Search has significantly evolved over the years. The way search engines work and how people search shift continuously. SEO tactics must keep up.
The days of link farms and paying for links are long gone. Search engines consider many more signals today, from user experience to social signals and brand reputation.
The SERPs are also changing rapidly. Rich results and AI-powered features mean users don’t even need to visit your website to get the answers they need.
What’s more, “search” is no longer solely about Google. TikTok, Pinterest, Amazon and YouTube have become powerful search platforms in their own right.
Modern off-page SEO requires a multi-platform approach focused on quality content and authentic authority building.
This comprehensive guide will show you what works now – from proven techniques to measurement strategies and best practices for 2025.
What is off-page SEO today?
Off-page SEO refers to all activities taken outside your website that aim to boost its search engine rankings.
Off-page strategies for acquiring inbound links, citations and brand mentions boost your authority and, in turn, maximize your ability to rank well organically.
Early algorithms relied almost exclusively on inbound links (commonly referred to as backlinks) to determine the authority of a given domain.
But today, Google evaluates websites based on a range of more sophisticated factors, including experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T).
Optimizing E-E-A-T involves:
Working with real experts for content creation.
Offering transparency when it comes to information you are publishing or information about your company.
Gaining citations and mentions from authoritative websites is highly relevant to your industry and offering.
And so much more.
Backlinks vs. inbound links
In this article, I’ll use the term “inbound link” instead of “backlink,” which has gained a spammy reputation due to its association with manipulative tactics.
“Inbound links” is a more modern and strategic term that focuses on quality and intent.
Shifting the language around off-page SEO to inbound links focuses on building genuine connections from authoritative, relevant sources that add value to users.
It also signals that the link building process is part of a broader, content-driven strategy rather than a manipulative tactic.
How important is off-page in your overall SEO strategy?
Off-page SEO is critical in establishing your website’s credibility and trustworthiness.
Think of every link or reference as an endorsement of your brand. Similar to word-of-mouth recommendations, links act as digital endorsements that define your site’s reputation.
The more quality and relevant endorsements you have, the more likely search engines will see you as trustworthy and relevant.
How is off-page different from on-page or technical SEO?
On-page SEO ensures that your content is optimized for search engines and technical SEO focuses on optimizing the backend of your site for usability, speed, crawling and indexing.
On the other hand, off-page SEO signals to search engines that others consider your content valuable and trustworthy.
Each component is essential for a well-rounded SEO strategy, but off-page SEO is the backbone of your site’s authority and trust in the eyes of search engines.
Off-page SEO is the driving force behind building the authority needed to rank higher in search results.
Key components of off-page SEO
Below are the key off-page components of off-page SEO to optimize your brand presence.
Link building
Link building is still one of the most important aspects of off-page SEO.
Inbound links remain crucial for a site’s authority in the eyes of search engines, as long as they are relevant – Google has confirmed this.
That means ongoing off-page campaigns are necessary to increase online visibility and build a reputation that boosts your rankings.
However, the focus has shifted from quantity to quality – links from reputable, relevant sites are far more valuable than many low-quality links.
Social signals
Social signals, such as shares, likes and comments on social media platforms, may not directly impact rankings, but they amplify content visibility and increase the likelihood of earning inbound links. Building a strong social media presence is essential for brand visibility and complements your off-page SEO efforts.
Referring back to our endorsement analogy, content on social media, including your profile and engagement as well as user-generated content (UGC), reviews and mentions, act as a powerful form of social proof.
This type of content is especially credible because it’s created organically by real users, showing others that people are already benefiting from or enjoying a product or service. Engaging in active social media marketing improves brand awareness and contributes to your site’s authority.
Brand mentions
Even without a hyperlink, brand mentions signal relevance and authority to search engines.
Google, Bing and other search engines have evolved to recognize the importance of brand mentions as “implied links.”
When a brand is consistently mentioned across credible websites, even without a direct link, these mentions create signals for search engines that the brand has a strong presence within its industry, which can positively influence search rankings.
They also contribute to contextual relevance and entity recognition.
When a website or brand is frequently associated with specific topics or keywords, search engines take notice.
Being mentioned in relation to certain subjects helps search engines better understand the brand’s topical authority and relevance across different contexts.
