In this article we’re going to go deep into off-page SEO vs on-page SEO, and how to implement both to help skyrocket your search engine rankings. Let’s begin!
In the world of digital marketing, there are two major types of SEO: on-page and off-page. On-page SEO is what you see when you visit a site, which includes its content and everything else on the page. Offsite SEO is what happens outside of a site’s pages, including social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter as well as external links from other websites. Many experts say that one type is more important than another – but it’s clear that both are necessary to rank well in search engines!
Let’s look at the on-page SEO first. On-Page SEO is what you see when you visit a site, which includes its content and everything else on the page. You can think of it like this: if your page was a person, they would dress well, be in good shape, and have an attractive personality. This is what on-page optimization refers to. It’s an important piece of the puzzle that every website needs. On-page SEO is all about structuring your site, content, and profile so search engines know what the page is all about!
On-Page SEO includes things like having keywords in titles, text & URL – as well as images, alt text, and metadata. It also includes optimizing your page to load quickly – ideally within three seconds. While this is not always possible (there are some really slow sites out there!), you’ll want to re-evaluate the speed of your site regularly. Slow loading times can be very frustrating for visitors!
Let’s dive in further to compare and contrast the two and why you need both to rank in the SERPs.
The Difference Between On-Page and Off-Page SEO
As mentioned above, Off-Page SEO is what happens outside of a site’s pages, including social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter as well as external links from other websites. Good off-page SEO will include blogging and guest posting on authority sites to build links back to your pages. It also includes local directory links to help with local businesses trying to rank locally!
On-Page SEO can be done by anyone without any coding knowledge. You just need to learn the basics. Off-page is a bit more advanced and requires effort on your part, but it has better results in some cases.
If you’re just starting out with SEO, focus on the basics by making your site easy to read and understand with proper on-page optimization. You can then start building off-page elements when you feel ready!
Which Is More Important – On-Page or Off-Page SEO?
Some experts say that off-page SEO is better than on-page SEO, but it’s clear that both are necessary to rank well in search engines! It’s important to note that Google is constantly updating its algorithm so what is most effective now may not be as effective next year. Because of this, both strategies help solidify your ranking success.
At the end of the day, though, if you’re just starting with SEO – focus on the basics. Make your site easy to read and understand with proper on-page optimization.
If you are planning to rank for highly competitive keywords or niches, you need to be ready to have a lot of off-page work done. With the ever-changing nature of Google’s algorithms, what is most effective now may not be as effective next year!
However, on-page optimization just makes it much better for your SEO. As with anything else, it is just a piece of the puzzle that every website needs. It’s important to have great on-page SEO so search engines know exactly what your page is about!
Many marketers are saying that off-page importance will always be greater than on-page optimization, though this is still being debated by some. Off-page optimization is a great way to help your site rank in the search engines, but off-page SEO takes time and effort. If you’re new to online marketing, start with on-page SEO; it’s one of the most important aspects of getting ranked.
Best Practices for Both On-Page & Off-Page SEO
If you want to know what works best for your site, check out what everyone else is doing. You can use search engines like Google and Bing to see what keywords sites are ranking for. If you find a competitor ranking in the top five for keywords you covet, it’s time to do some research!
Find out what on-page SEO this site has done, as well as what off-page links they’ve acquired. Once you learn these valuable pieces of information, implement them on your site!
Don’t forget to check out the competition – but make sure it’s not too competitive! Check out their page rank (the higher the better!) and if they are ranked for keywords that are competitive enough that they would be difficult to rank for.
Once you find a site with relevant keywords that aren’t too competitive for your business, do some research to see what on-page and off-page SEO strategies they are using. This will help you learn new things to implement on your website!
Don’t Forget the Content
Writing great content is the most important thing you can do for on-page optimization. When you’re writing content, focus on quality and answers that will help your audience. Write naturally and avoid stuffing keywords in your content to try to rank for certain terms.
Writing great content is the most important aspect of having good on-page SEO. When you’re writing content, focus on quality and answers that will help your audience. Write naturally and avoid stuffing keywords in your content to try to rank for certain terms.
If you can create quality content that is relevant to what your site specializes in, the search engines will notice and reward you for it! If you continue writing great content, traffic will increase as well as your rankings!
On-Page Basics DIY or Hire Help?
When it comes to optimizing your website for on-page SEO, you have two choices. You can either do it yourself or hire someone to help you out.
If your site is small and not too complex, it’s probably best for you to do the optimization yourself so you understand everything that’s going on. The last thing you want to do is try to take shortcuts by hiring a cheap SEO services company without fully understanding what they are doing!
If you have a large site that contains a lot of pages, it may be best to hire someone to do your on-page optimization. There is just too much maintenance for one person to handle and keep up with all the changes Google makes each year!
You also have the possibility of some needed coding if your website is complex or full of rich content. You don’t want to mess up your site’s design with on-page optimization, and without the proper training, it can be very easy for anyone to do.
Google Confirms Off-Page Signals Important in Ranking
In an official blog post from Google, the company confirms that off-page signals are important in ranking pages. The most common type of off-page signals are backlinks; they make up “a significant portion of the search ranking algorithms and directly impact the ranking abilities” of a website.
While Google has always used links as a factor when ranking sites, their influence was originally weighted more heavily than it is today. In the early days of Google, more links meant a better chance at ranking!
Today, however, Google says that “while some off-page signals may be strong, they are just one small piece of a larger puzzle” and that it’s important to have on-page signals as well. This means that the best SEO companies will be able to provide you with both on-page and off-page optimization.
Working with Professionals for Off-Page SEO
Due to the complexities of off-page SEO, such as guest post outreach, link building, social media marketing, and more, it’s best to leave this kind of work up to the professionals. The best SEO companies will have full teams dedicated to off-page optimization so that you don’t have to worry about a thing!
Since off-page SEO takes time, by outsourcing these tasks to an agency, you’ll be able to see results much faster than you would if you did everything yourself.
Even better, SEO companies often use tools that crawl the web to find links for their clients. This helps them avoid some of the pitfalls of using manual submissions like you would on your own!
So going the off-page SEO route hiring a company (or freelancer) who has experience is very important. If they don’t have experience, they may end up doing more harm than good!
Off-Page SEO vs On-Page SEO: Final Thoughts
Off-page SEO is a significant part of the puzzle for any website, but it’s important to get on-page optimization right as well. The best SEO companies will have teams dedicated to both off and on-page work so that you can see results more quickly than if you handled everything yourself.
If your site isn’t very complex or has just a few pages, then it may be easier for you to do some of this type of work on your own; however, with large sites or ones that contain rich content like videos and images, hiring someone who knows what they’re doing is essential!
Need help? Check out our affordable SEO services and get in touch today, we’d be honored to help!
