Off-page Search Engine Optimization (SEO) are activities or events you control that occur outside the site. Its purpose is to help you improve your ranking in search engines.
In most cases, this means backlinks coming from outside sites, preferably from trusted, popular, or authoritative sites. You can usually achieve this over the years as you build your own reputation online, but for many site owners that are just way too long.
You can make Google love your page with high-quality backlinks using these 5 best off-page strategies. Some are quite clever actually. Read on.
Broken link building
Wikipedia is a great place to start when doing research. Some people discount its value because it is user generated content, but the fact is, the links and resources can be very useful. It doesn’t always pan out, of course, but enough to make it very popular for people looking for quick answers.
You can use its popularity and that fact that is user generated to establish some sweet backlinks. Broken links frequently appear in Wikipedia entries, and while they can be a pain in the behind for a researcher, they can be a gold mine for link builders. You can use these broken links to create backlinks to your site.
All you have to do is to find the relevant resource for the link, incorporate it into a post on your site, and replace the broken on the Wikipedia entry. You are doing the Wikipedia user a favour by doing this, and creating a back link from a high authority (by way of popularity) site at the same time. Everybody wins.
Use this search string to find a relevant broken link: site:wikipedia.org [keyword] + “dead link.” Click on a relevant post, look for the link by doing a search (Ctrl+F) for “dead link.” The cursor will jump to any dead links in the entry. You can also check this list.
Bonus: You can also create more backlinks by looking for sites linking to authority sites that may have changed names, URLs, or otherwise have information that is outdated, such as stopped offering a service or product.
Guest posts
Offering great content to authority sites is a well-established way to curate multiple backlinks, but it takes a considerable amount of effort and research.
Creating content good enough for an authority site to accept is not a walk in the park. Authority sites get many requests for guest posts, most of which are only after the backlinks, so you have to give as good as you hope to get. As Edugeeksclub author Michael Hutton says, “Authority sites are notoriously difficult to get into, so you can’t just give them any old content. You need good quality, well-researched content, which is what our clients come to us to get.”
With content at such a premium, you want to make sure you choose a good authority site to which to offer it. You can use a site like AllTop to find high-quality link prospects in your niche. Put in the primary keyword in the search box and it will provide you with several categories. Choose one that fits your topic, and you will get a list of good quality sites.
Infographics
The value of infographics in creating backlinks is a matter of record. Statistics from the number of backlinks recorded on the Kissmetrics blog from 47 infographics posted in a two-year period (2012 to 2012) show that it is very effective.
Infographics is a visual representation of difficult to absorb or otherwise mundane text information, and it is a great way to share information in an easy to understand format. You can create your own infographics, or you can use a free app such as Canva.
Expert roundup
An expert roundup is web content where the publisher asks experts to contribute an opinion or tip for the benefit of readers. Most experts would be flattered to be asked as such for their input, and would gladly contribute. This case study shows how effective such posts can be to generate traffic, build your site’s reputation, and establish a relationship with influencers in your niche.
Be active at Q&A sites such as Quora
The main reason many users search the Internet is because they want to find answers. Contributing regularly to Q&A sites such as Quora or Yahoo Answers can help you build your reputation as an expert in your niche. The great thing about Q&A sites is you don’t have to get approval to answer a question, unlike guest blogs. People that benefit from your responses will be more likely to seek you out, therefore generating traffic to your site without having to resort to spamming.
Backlinking is an honest and effective way to increase your site traffic and your ranking in search engines. These 5 off-page strategies can help you curate back links in a positive and helpful way, and make Google love your page.
Joan Selby is a former ESL teacher and a content marketer. She also runs her own blog about social media and writing tips. Joan is a Creative Writing graduate and fancy shoelover. A writer by day and reader by night, giving a creative touch to everything. Connect with her on Twitter and Facebook.
