What is Off-Page SEO and Why is it Important?

Off-page SEO is all about what happens outside your website. It is like how it is shared by your readers, to social media, and how it is distributed on different platforms.

When I was learning about SEO, I thought it was easy optimization of my title and content.

But I was wrong.

I studied off-page SEO, and got some backlinks from other websites by collaboration, writing evergreen and shareable content.

On-Page vs Off-Page SEO

Let me keep this simple, on-page seo is what you do inside your website: the title, description, keywords, etc. Meanwhile, off-page seo happens outside your website: how people share it to social media, how it gets links from other blogs, etc.

Think of it like your job resume, you create your resume (that is your on-page seo), but how you get testimonials from your past clients and friends is the off-page seo.

What are backlinks?

Backlinks is when another blog or website links your site to their site.

Confusing?

Let say Mario has a blog about foods, then you have a website where you post recipes, Mario can use your posts as reference on his website. And there, you get a backlink from Mario’s website.

When your website is getting backlinks from different trustable sites, it is a signal to Google that your content is useful and people uses it.

One thing to keep in mind is getting backlinks from reputable website is a gold mine. It can help your site rank higher.

The number one key here is to write evergreen and helpful content so you can get backlinks from other websites that are writing related blogs.

Guest posting

Guest posting is like connecting with other bloggers to write for their website, by writing for their website, you can attach the link from your posts, increase brand awareness, and promote your brand.

Read more: Is Guest Posting Really Works?

Brand mentions

Sometimes, your blog or brand gets mention from other sites without a link, Google also uses this to understand more about your brand, niche, and what you are known for.

Google has their own way to detect it, and so building your personal brand on the internet doesn’t only inside your space, you can be mentioned by other brands without linking to your site, but good thing is Google consider it.

Social proof

I got backlinks because my friends were sharing my content and link it to their website. Building your personal brand doesn’t only happen on your website.

Sometimes, you have to use other medium to create and connect with other people.

It is where social proof comes in.

If people are talking about you on Pinterest, Medium, and other social media apps, it creates a signal to Google.

While this is not a direct way to build authority on Google, it helps to build trust and get a potential backlink from your readers.

Why off-page SEO Takes Time and Consistency?

This is where many people do not succeed, including me: become consistent. You see, off-page SEO is not instant, it will take weeks or months to get the best results.

I even find it hard to look for collaboration and guest posting with other bloggers, it is hard at first but once you started building your brand, some people will even reach out to you and look for collaboration.

Fortunately, I also see the results of sharing my blog posts in social media, I even saw familiar sites from my following on Medium where they link my posts on their own website that gives me backlinks.

Later on, when you become consistent and build relationship with other bloggers, you will find it easy to collab and guest post, then build authority that will signal to Google that your content is helpful.

Action Plan That You Can Try

Here is a simple plan that you can follow (and what I follow when I do off-page SEO):

1. Look for blogs that has the same niche as yours, then reach out to them for a guest post.

2. Write a guest post for that website.

3. Pick one social media platform where you can commit to post at least twice a week.

4. Track your backlinks using Google Search Console.

You can start doing these until it becomes your habit.

Remember, it is better to start small.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to see results from off-page SEO?
It usually takes 2–6 months, depending on your niche and competition.

Do I need to buy backlinks?
No, it is better to earn them naturally through valuable content and collaborations.

Can small websites compete with big brands in off-page SEO?
Yes. Focus on building genuine relationships and creating niche-specific content.

Is social media really part of SEO?
Indirectly, yes. Social signals do not directly boost rankings, but they bring traffic, brand awareness, and chances to earn backlinks.

Conclusion

Off-page SEO is more than technical practice of SEO, it is about building your trust, reputation, and relationship online. It is more likely building a brand where it takes time and consistency.

It is okay not to see the results right away, it will take time so you have to keep going until your consistency paid off.

If you want to improve your rankings, try to do the action plan from above, then do it repeatedly. The more guest post from different reputable websites, the better.