A Guide to Off-Page SEO Strateg +[Checklist]

What Is Off-Page SEO?

Off-page SEO (search engine optimization) refers to efforts to improve a website’s unpaid search engine rankings without making changes on the website itself. Common tactics include link building, guest posting, and social media marketing.

The goal of off-page SEO is to get search engines and users to see your site as more trustworthy and authoritative. 

It’s an essential part of a successful SEO strategy.

Note

Off-page SEO is sometimes called off-site SEO or off-page optimization.

Why Is Off-Page SEO Important?

Think about off-page SEO as building your site’s reputation. 

And off-page SEO factors like backlinks, reviews, and recommendations help search engines see your site as reputable. Which can lead to better visibility in search results.

One of the best ways to build your credibility in the eyes of search engines is to focus on Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T)—a concept Google’s Quality Raters use when evaluating search results and providing feedback to improve future algorithm updates.

Which all means:

Off-page SEO plays a major role in your site’s ability to rank. 

On-Page SEO vs. Off-Page SEO

While off-page SEO refers to optimization tactics applied outside your website, on-page SEO refers to efforts applied on your webpages.

Here’s a quick overview of the tactics used in SEO—on-page and off-page:

Both on-page and off-page factors play an important role in SEO.

But there’s also technical SEO to consider. This involves making site-wide technical improvements to things like security, loading speeds, and mobile-friendliness. With the aim of improving search visibility.

5 Off-Page SEO Techniques That Work

Let’s take a look at five different off-page tactics you can use to boost your site’s authority and organic (unpaid) search traffic:

1. Link Building

Link building is the process of getting other websites to link to your site. In SEO, these links are called backlinks. 

The more backlinks a page or domain has, the more authoritative it may seem to Google.

Especially if those backlinks come from domains that are authoritative themselves.

Semrush measures a website’s authority with a metric called Authority Score. It’s based on the quality and quantity of backlinks, organic traffic levels, and the naturalness of the site’s entire backlink profile.

Our 2024 Ranking Factors study shows that domain Authority Score is the sixth strongest predictor of a webpage’s ranking position.

In order, the other most important off-page SEO metrics are:

• Page Authority Score: The Authority Score of the individual page

• Number of referring IPs (domain): The number of different IP addresses that link to the domain

• Number of referring domains (domain): The number of different domains that link to the domain

• Number of referring IPs (URL): The number of different IP addresses that link to the page

• Number of referring domains (URL): The number of different domains that link to the page

• Number of backlinks (domain): The total number of backlinks that point to the domain

• Number of backlinks (URL): The total number of backlinks that point to the page

You can gather these metrics for almost any site with our Backlink Analytics tool.

Just enter the domain and click “Analyze” to get a detailed report like this:

Broken Link Building

Broken link building is the process of finding relevant backlinks that don’t work properly and convincing creators to update them with links to your site.

Let’s say an industry publication linked to a competitor resource that has since been deleted.

You could contact the publication to let them know the link isn’t working. And suggest they link to your version of the resource instead.

One of the best ways to find broken backlinks is with the Backlink Analytics tool.

Just enter your own or a competitor’s domain. Then, go to the “Indexed Pages” tab and apply the “Broken Pages” filter. 

This will show you URLs that have backlinks but don’t work properly.

Look for pages that you have a good replacement for. 

Then, click the “Backlinks” number in the corresponding row to see all the backlinks to the URL. These are the sites you might want to contact.

Unlinked Brand Mentions

Unlinked brand mentions are online references to your brand name that don’t include a link (e.g., “Semrush” rather than “Semrush”).

In many cases, publishers will be willing to add a link if you ask nicely enough.

The easiest way to find unlinked brand mentions is with the Brand Monitoring app.

Just set up monitoring for your brand name (and any common misspellings). 

Then, go to your “Mentions” report and filter for references to you without backlinks.

For the best chance of success, you can also filter for: 

• News sites and blogs (not discussions or social media sites)

• Mentions made in the last 30 days

• Articles with positive sentiment

You can then scroll through the results and see which sites you want to contact.

Journalist Requests

Journalists often need expert commentary or other brand assets (e.g., images) for their articles. If you can fulfill those needs, they may be willing to link to your site in return.

