Let's face it, if you're a business owner reading this article, you're probably turning over a lot of plates. You're not getting the results you want from your digital marketing and you're trying to figure out why.
Marketing is key to the success of any B2B company, but it can be difficult to keep up with the ever-changing world of search engine optimization - especially when it comes to differentiating and implementing onsite and offsite SEO.
This guide explains the meaning of these two often confused terms. It also explains how you can strike a balance between the two concepts and find the perfect SEO formula for your business.
Understanding Onsite SEO
Onsite SEO refers to the elements of your website that you can optimize directly to improve search engine rankings and increase usability. High-quality content is at the heart of onsite SEO.
Here are some examples of elements that you can optimize:
- Page titles, meta descriptions and URLs
- Image title and alt text
- Structure of the headings
- Keywords in headlines and texts
- Internal links
- Scheme labeling
- Location details
- Speed of the page
- Security
- Data protection
Expertise and quality have an indirect effect on your ranking and should therefore be taken into account in your optimization measures. From the article to the product description: make sure that every piece of content on your website is not only well written, but also offers added value for the person at the other end of the screen.
By consistently providing quality content, you make your website a trusted source that search engines and other websites can rely on when they need accurate information.
Let's say you have a B2B e-commerce website, but your web pages are not optimized for the relevant keywords. Not only does this put off potential customers who skim the content and don't find what they expected at first glance, but it also causes Google to bury your website so that no one can find it.
A well-organized website structure goes a long way to improving your SERP ranking. Make sure your website design is up to date, with clear breadcrumbs, navigation menus and internal links. This not only helps users find the most important pages quickly, but also allows search engines to crawl and index your website and content quickly, resulting in better search engine rankings and visibility.
When we talk about design, I can't help but emphasize the importance of a mobile-friendly website. Given that by 2023, 58.67 % of global website traffic will come from mobile devices, having a website that looks good on mobile is an absolute must. Not only is it important for attracting, converting and retaining customers, but also for determining whether or not search engines classify your website as valuable.
However, it is important to remember that mobile responsiveness alone is not enough to get the SEO needle rolling, as it is part of a larger system that we refer to as technical SEO. This term encompasses all technical aspects such as page speed, XML sitemaps, URL structures, broken pages, meta descriptions and title tags.
Optimizing images and videos is also an important part of technical SEO. A great image or video is of no use to the SEO of an article if its size has a negative impact on the speed of your website, if it does not reflect the topic you are writing about or if there is no alt text.
By controlling these technical aspects, you can ensure that search engines can crawl and index your website.
Unpacking offsite SEO
Offsite SEO refers to strategies that take place outside of your website but still impact your search engine ranking. Although offsite SEO is often overlooked, it is key to building your brand - not only in the eyes of potential customers, but also with Google.
Google Ads (formerly Google AdWords) is an effective offsite search strategy used by many companies to reach a large but highly targeted audience.
KAU Media Group explains that one of the benefits of Google Ads is «that you can show your ads to the exact people most likely to be interested in your products and services, increasing the relevance and effectiveness of your advertising campaigns.
The ads draw attention to your business and offering, increase the potential for repeat visits and conversions, and help drive traffic to your website while laying the foundation for onsite SEO.
Digital PR is another important aspect of offsite SEO, as it influences the perception of the brand.
This includes writing a blog for another website, a review in a well-known industry or trade publication, or a feature in a respected online magazine. It can also include podcast interviews, which are a great way to position yourself and your business as a leader in your field while increasing Google searches for your brand name.
Another important element of offsite SEO is link building, i.e. increasing the number of high-quality backlinks pointing to your website.
Backlinks are often referred to as «votes» from other websites that confirm that your website offers added value, unique insights and informative resources and is therefore valuable to the audience. The more backlinks (votes) you have from high quality websites, the more likely you are to rank well.
But there is a catch. Not all backlinks are created equal. If those «votes» come from low-quality websites or websites known for selling links, you can do more harm than good. Therefore, it's important that you focus your offsite SEO efforts on getting backlinks from reputable websites that are relevant to your industry.
Unpacking offsite SEO
Offsite SEO refers to strategies that take place outside of your website but still impact your search engine ranking. Although offsite SEO is often overlooked, it is key to building your brand - not only in the eyes of potential customers, but also in the eyes of Google.
Google Ads (formerly Google AdWords) is an effective offsite SEO strategy used by many companies to reach a large but highly targeted audience.
