When talking SEO strategies, you would have most likely heard the terms ‘on-page’ and ‘off-page’ SEO. If you have employed a SEO specialist to take care of your SEO for you, you may have heard the terms used quite frequently. Each strategist will work differently in their aim to boost your search engine rankings and increase your website traffic; however a powerful SEO strategy incorporates both on-page and off-page tactics. Simply building a website and creating content with keywords isn’t quite enough to have you recognised by Google or other search engines, which is why it’s so important to utilise a number of techniques. This is where on-page and off-page optimisation comes into play. So, what exactly are the two and why are they beneficial for strong SEO?
ON-PAGE SEO
The term on-page SEO refers to all of the technical and content related tactics used in order to assist a website with its rankings. On-page is essentially everything related to the content only on your website. When devising the ultimate SEO strategy, there are various aspects which you should consider and ensure they are working efficiently.
Having a fast, secure website with good responsiveness is one of the most important elements of on-page SEO. This is one of the first areas most SEO experts will adjust on a website in order to adhere to Google and other search engine’s algorithms. Working on your website’s functionality and efficiency will reduce bounce rates. It’s important to reduce any redirect pages, ensure your internal links are working and have a good URL structure which is relevant to the page’s information. You also must have a structured XML sitemap which is essentially a map strategically created to enhance crawlability and allow users and Google bot crawlers to navigate throughout the pages of your website.
Title tags and meta descriptions are so important as they are the main, clickable titles displayed on search engines which link to your website. The meta description follows the title tag and is a brief description of what your website entails. Search engines prioritise websites which are structurally appealing. What this means is your content requires relevant headings and paragraphs to follow. Content is important for SEO however it needs to be optimised in order for search engines to analyse it. This is incorporated by various HTML techniques including H1 (used for titles), H2(subtitles), H3(body) tags etc. Images especially must be optimised with ALT text which describes what the image is to audience who cannot see them and for search engine crawlers.
OFF-PAGE SEO
Off-page SEO relates to all the strategies enforced outside of your website which assist in boosting search engine rankings and your level of relevancy. The main objective of off-page SEO is to increase your brand awareness and direct users from other websites to your website using backlinks.
Guest blogging on various websites with good domain authority is a great way to increase your own credibility and be recognised by search engines. By submitting blog posts with informative content relevant to your industry, you are providing value to your target audience. You can also increase your brand awareness by making local directory submissions and having your input in relevant forums.
Search engines value websites which incorporate a variety of tactics and implement ways of gaining organic brand exposure. Sharing content on your own social pages is a great way of backlinking to your own website. The more you share the content, the more likely it is to go viral and be shared by other third-party sites, increasing the value of your website. By aiming to have your content shared by websites with high domain authority, you are adding more value to your website and boosting your credibility by using off-page SEO.
By utilising both on page and off page SEO, you provide your website with a greater chance of receiving high search engine rankings. If you want to increase your visibility, ensure your SEO strategy is well-planned and incorporates both. For assistance with your SEO strategy talk to our expert team at DGreat Solutions.