You can find journalist requests through platforms like Connectively.

2. Content Marketing

Content marketing is an important off-page SEO technique.

Publishing great content is an effective way to earn backlinks, gain media attention, and show E-E-A-T. 

And finding ways to distribute that content to other channels can help boost off-page signals.

Let’s look at some of the best ways to distribute content you’ve created:

Digital PR

Digital PR involves using PR techniques to gain backlinks and is now the link-building tactic of choice for many SEOs. It’s a great way to earn authoritative links at scale. 

A great PR campaign can also:

• Increase brand awareness and branded searches

• Put your business in front of your target audience

• Drive referral traffic

• Show E-E-A-T

Take your PR strategies up a notch by learning Brian Dean's proven, step-by-step system.

Social Media

Social media doesn’t directly impact Google rankings. But it’s great for getting more attention. 

The more people share your content on social media platforms, the more traffic and links to that specific piece of content you’ll probably get. 

And even if you don’t get a link or immediate traffic, you’ll get more attention. And more attention leads to more branded searches and mentions.

That’s a win-win for your off-page SEO.

In today's fast-paced digital world, managing social media can be overwhelming, especially for busy business owners. But with the rise of AI-powered tools, maintaining an active and engaging social media presence is easier than ever.

Semrush's Social Content AI is a powerful tool that helps you create and schedule high-quality social media content in minutes. No need for a whole team of content creators and designers –– Social Content AI generates unique, on-brand posts tailored to your business, complete with captivating images and videos. 

You can also speed up your social media content creation with Semrush's "Turn link content into text" feature. Simply paste your URL, and generate compelling post copy with a link to your site or a recap of the page's content. 

With Social Content AI, you can:

• Effortlessly generate fresh content ideas based on your website: Say goodbye to creative blocks. Get regular inspiration for engaging social media posts that you can schedule out way in advance.

• Create stunning visuals: Produce unique, high-quality graphics and designs that reflect your brand’s personality.

• Maintain a consistent brand voice: Ensure your social media content reflects your brand's personality and values.

• Schedule and post with ease: Plan your social media calendar in advance and automate your posting schedule. 

The key to social media success is consistency. With Social Content AI, you can ensure your brand stays active and engaged, even when you're busy running your business.

Check out our guide on social media management for more ideas on how to improve your social media results.

Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing involves working with popular bloggers and social media creators to promote your products or services. 

It’s a phenomenal way to build your brand, amplify your content, and reach new audiences. 

Influencers have large audiences. And can help ensure you’re present on relevant platforms. 

A quick and efficient way to find influencers is to use the Influencer Analytics app. 

For example, we can search for YouTube influencers, as shown here:

Podcasts

Podcasts are immensely popular right now. And that popularity shows no signs of slowing down.

If you are not using them as part of your marketing strategy, you could be missing out on huge opportunities. 

Why?

Most businesses still aren’t using podcasts, so they’re a great way to gain a competitive advantage.

They also enable you to reach new audiences, share your expertise, and gain visibility on other sites.

And if you’re a guest on a podcast, they might link to your site. Or an external podcast could find your site and use it as a source somewhere in their description if it’s relevant.

If you know what a particular podcast usually covers, you can even reach out to them with a suggestion to link to your content in their show notes.

Content Syndication

Content syndication refers to republishing content on one or more websites. 

Some publications like to syndicate content because it’s easier than creating fresh content all the time. 

And it’s great for you because it gets your brand in front of a new audience. 

Here are a few popular content syndication platforms:

• Medium

• LinkedIn

• Outbrain

• Taboola

• Business 2 Community

• Quuu

You can also find sites in your niche and reach out to them about syndicating your content.

But syndicate content carefully. 

Google says it will “always show the version we think is most appropriate for users in each given search, which may or may not be the version you’d prefer.” Meaning the version of an article published on a site that syndicated it could possibly outrank the version published on your site.

To prevent that from happening, make sure the syndicated version of the piece links back to your original one. And properly configure your canonical tags—which entails adding a bit of HTML code to your site to show which version of a page is the main version.

Forums 

Dropping links in forums for SEO purposes won’t help you rank better in Google. 

But you can use forums to get involved in conversations that are related to your expertise.