This enhances a brand’s visibility and reach in search results, especially in personalized or knowledge-based queries.
Content marketing
We all know the importance of high-quality, informative content that resonates. However, effective content marketing to support SEO extends beyond your website.
Again, it’s about emphasizing quality over quantity. Think about what is truly best for your target audience. It doesn’t always mean producing more content.
While it may seem intuitive that a higher quantity of articles would yield better results, in SEO and content marketing, quality is what truly drives success.
High-quality content resonates deeply with your audience, builds trust and produces sustainable, long-term results.
Publishing content such as blog posts, guest blogs, infographics or videos on third-party platforms can improve your inbound link profile, enhance your off-page SEO efforts and drive traffic to your site.
Reviews
Online reviews and testimonials can significantly impact your off-page SEO efforts.
Positive reviews on platforms like Google Business Profile, Yelp or niche sites influence both local SEO and overall off-page SEO.
Positive reviews boost your brand’s credibility, improve local SEO reach and often appear directly in search results.
Google encourages review solicitation as long as it’s honest, unbiased and without incentives. You can ask happy customers to leave reviews on your Google Business profile to improve your local search visibility.
Brands should respond to all reviews promptly. This helps thank customers for positive feedback and address complaints from those with negative experiences, even if they only leave star ratings.
How a brand handles negative reviews can be more important than the number of positive ones.
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Off-page SEO techniques
Rather than focusing on generating links, what drives off-page SEO success is a campaign-based approach to building reputation.
Transform sporadic link building into a strategic effort to build authority, reputation and visibility by treating it like any other marketing campaign.
Just like a marketing campaign, your off-page SEO efforts require planning, execution and measurement to drive real, sustainable results.
This ensures each initiative is purposeful, measurable and aligned with your broader marketing goals.
Here are the essential steps for any marketing campaign that you can apply directly to your off-page SEO efforts:
Set specific goals and objectives so you can measure the success of your efforts and refine strategies as needed.
Conduct thorough research to identify your target audience’s needs, preferences and behaviors. Discover where they spend time online, which platforms influence their decisions and what type of content resonates with them.
Develop messaging and content that resonates and compels action. Your off-page efforts should focus on creating value through insightful, engaging and shareable content. Craft your messaging to highlight your brand’s unique voice and align it with the needs and pain points of your audience.
Track and measure performance. Track referral traffic, changes in domain authority and the performance of links over time.
With that campaign-based approach in mind, let’s take a look at five different off-page techniques proven to build a site’s authority and organic reach.
Thought leadership
Thought leadership via content marketing is a powerful way to establish thought leadership in your industry while earning valuable links.
Content marketing for off-page SEO has moved beyond just guest blogging.
Now, it requires a more strategic approach to creating and sharing content on third-party platforms to strengthen E-E-A-T signals.
Rather than writing just to acquire links, you need to position yourself or your company as a trusted and necessary resource in your industry.
The goal is to foster brand recognition and trust, which drives more organic traffic and engagement over time.
To truly stand out as a thought leader, your strategy must go beyond the basics and focus on these impactful tactics:
Create valuable content that answers your audience’s most pressing questions.
Leverage search trends and organic data to shape your content marketing strategy.
Analyze competitors and the search landscape to identify content gaps.
Approach every piece of content with a focus on building E-E-A-T.
Publishing content on third-party websites, such as guest blogging, helps extend your reach beyond your own platforms and enhances brand authority.
When your content appears on credible, high-traffic websites, it signals to search engines that your brand is trusted and relevant within your industry.
But how do we go about prospecting and identifying these third-party websites?
Be strategic and use these steps to identify the best websites for guest blogging or content distribution:
Assess relevance and ensure the website caters to your target audience or industry.
Evaluate audience engagement and readership with past published content.
Analyze the inbound link profiles of your competitors to identify potential sites that could be valuable for your own content distribution.
Choose websites that maintain high content standards and prioritize original, well-researched pieces.
Social media marketing
Social platforms are vital for content distribution, brand mentions and building authority across various channels.
Your social media profiles serve as additional gateways for discovery, increased exposure, customer engagement and brand authority. Not to mention they can give you greater shelf space in the SERPs.
Sharing your content on social platforms increases visibility and encourages shares and interactions that contribute to your overall off-page SEO efforts. Social signals may not be direct ranking factors, but they do impact your online reputation and we know search engines pay attention to these links and implied links.