KAU Media Group explains that one of the benefits of Google Ads is «that you can show your ads to the exact people most likely to be interested in your products and services, increasing the relevance and effectiveness of your advertising campaigns.
Ads increase the visibility of your business and offering, create potential for repeat visits and conversions, and help drive traffic to your website while laying the groundwork for local search engine optimization (SEO).
Digital PR is another important aspect of offsite SEO, as it influences the perception of the brand.
This includes writing a blog for another website, a review in a well-known industry or trade publication, or a feature in a respected online magazine. It can also include podcast interviews, which are a great way to position yourself and your business as a leader in your field while increasing Google searches for your brand name.
Another important element of offsite SEO is link building, i.e. increasing the number of high-quality backlinks pointing to your website.
Backlinks are often referred to as «votes» from other websites that confirm that your website offers added value, unique insights and informative resources and is therefore valuable to the audience. The more backlinks (votes) you have from high quality websites, the more likely you are to rank well.
But there is a catch. Not all backlinks are created equal. If those «votes» come from low-quality websites or websites known for selling links, you can do more harm than good. Therefore, it's important that you focus your offsite SEO efforts on getting backlinks from reputable websites that are relevant to your industry.
Onsite and offsite SEO: finding the right balance
So how should you approach onsite and offsite SEO? Is onsite SEO more important than offsite SEO?
No, both are equally important. If you focus on one and neglect the other, you create an imbalance that can take years to correct - and costs a lot of time, money and resources.
Here you will find tips on how to treat onsite and offsite SEO as two sides of the same coin.
1. create a solid foundation
Before you start with offsite SEO, you should make sure that your website has everything it needs to be a solid anchor for your online presence.
Invest in optimizing the structure, content and technical SEO of your website to provide an excellent user experience and send the all-important positive signals to search engines.
Without a well-optimized (and high-quality) website, your offsite SEO efforts will be in vain.
2. use offsite SEO to boost your onsite SEO efforts.
Once you've mastered onsite SEO, it's time to add offsite SEO strategies to the mix.
Focus on building quality backlinks from trusted websites in your industry. You can reach out to publications, submit to directories, ask for reviews or even hire a link building specialist.
Also consider writing guest blogs for other websites, participating in relevant social media communities, and possibly hiring a PR agent to boost the authority of your brand and your overall online presence.
3. quality before quantity
When it comes to a good offsite SEO strategy, quality counts.
Instead of trying to get a large number of backlinks to your latest article, you should focus on high quality backlinks that are truly relevant to your industry.
When it comes to a website's authority and ranking well in organic search results, some high-quality backlinks outweigh low-quality backlinks from irrelevant - or even spam - sources.
4. use social media to your advantage
In an increasingly social media-driven world, social media engagement has become an important part of offsite SEO.
B2B platforms such as LinkedIn allow you to build relationships with other companies, publish articles directly on the platform and refer your followers to your website.
By engaging with your audience on social media, you can increase your brand's visibility and attract natural backlinks.
5. Diversify your link portfolio
Avoid focusing on just one type of backlink and instead try to diversify your link portfolio by getting backlinks from different sources. This could include :
- Industry Publications
- Guides
- Pictures
- Article
- Blogs
- Directory entries
- Guest blogging
The selection of different sources not only increases the authority of your website, but also reduces the risk of being penalized by search engines. The result is a more holistic profile.
6. integration of onsite and offsite SEO efforts
Do not separate onsite and offsite SEO strategies, but integrate them.
For example, improve your onsite SEO by writing an article that is relevant to your keywords. Then publish it on LinkedIn to get backlinks from other entrepreneurs who follow you on LinkedIn.
You can also use Google Ads to find good keywords for your organic content, and use those same keywords in organic posts on social media to target people searching on those platforms.
7. focus on user experience
Ultimately, both onsite and offsite SEO strategies must focus on the user experience.
Whether you're optimizing your website for speed or launching a press campaign, a website that provides a seamless experience goes a long way towards converting casual visitors into customers.
Don't be afraid of change!
The digital landscape is constantly changing. That's why it's important to regularly monitor your website metrics, review your onsite and offsite SEO strategies and change things if something isn't working.
Remember that successful campaigns don't happen overnight and that you need to do a lot of trial and error until you're on the right track. Only by adapting your strategy will you be able to exploit the full potential of your website.