To position yourself as an expert and help new audiences become aware of you. 

Very few other platforms allow you to have open discussions with potential customers who are already asking questions about what you have to offer.

So, this is a fantastic way to begin building relationships and trust. And if community members want to know more, you can share relevant content they’ve expressed interest in.

Reddit and Quora are key large-scale platforms to use. But forums within your niche can be just as effective.

Like Google’s Search Central Help Community, for example. 

3. Local SEO

Local SEO is the process of optimizing your online presence to increase traffic, visibility, and brand awareness in your business’s local area. 

Let’s explore two off-page SEO techniques you should use as a local business:

Google Business Profile Management

Google Business Profile (GBP) is a free business listing tool that helps you influence how your business shows up in Google.

And because that occurs outside of your website, optimizing your Google Business Profile is a key off-page SEO tactic.

In fact, it’s a critical local SEO ranking factor.

And it can increase your site’s visibility in high-value positions on Google’s search results pages. 

Like the map pack for our example, “plant store near me”:

Here’s what the Google Business Profile for one of those businesses looks like:

Here are a few Google Business Profile tips:

• Be meticulous with your contact information

• Respond to all reviews

• Publish posts regularly (including photos and videos)

If you want to learn more about this subject, read our guide on Google Maps marketing.

NAP SEO

NAP SEO is the process of getting your business’s correct name, address, and phone number (NAP) in online listings.

These citations usually appear in business directories, social media profiles, and review sites. But they can show up on all kinds of websites. 

NAP citations are important because Google uses them to confirm that all your business information is accurate. 

So, one of the keys to success with citations is consistency. Inconsistent citations are confusing to both people and search engines. 

You must take the time to ensure that all of your NAP references match.

And a quick way to do that is to use our Listing Management tool. 

Start by entering your business name and clicking the search icon.

You’ll see a dashboard with a summary of your overall online presence. Including reviews, listings with errors, and more.

Here are a few NAP citation tips:

• Keep your citations consistent everywhere

• Submit your information to niche and local websites

• Run monthly NAP audits

4. Reviews

Reviews can persuade others to trust your business.

In fact, reviews are one of the most important factors Google takes into account when evaluating your site’s reputability. 

And they’re particularly important in local SEO.

Google recommends replying to all reviews. Good and bad. Doing so shows that you value your customers’ business and feedback. 

You can quickly find and reply to reviews with Review Management (part of Listing Management).

Once you’ve configured the tool, you’ll see a dashboard with all your reviews. To reply, just enter your comment in the tab and click “Reply.” 

Here are a few tips for online reviews: 

• Kindly ask all customers to leave reviews

• Build trust by responding to all reviews

• Don’t accept (or offer) money in exchange for reviews 

5. Events 

Not only can events engage your audience, but they can also benefit you by creating buzz around your business. 

For example, you can earn brand mentions across social media while the event is being promoted. And on other websites if attendees write summary articles afterward.

Your event landing page could also attract links if people are interested in it, if a speaker wants to promote it, or if influencers want to share it with their audiences.

Events may require more effort to run properly, but that buzz can be difficult to replicate in other ways. They’re also a great way to pick up some fantastic PR coverage. 

To learn more, read our guide to experiential marketing.

Dive Into Off-Page SEO

If you’re not sure where to start with off-page SEO, consider link building. Which is simple with the Link Building Tool.

It finds link building prospects (sites that might link to you) based on your target keywords and competitors’ backlinks. 

When you select a prospect, choose the link building strategy you want to use (e.g., add link to article).

Then, go to the “In Progress” tab and click “Contact” to send your outreach email.

You’ll need to connect your email inbox the first time.

The tool might suggest an email address for you. But if not, you can follow our advice to find the contact’s email address.

Once your email is sent, you can monitor whether it’s been delivered, opened, or replied to.

Finally, track any backlinks you acquire in the “Monitor” tab.

That way, you can track your off-page SEO progress and ensure your backlinks remain intact.

Looking for more information about off-page SEO? Our off-page SEO checklist provides some great tips.

