Introduction

While onsite SEO focuses on what is on your website, and offsite SEO controls what happens outside your website. Offsite SEO is all about the external signals that tell search engines like Google whether your website is trustworthy, popular, and authoritative. Overall, onsite SEO is the creation and foundation of your website, and offsite SEO is the reputation of your website. Google treats these external signals like votes of credibility because Google uses them to measure how the internet responds to the content in your website. In return, these signals tell Google whether your website is worthy of ranking compared to your competitors targeting the same keywords that were imputed by the user. Offsite external signals are part of around 2/3 % of the current Google algorithm for ranking. Therefore, the stronger your reputation and relevance on the internet, the higher your authority is on search results that contain your target keywords. Moreover, offsite factors are significantly more influential on your website’s rank in comparison to onsite factors. In our current economy, offsite optimization is how websites become competitive.

Why Offsite Links Matter

1. Links Create Authority
   Google’s ranking system measures the quality and quantity of links pointing to your website. In Google’s eyes, links act as the foundation of authority.
2. Offsite linking affects your Page Rank
   Backlinks signal to Google that your site deserves visibility.
3. Offsite signals make up ⅔ of ranking factors
   In other words, backlinks are more powerful than onsite optimizations.
4. Not all links are created equal
   Some links that are strong can add lots of value while others can hurt your website ranking.
5. Thematic relevance matters
   Links from related industries carry significantly more ranking power than random, unrelated websites.

What Makes a Link High-Quality?

1. Contextual vs. Non-Contextual Links
   • A contextual link is placed inside relevant written content.
   • A non-contextual link appears in a sidebar, footer, or bio.
   • Contextual links are always more powerful because they provide meaning and topic relevance.
2. Link Diversity
   • Strong link profiles include:
     • Domain diversity (many different sites linking
     • IP diversity (links from different hosting locations)
   • This shows Google that your site is being referenced naturally across the internet.
3. Anchor Text Optimization
   • Anchor text = the clickable text in a link.
     • Anchor text should incorporate your target keyword strategy
     • No more than ~10% of all anchors should use the exact same keyword
     • Brand names are the exception (brand anchors can be used more often)
   • Anchor text helps Google understand what your page is about.

Common Link-Building Methods

1. Two-Way and Three-Way Link Exchanges
   • 2-way exchange: You link to another site and they right back to you
   • 3-way exchange: A third site enters the cycle to avoid a reciprocal link.
2. Profile Linking
   • Creating profiles on:
     • Forums
     • Communities
     • Professional networks
3. Article Creation
   • Posting original articles on article submission sites:
     • Article directories
     • Guest blogs
     • Web 2.0 platforms
4. Blog Creation
   • Examples:
     • WordPress.com
     • Blogger
     • Medium
     • Weebly
5. Blog Commenting
   • Leaving relevant comments on industry blogs.
6. Forum Posting
   • Participating in:
     • Question forums
     • Niche communities
     • Support boards
7. Link Baiting
   • Creating content so compelling that people want to link to it.
   • Examples:
     • Infographics
     • Statistics
     • Tools
     • Industry research
     • Step-by-step guides
8. Registration Sites
   • Listing your site on databases:
     • Analytics databases
     • Tech directories
     • Website statistics sites
9. Directory Links
   • Submitting your website to relevant, credible directories.
     Examples include:
     • Local business directories
     • Educational directories
10. Social Bookmarking
    • Sharing links across platforms that allow URL saving and sharing.

Final Thoughts on Offsite SEO

Offsite SEO is the engine behind ranking power.
The overall difference between onsite and offsite SEO is that your onsite content tells Google what your website is about, and your offsite profile tells Google if and why you deserve to rank. Successful SEO requires consistent link acquisition over time. Successful SEO requires consistent link acquiring over time.

To succeed in Offsite SEO focus on:

• Contextual links
• Thematic relevance
• Dofollow authority
• Anchor text diversity
• Link diversity