Onsite and Offsite SEO
Even industry professionals often get confused about the difference between onsite and offsite SEO and the implications of their various SEO tactics.
Onsite SEO
Onsite SEO is anything that you do to your website to make more visible to search engines. This includes the appearance, code, linking to other sites, and content.
Computers are dependent on you to tell the story. For example if you place an image on your website the computer needs to be told what that picture is about within the code, even if the viewer does not see it. Visually impaired people also appreciate this assistance, as well.
Text is easier to understand for computers but what you say and how you say it can determine how the search engines see you. Remember that Google cares about providing a high quality user experience, making the presentation of your text as important as the text itself. Good story tellers may be the most entertaining, but Google spiders are first trying to figure out the premise for your website. Your web developer needs to be good at formatting your website in a way that search engines like, which often means creating less interesting and more matter of fact sites.
Offsite SEO
Offsite SEO applies to links and activity outside of your website, directing traffic back to it. The foundation of the internet is linked pages.
You can write about anything you want on your website and link to content or websites that you want. However, if you are truly a popular site, people will link to your website. Search engines, like reality TV shows, want to show users popular sites because it improves their chances of having that user come back. If people are linking to your site from their website, writing a review about you, writing articles about your site, or chatting about you on social media they are placing electrical signal links. The search engines have a formula that determines what amount and type of signals or links your website should have. If your site is within the right mix, it will start showing up in the prime time reality TV spots we call first page results.
The best Offsite SEO strategy is to let it happen naturally. Any signals that come to your site in an artificial way is considered “Black Hat” and can lead to Google penalties. At enTangleMedia.com, we practice SEO techniques that will stand the test of time. How do we know? We act authentically and ask our clients to do the same. By building real and lasting online relationships with clients and prospects, you will improve your SEO for the long term.