Off-Page SEO Checklist: Our Top 8 Tips

1. Audit Your Backlink Profile

2. Analyze Your Competitors' Backlink Profiles

3. Build High-Quality Backlinks

4. Earn Brand Mentions 

5. Be Active in Forums

6. Optimize for Local SEO

7. Share Content on Social Media

8. Collaborate with Influencers

1. Audit Your Backlink Profile

Auditing your website’s backlink profile helps you evaluate the quality and relevance of links directing to your site. This process uncovers opportunities to strengthen your link profile, which in turn can enhance your visibility in search engine results.

Backlinks essentially act as votes of credibility. When reputable and relevant websites link to your content, search engines interpret this as a sign that your site is trustworthy and worthy of higher rankings.

A strong backlink profile may also influence how visible your site becomes in AI-powered search tools.

Here’s why:

Backlinks are a well-known ranking factor in Google’s algorithm. According to Semrush’s AI Mode comparison study, there’s significant overlap between websites that rank in Google’s top 10 results and those that appear in AI-generated responses.

To quickly review your backlink profile, enter your domain into Semrush’s Backlink Analytics tool and check the Overview report. You’ll find valuable metrics such as:

• Authority Score: A Semrush metric that measures your domain’s credibility and SEO strength. Higher scores indicate stronger reputations.

• Referring Domains: The total number of unique domains linking to your website. More high-quality referring domains typically boost authority.

• Backlinks: The total count of links pointing to your site. A higher number can contribute to better visibility.

• Overall Toxicity Score: Evaluates the health of your backlink profile. A “Medium” or “High” toxicity score suggests that improvements are needed.

• Top Anchors: Displays the most frequently used anchor texts in backlinks. A diverse mix of anchors is ideal to avoid appearing spammy.

• Referring Domains by Authority Score: Shows how authoritative your linking domains are—more high-scoring domains generally improve your credibility.

• Link Attributes: Differentiates between follow and nofollow links. Follow links typically carry ranking authority and are more valuable for SEO.

Interpreting these data points helps you understand where your backlink strategy stands.

For example, if your site has numerous backlinks from reputable domains with high Authority Scores, it signals to search engines that your website is authoritative. In that case, your backlink profile is already strong and may need only minor adjustments.

2. Analyze Your Competitors' Backlink Profiles

Studying your competitors’ backlink profiles helps you understand whether their links are contributing to higher search rankings—and offers valuable insight into their link-building strategies.

For instance, if you notice that your competitors have earned numerous high-quality backlinks through infographics, you can adopt a similar approach by creating even more engaging and informative infographics of your own.

To compare backlink profiles, use Semrush’s Backlink Gap tool. Enter your domain along with up to four competitors’ domains, then click “Find prospects.”

Once the report loads, scroll to the “Prospects for” section. Ensure your domain is selected and open the “Best” tab to view domains that link to your competitors but not to you.

You can also click the arrows in each competitor’s column to view which specific pages have attracted backlinks from a given domain.

Reviewing this data helps you pinpoint high-value websites and understand the kind of content they prefer linking to. Use these insights to refine your link-building strategy and target similar opportunities for your own site.

3. Build High-Quality Backlinks

Beyond exploring backlink opportunities from your competitors, it’s important to include a variety of link-building techniques in your off-page SEO strategy. These approaches can boost both your traditional search rankings and your visibility in AI-driven search tools.

Dennis Shirshikov, Founder of Growth Limit, recommends several proven off-page SEO tactics for building quality backlinks:

“You can earn backlinks by networking with industry bloggers (who might reference your content), contributing guest posts (where you can include backlinks in the article or author bio), or interviewing influencers (who often share and link to the interview on their own platforms).”

Here are a few additional ways to acquire high-quality backlinks:

• Reclaim broken links: Identify broken outbound links on relevant websites and suggest your own content as a suitable replacement.

• Find unlinked brand mentions: Look for instances where your brand is mentioned without a link and politely request one.

• Create linkable assets: Produce original, valuable content such as reports, infographics, tools, or in-depth guides that naturally attract backlinks.

• Share expert insights: Participate in interviews, podcasts, or respond to journalist requests. Even if you don’t receive a backlink, brand mentions can still enhance AI search visibility.

Focus on methods that best suit your business. For example, if your organization features well-known industry experts, sharing their insights with journalists or content creators can be an effective way to earn authoritative backlinks.

