Off-site SEO is not just those backlinks random people offer to sell you in unsolicited e-mails, nor does it need to be a mystery. Here’s some simple and effective off-site SEO ideas that can deliver relatively quick results. Pick and mix!
1. Guest Blogging on High-Authority Sites
Publish content on established websites in your industry. This provides backlinks from trusted domains and exposes your brand to new audiences.
Target the more receptive mid-tier industry blogs and create genuinely valuable content that addresses their audience’s needs. Include one or two natural links back to relevant pages on your site.
2. Build Relationships with Influencers
Connect with industry influencers who can amplify your content and lend credibility to your brand.
Start engaging authentically on their social channels, share their content, and offer genuine value before asking for anything. Small influencers (micro-influencers) often provide better engagement rates and are easier to connect with.
3. Create and Share Infographics
Design shareable infographics that visualise interesting data or concepts in your industry.
Use tools like Canva to create an infographic around trending topics or evergreen information, then share it on social media and your own off-site weblogs linking back to your site. There are Infographic Specialists you can contact to create more sophisticated designs.
4. Participate in Relevant Online Communities
Become an active, helpful member in forums, LinkedIn, Quora, Reddit, or industry-specific communities.
Find questions you can answer expertly, provide thorough responses, and include links to your content only when directly relevant. Build reputation first, then leverage it for visibility.
5. Leverage Local SEO and Business Directories
Ensure your business is listed consistently across major directories and review sites.
Claim and optimise your Google Business Profile, then systematically add your business to top directories like Yelp, Yellow Pages, and industry-specific listings. Ensure NAP (Name, Address, Phone) consistency across all platforms.
6. Repurpose Content Across Platforms
Transform your existing content into different formats to reach wider audiences.
Turn a popular blog post into a YouTube video, SlideShare presentation, or podcast episode. Each new format creates opportunities for different backlink sources and audience exposure.
7. Build Strategic Partnerships
Collaborate with complementary (non-competing) businesses in your industry for mutual promotion.
Identify potential partners and propose content swaps, joint webinars, or co-created resources. This can quickly expand your reach to pre-qualified audiences.
8. Leverage Social Proof and Testimonials
Showcase client success stories and testimonials on third-party platforms.
Request satisfied customers to leave reviews on Google, industry review sites, or testimonials you can share. Then amplify these positive experiences through case studies that others in the industry might link to.
9. Create Skyscraper Content and Strategic Outreach
Research top-performing content in your niche, then create something significantly better – more comprehensive, up-to-date, and visually appealing.
Use tools like Semrush to find content with lots of backlinks, improve upon it, then reach out to sites currently linking to the original piece, showing them your superior version.
10. Create Your Own Industry Weblogs
Create and maintain with regular updates independent weblogs relevant to your own industry. These evergreen resources will direct visitors to your site for yours to come.
Publish the kind of information people are searching for in longer form content than your own website. Use Google search and look at the search term suggestions to inspire content. Also, these are great for long-tail keywords.
Quick Tip: Rather than trying all strategies at once, pick 2-3 that align best with your resources and industry, then execute them thoroughly before moving on to others. Track results to see which approaches work best for your specific situation.
I can help with any of your digital marketing solutions, please contact me.
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Steve Coulter is an experienced SME business owner since 1987. Digital marketing consultant and content creative. Tech-savvy early adopter now helping businesses evolve & grow.
Originally published on LinkedIn.
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