Search engine optimization is how you make your website more visible in search engines, most notably, Google. It’s the way you draw in website visitors without paying for ads. The four pillars of SEO are keyword research, technical SEO, and on-page and off-page SEO.
So what’s the difference between on-page and off-page SEO? Is one more important than the other? Some aspects of SEO are tailored to each website’s unique needs, but in most cases, both on-page and off-page SEO are essential to help your website get found by the right audience.
At GreenHaven Interactive, SEO is our specialty. Let’s take a look at on-page versus off-page SEO and how they benefit your organization!
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What is On-Page SEO?
On-page or on-site SEO focuses on optimizing your website to be found on search engines. The goal is to rank your pages higher on Google and get more organic traffic through various techniques. On-page SEO is everything you do internally, on your own website, to boost your Google rankings and traffic.
Some on-page SEO tasks include optimizing metadata, URLs, internal links, and content. Your overall goal is to make your content relevant to the right audience and make your site easy to find and attractive to click on. You do this with click-worthy meta descriptions, relevant keywords and title tags, images, helpful content, and links that keep people exploring your site.
Creating People-First Content
SEO is all about satisfying the Google algorithm. Currently, Google prioritizes user experience and favors “people-first content,” making this concept foundational to good on-page SEO.
People-first content means it should be relevant and helpful to the user. It should be visually attractive and easy to navigate. In application, this typically means well-written, quality content is more important than fitting in as many keywords as possible.
What is Off-Page SEO?
As you might have guessed, off-page SEO focuses on efforts you can make outside your website to improve your online presence. It’s a big part of how you build your site’s reputation. Guest posting, social media marketing, and link building are fundamental elements of off-page SEO.
These tactics help people find your site from other platforms (like another website or your Facebook page) and also boost your website’s credibility. When looking for a trustworthy business for your needs, no doubt you’ve looked up their social media profile or Google reviews to determine if they’re the right choice. That’s why you need to set up those credibility checks for your audience to find.
Following E-E-A-T
When it comes to off-page or off-site SEO, the Google measure to meet is E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. This means you need to earn your audience’s trust as an authority on your topic or service that has proven experience and expertise.
Visitors will view your site as more trustworthy if they find positive reviews and an optimal social media presence. They’ll trust you provide quality service if others leave reviews saying just that. And they’ll know you must know your stuff if other websites link to your content to back up their own.
Why You Need Both On-Page and Off-Page SEO
On-page and off-page SEO both play critical roles in connecting your site with your audience. Without good on-page SEO, your pages won’t rank anywhere near Google’s first page of results–and not many people look past the first page. Without good off-page SEO, people might find your site, but they may not trust it.
Both these SEO elements work together to get your site on Google’s radar, and consequently, your audience’s. One without the other can only get you so far.
Where to Start Your SEO Strategy
What if you’re brand new to SEO–where should you start? While both on-page and off-page SEO are important, on-page SEO is usually the best place to start. That’s because you have full control over it, whereas off-page SEO is trickier. You can start optimizing your metadata and writing quality content today, but you’ll have a much harder time getting guest posts or positive reviews on your first day of SEO work. Those things usually take more time.
Start building your on-page SEO, and add in off-page SEO as you’re able. Social media is a good place to start.
Learn More and Get Started with GreenHaven Interactive
For a busy organization, effective SEO might not fit into your schedule, especially if it’s new to you. Whether you’re not sure where to begin with your marketing or just don’t have the time it needs to succeed, we can help.
GreenHaven Interactive offers personalized solutions for businesses of all sizes in on-page, off-page, and technical SEO. Contact us today to get your organization’s marketing on the right track.