To streamline your efforts, use Semrush’s Link Building Tool to manage and execute your backlink strategy.

• Enter your domain and click “Start Link Building” to create your campaign.

• Navigate to the “Prospects” tab to view potential websites for outreach.

• Prioritize websites with high Authority Scores (AS), as backlinks from these trusted domains can significantly strengthen your site’s authority.

• Once you’ve selected your target sites and tactics, check the boxes beside them, open the dropdown next to “To In Progress,” and select your outreach strategy.

• In the “In Progress” tab, click “Contact” to reach out directly—available email addresses are automatically added.

• After securing backlinks, move those domains to the “Monitor” tab to track their status and ensure the links remain active.

By consistently applying these link-building practices, you can strengthen your backlink profile, improve SEO performance, and enhance visibility across both traditional and AI search results.

4. Earn Brand Mentions 

Earning brand mentions means having your business name referenced across the internet, which can enhance both your SEO performance and visibility in AI-driven tools.

When other websites or individuals mention your brand, it introduces you to new audiences who may be more likely to click on your search results. This engagement matters because Google’s Navboost algorithm takes click-related behavior into account when determining rankings.

Regarding AI visibility, research from Seer Interactive reveals a strong link between branded searches and appearances in AI-generated results. Since more brand mentions can lead to an increase in branded searches, expanding your mentions can improve your chances of being featured in AI responses.

Here are several strategies to help you earn more brand mentions:

• User-Generated Content (UGC) campaigns: Encourage customers to share their experiences with your products or services on social media. Offer incentives like giveaways, discounts, or the chance to be featured on your official channels.

• Press releases: Share newsworthy updates—such as product launches or major company milestones—through press releases distributed to media outlets.

• Podcast and webinar appearances: Host your own or participate as a guest on popular industry podcasts and webinars to increase exposure.

• Affiliate marketing: Launch an affiliate program that rewards partners for promoting your brand. Make sure to allocate a budget for commissions.

• Free educational content: Conduct free workshops, seminars, or courses related to your industry to establish your brand as a trusted authority.

To measure the effectiveness of these efforts, it’s important to track your brand mentions and analyze their sentiment.

You can use the Media Monitoring app for this purpose. Set it up to track your brand name and view all mentions in the “Mentions” tab. From there, filter results by category, sentiment, or importance to focus on the insights that matter most to your brand reputation and visibility.

5. Be Active in Forums

Participating in relevant forums and online communities can significantly enhance your visibility in both traditional and AI-powered search results.

Since Google’s partnership with Reddit was announced, forum discussions have increasingly appeared in search results—especially for commercial intent searches like “best productivity tool for teams.”

These same discussions often surface across AI tools such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, AI Overviews, and AI Mode. According to our AI Mode Study, Reddit ranks as the most frequently cited domain across these platforms.

If users click through to these forum threads, they may encounter your insights or contributions, which can lead them to seek out your content in the future.

To make the most of your forum participation, avoid excessive self-promotion or irrelevant link sharing. Instead, focus on providing genuinely helpful information that adds value to the discussion.

For instance, the example below highlights a Reddit user sharing useful learning resources for SEO beginners within a thread:

6. Optimize for Local SEO

If you operate a local business, implementing off-page local SEO tactics—such as earning relevant citations and customer reviews—can significantly boost your online visibility.

These efforts help your business appear in Google Maps and local search results for location-based keywords like “Indian restaurants in New York.”

To improve your chances of ranking for local searches, follow these best practices:

• Create and optimize your Google Business Profile (GBP): A well-optimized profile increases your visibility in local search results and ensures users have accurate, up-to-date information about your business.

• List your business on local directories: Platforms like Yelp, Tripadvisor, and others give customers additional ways to discover your brand. Maintaining consistent details across all listings not only enhances search visibility but also improves how AI tools display your business information.

• Encourage customer reviews: Positive reviews build trust and can enhance visibility in both traditional and AI-driven search results.

Make it a regular practice to respond to customer reviews—this demonstrates that you value feedback and helps protect your reputation.

You can reply directly through your Google Business Profile or use Semrush’s Review Management tool to manage responses across multiple directories.

