What is your Website Authority? Don’t Forget About Off-Page SEO

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a subject that is always on the mind of businesses with a web presence, but most businesses concentrate on on-page SEO, managing the keywords, meta tags, etc. that help them rank highly in search results. However, this should only be one facet of your SEO strategy; off-page SEO is just as important to ensuring you get the best possible rankings.

What is off-page SEO?

Off-page SEO is basically what other websites in the industry are saying about you, and whether or not you are viewed as a subject matter expert (SME) for the topics and/or products you are discussing. The algorithms that search engines use to determine how websites rank in search results are constantly changing, but one aspect of SEO that remains consistent is that relevant links to your website from other authoritative
websites can increase your ranking. I am not talking about “Black Hat SEO” techniques like link spam where random non-relevant links to your website are placed on forums, blogs, comment systems, etc.; I am talking about appropriate links within actual content copy on another website that recognizes your website as an authority on a specific topic or product. You are essentially building your reputation on the web.

An Example of off-page SEO:

Diagram partners with a few great CMS companies such as Ektron and EPiServer to help our clients realize their business goals through technology. Both of these companies are definitely authoritative sources of information for their respective software platforms, so when they link to Diagram's website from their website, it demonstrates that they consider Diagram to be another authoritative source for their software.

Conclusion

Considered in simple terms, the basis of off-page SEO is making sure that people in your industry are talking about you. Establishing yourself as an expert in your subject matter and creating content that people want to share will greatly increase your ranking in search results. Building relationships with authoritative sources that will recognize you as an expert in your field is the ultimate goal that you should be pursuing. Do you have any questions about how you can create content that people will want to share or how to position yourself as an expert in your field? Please leave a comment below, or contact us for more information.

Image Credit: John