If you are serious about rolling up your SEO sleeves to help Google and other search engines find you and deliver some measurable results then you might consider including off-page SEO into your strategy.
As we all search for SEO gold we tend to get caught up in our on-site efforts (clean code and blogging) which are extremely important for continued growth but we sometimes forget how valuable off-site SEO can be for us.
Let me give you an example of off-site SEO.
Recently I was on a vacation visiting Canada’s East coast and before I left to come home I wanted to experience the best lobster roll that PEI had to offer.
So what did I do? I did what we all do. I went to Google and typed in “Who has the best lobster roll in PEI?”
The results came up and a number people suggested that Richard’s at Cove Head had the best lobster roll so I clicked on the link to investigate. The link incidentally did not go to Richard’s website but instead went to TripAdvisor.
After reading the remarks from satisfied customers I was sold. I jumped in my car and drove towards Richards for my dining experience.
After driving 20 minutes I arrived at my destination ready to not just try the best lobster roll but to spend money. Again, I drove 20 min to spend money on food that was recommended to me on the internet and had everything to do with off-site SEO.
So why is this important?
What you need to realize is that how I searched for food is no different than how your customers are searching for you.
- I was looking for an answer to my question and not necessarily looking for a specific website.
- After scanning the search results I decided to click a link to read more.
- Being satisfied with what I read I ended my search.
- I didn’t even look at Richard’s website.
How do you get started with off-site SEO?
Getting client testimonials is a great place to start. Remember – If you post something on your website then it is simply a claim; however if someone else says it then it becomes a statement that is validated. This is huge in converting the sale. The travel industry figured this out years ago with TripAdvisor, Expedia and countless other sites. Btw – we chose our cottages from the reviews we read on Airbnb.
Yelp and Foursquare are 2 very popular sites that allow client reviews. You will want to set up your business so that clients can easily find you. You might consider posting a sticker in the window to let people know you are on these sites. I have even heard of businesses having a Yelp party. You could also simply ask clients to post a review.
You will also want to make sure you choose a reputable 3rd party review site that gets top ranking when you are ready to move forward.
These are just a few ways to start utilizing off-site SEO. This is not something that you set and forget. Make this part of your strategy.
PS – The lobster roll was amazing. But don’t just take my word for it, click to read the reviews
Have you been successful with off-site SEO? If so, I would love to hear from you below.
About the Author: Trevor Cherewka
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