To get started, open the tool, locate your business, and create an account.The dashboard displays a summary of your reviews, including your average rating and review activity over time.

You can also configure auto-replies to save time—the tool provides an estimate of how much time you’ll save with automated responses. Scroll further to view individual reviews, where you can write your own replies or click “Generate draft” to get AI-assisted responses.

Once satisfied, click “Reply” to post your response directly.

By actively managing citations and engaging with customer reviews, you’ll strengthen your local SEO presence and increase visibility in both search results and AI-generated recommendations.

7. Share Content on Social Media

Promoting your content on social media can help drive traffic to your website, increase content visibility, and encourage more backlinks.

It can also spark greater interest in your brand, leading to more branded searches over time.

Additionally, social media profiles, posts, and videos often appear in search engine results—and videos, in particular, are frequently referenced in AI-generated responses.

For example, ChatGPT may cite YouTube tutorials when answering certain queries.

To make the most of your social media efforts, follow these best practices:

• Choose the right platforms: Focus on social networks where your target audience is most active and where your content format performs best. For instance, Instagram and Pinterest are ideal for visually driven industries like home decor.

• Repurpose your content: Adapt existing content to suit different platforms. You could turn a webinar into short YouTube videos or transform a blog article into a carousel post for Instagram.

• Empower your team: Encourage employees to share company content on their personal profiles to expand reach and attract new audiences.

• Engage with your community: Reply to comments, ask for feedback, and start conversations. Audiences are more likely to interact with and share content from brands that are responsive and authentic.

• Be mindful of link sharing: Over-posting links can reduce visibility since some platforms limit the reach of link-heavy posts. Choose what to promote strategically.

Managing and posting content across multiple platforms can be time-consuming, but Semrush’s Social Poster (part of the Social Toolkit) simplifies the process.

The tool allows you to schedule and publish posts across different social channels and even use AI to generate post captions or ideas.

Its interactive calendar view helps you plan and organize months of social content in advance—making it easier to maintain a consistent, high-quality posting strategy.

8. Collaborate with Influencers

Collaborating with online creators in your niche who have strong, engaged followings can expose your products or services to new audiences.

This exposure can lead to increased brand searches, more mentions, and potentially valuable backlinks over time.

However, it’s essential to choose influencers whose audiences align with your target market and whose content matches your brand’s values and goals.

You can manually search for suitable influencers across different platforms, but a quicker and more efficient option is to use the Influencer Analytics app.

Start by selecting your preferred platform under the “Influencer Discover” dropdown menu.

Then, enter the type of influencer you’re seeking in the search bar and choose a search method—“Channel description” is recommended for precise results.

If you want to refine your search, use the available filters to narrow down influencers based on budget, audience size, engagement rate, and other criteria.

Click on an influencer’s profile to view more details and contact information. You can also click “In the lists” to add them to an existing list or create a new one for future outreach.

Once you’ve shortlisted potential influencers, evaluate their suitability by reviewing their online presence. Specifically, you should:

• Analyze top-performing content: Identify what type of content performs best with their audience.

• Read audience comments: Understand what followers are saying and what engages them most.

• Assess brand alignment: Confirm that the influencer’s tone, content style, and messaging are consistent with your brand identity.

By partnering with the right influencers, you can effectively grow brand awareness, boost credibility, and strengthen your digital presence across both search and social channels.

Track Your Off-Page SEO Success

Following a structured off-page SEO activities checklist can help you implement improvements more effectively and achieve stronger results. Once your strategies are in motion, it’s important to track key performance metrics to measure their impact:

• Backlinks: Monitor the total number of backlinks and the diversity of referring domains linking to your website.

• Brand mentions: Track how often your brand is mentioned online and where those mentions occur to gauge visibility growth.

• Social engagement: Observe metrics like likes, shares, comments, and mentions to understand how well your audience is interacting with your content.

To assess how your off-page SEO efforts influence your visibility in AI tools, use Semrush’s AI SEO Toolkit. This tool allows you to:

• Measure your share of voice compared to competitors.

• View how your brand appears within specific AI-generated responses.

• Receive strategic recommendations for optimizing your AI search presence.

By continuously monitoring these metrics, you can refine your off-page SEO strategy and maximize your performance across both search engines and AI platforms.