traffic is a key off-page strategy. Google and other search engines like to see brands engaged with their communities via social feeds.
Brand mentions is another part of a solid off-page SEO strategy. Local citations are one way that you can establish your brand’s presence in specific areas. Listing your business across a directory platform provides search engines with the ability to verify that your business is legit. Earning mentions without explicit links will help to skyrocket your SEO. There are many ways that your business can earn online mentions, including:
- – Create high-quality content
- – Collaborate with influencers
- – Engage frequently via social media
- – Leverage PR opportunities like press releases
- – Run loyalty programs and build community value
- – Use social listening
- – Encourage user-generated content
- – Position yourself as a thought leader
Online reputation management is another key strategy and crucial to your SEO performance. Your reviews are the cover of the book that you are being judged by, and they speak directly to your consumer as to how trustworthy and reputable your business is. The truth is that just one negative review or article can cast long-lasting shadows, so it is important that a business is engaged with their community and acknowledging and responding to reviews within their Google Business Profile. Managing the feedback and controlling the noise is a signal that speaks directly to search engines.
On-Page vs. Off-Page: What are the Key Differences?
Level of control
One of the biggest differences between off-page SEO and on-page efforts is the level of control that you have. With on page tactics, you can directly impact the site whenever you need to and ensure that your webpages are aligned with SEO best practices. With off-page SEO, you can take solid steps for improvements such as backlink outreach, social engagement and management of your reputation, but you do not have that same level of direct control.
Goal of effort
On-page SEO focuses on improving the user experience and the accessibility of the site for search engines, whereas off-page efforts build trust and authority in the digital ecosystem.
Impact on rankings
On-page efforts can directly impact your rankings based on how search engines crawl and index your website pages. Off-page SESO helps to enhance your brand authority and that impacts rankings on a more indirect level.
Timeframe of results
On-page efforts typically provide more immediate results since changes made take effect immediately. Off-page efforts take longer and depend on external factors.
Combining On-Page and Off-Page SEO for Success
Whereas there are benefits to both off-page and on-page SEO as well as key differences, incorporating both into your SEO strategy is essential. They work together to maximize your overall site visibility and your website credibility. If you craft a comprehensive strategy that leverages both tactics you will have a better chance at boosting rankings and driving traffic and engagement. For a restaurant to be successful and grow, it needs to have a well-functioning kitchen, inviting staff, a solid menu and overall operational efficiency. However, you also need customers to get excited, review the restaurant, recommend to others and help support your overall reputation. The same concept can be applied to your SEO.
In short, remember to unify your efforts by creating link-worthy unique content with the user in mind, optimizing your site for keywords that are highly searched, and monitor your performance and look at the analytics to make sure your efforts are yielding results.
Contact HardPart Media for Help with Your Company’s SEO
On-page and off-page SEO efforts combined can really drive rankings and organic traffic. A balanced strategy will promote your brand authority, satisfy your user experience and ultimately grow your performance.
Contact the SEO team at HardPart Media today to discuss your SEO needs. We will review and audit your website to provide strategy recommendations and SEO services that help you dominate search results!