The difference between on-page and off-page SEO is that on-page pertains to organic ranking factors you can influence via your website and off-page pertains to anything happening outside your website that builds authority.
A combination of the two is essential to a robust SEO plan that helps you build brand awareness and generate leads.
Let’s dive into the basics of each.
What goes into on-page optimization?
First, through in-depth research, you must determine which key phrases to include throughout your website. Key phrases vary depending on your company’s goals, products, and the industry you work within.
Once you’ve identified your key phrases, you can weave them into specific locations throughout your website.
Some of these locations include:
- Title tags
- Headings
- Meta descriptions
- Anchor text links
- Image alt tags
- Body copy
While it is vital to include these key phrases, it’s also important to make them sound natural. The goal is to please your readers AND search engines. If a specific phrase sounds too clunky, you may need to use a different phrase or try using it somewhere else.
What goes into off-page rankings?
Off-page SEO builds authority. It helps search engines recognize that your company is noticed and active outside of your own website.
The most common way to achieve higher off-page rankings is through backlinks. Backlinks are hyperlinks located on a webpage you do not own that links back to your website.
To achieve more backlinks, you can undergo the process of link building. When doing so, you must secure backlinks hosted on high-quality, relevant websites—quality over quantity is crucial here. You can “earn” or “build” backlinks.
An earned backlink is one you didn’t build yourself. Earning a backlink requires more effort; therefore, they hold more weight. For example, snagging a quote in a Forbes article that links back to your website is earned. These efforts are usually planned and executed via public relations (PR) initiatives.
An example of building a backlink is adding your website to a directory. While this backlink doesn’t hold as much importance as an earned link, you should still strive to obtain a good mix of both.
Another way to boost off-page SEO is to keep updated online profiles outside your website to establish credibility and legitimacy. Examples include social media accounts, Google My Business, Better Business Bureau, and Glassdoor.
How to get the most out of your SEO efforts
These descriptions mentioned above are just skimming the surface of what goes into a comprehensive SEO plan that generates real results.
Both on-page and off-page SEO are ongoing processes. If you want to get the most out of your SEO efforts, you shouldn’t treat it as a “one and done” deal. Search engines are constantly evolving, and your SEO should, too. Regularly reviewing and editing your SEO will ultimately yield the best results.
As a full-service healthcare marketing agency, we have extensive experience helping companies create and maintain robust SEO plans that help them reach their goals.
Need SEO guidance? We’d love to hear about your specific needs.