Consider which social platforms make the most sense for your business. Establish a presence where your audience is active to build a presence where they are spending their time.
Share your content strategically across platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube and even TikTok.
Actively participate in relevant social media groups and discussions. Being present and providing value can lead to natural brand mentions and further exposure.
Dig deeper: Search everywhere optimization: 7 platforms SEOs need to optimize for beyond Google
Influencer outreach
Partnering with influencers can amplify your content’s reach and enhance your brand’s credibility.
Influencers have established audiences that trust their recommendations, making them a powerful tool for off-page SEO.
These types of endorsements act as trust signals for both users and search engines, contributing to a stronger off-page SEO profile.
Collaborations can take the form of sponsored content, product reviews or co-created content that engages both your audience and theirs.
To ensure your influencer marketing strategy supports off-page SEO efforts, consider the following:
Vet your influencers to ensure that their online audience is relevant to your brand, their content quality meets your standards and their audience size and historical engagement rates meet your goals.
Collaborate with influencers on the type of content that makes the most sense for them. Whether it’s blog posts, videos, sponsored content or contests/giveaways – it needs to provide value to both audiences.
Encourage links beyond social media. These collaborations typically result in social shares, but don’t be afraid to request links from blogs or websites beyond social platforms as part of the agreement.
Forum participation
The SEO value of forums today is undeniable. Since the November 2023 core update, Google has demonstrated a clear shift in preference toward user-generated content sites.
Engaging in forums and online communities such as Reddit or niche-specific platforms allows you to share insights, answer questions and build a reputation as an expert in your field. When done genuinely, it can also help drive traffic and build natural links.
Reddit has been making waves this year, highlighting a growing opportunity.
While Reddit specifically doesn’t allow link farming and has rules against strictly using the platform for SEO, there is no denying Reddit can be a valuable SEO asset if done responsibly.
If you’re considering including forums as part of your off-page SEO strategy in a meaningful way, consider the following:
Identify the most relevant forums for your business. Sure, Reddit has a sub for every topic you can think of, but there are also niche-specific forums for everything from tech knowledge to plumbing to mechanical pencils.
Consistent participation and engagement are key. Establish a presence as a knowledgeable source who regularly participates in the discussion. This will make any promotional posts or comments that much more impactful when they do make sense.
Do not just link drop. Just don’t! It may be tempting to post a quick reply with a link to your website or related content but moderators are quick to remove any content that seems overly self-promotional. Overly promotional behavior can lead to penalties or even bans. You must provide value through helpful, well-thought-out responses to questions or discussions.
Podcasting and webinars
Guest appearances on podcasts and webinars allow you to reach new audiences while promoting your expertise.
Unlike traditional content such as guest posts or articles, podcasts and webinars enable more dynamic, in-depth discussions and foster direct connections with listeners and viewers.
When done strategically, they can significantly enhance your brand’s perceived authority and contribute to E-E-A-T signals.
These are the key considerations for incorporating podcasts and webinars into your off-page SEO strategy:
As with the other techniques, the most important element is to focus on relevant, high-authority podcasts and webinars.
What is your target audience listening to and/or watching?
Who is already considered a thought leader in the space and what value can you bring to their platform?
Look for podcasts or webinars that have a solid following and are respected within your niche.
Links from podcasts show notes and transcriptions or webinar descriptions that add to your inbound link profile. Don’t forget to request these.
Offer valuable content as a “leave behind” after the podcast or webinar. This could be a free resource, guide or tool that listeners or viewers can access by visiting your website.
Include a clear call to action, like filling out a form to download the resource, as it encourages them to engage with your site. It helps turn passive listeners into active visitors and leads while offering something helpful that adds value to their experience.
The role of content in off-page SEO
Creating quality content is the cornerstone of off-page SEO success. However, it’s not just about churning out blog posts.
It’s about producing valuable, engaging and shareable content that positions your brand as a leader in your niche – a “necessary source.”
Original, shareable content
Original content includes unique insights, how-to guides and creative formats that grab attention. This type of content encourages organic shares and natural links because it provides something new and valuable to the audience.
Think of content that addresses pain points, offers fresh solutions or presents information in a way that hasn’t been seen before.