What Is Off-Page SEO?
Off-page SEO refers to actions taken outside your website to improve its authority and trustworthiness, which can improve your brand reputation and boost visibility in both traditional and AI search.
Some off-page SEO tactics that can help build a strong online presence include:
- Earning brand mentions from reputable sources across the web
- Building high-quality backlinks (links from other sites that point to your site)
- Sharing content on social media
And more.
In contrast, on-page SEO focuses on improving webpages by writing high-quality content, incorporating internal links, using proper heading structures, etc., to improve your website’s search visibility.
Off-Page SEO Checklist
Follow these eight steps to get the most from your off-page SEO efforts.
1. Audit Your Backlink Profile
Auditing your site’s backlink profile helps you assess the quality and relevance of the links pointing to your site to uncover ways to strengthen your profile. And that can improve your visibility in search results.
Basically, backlinks signal to search engines that your website is credible and deserving of ranking (showing in search results), as long as those links are from reputable and relevant websites.
It’s possible a healthy backlink profile can also impact your visibility in AI tools.
How?
We know that backlinks contribute to high Google rankings. And our AI Mode comparison study shows there’s a fair amount of overlap between domains ranking in Google’s top 10 results and appearance in AI responses.
To quickly audit your backlink profile, enter your domain into Semrush’s Backlink Analytics tool and go to the “Overview” report. Here, you’ll see data points like:
- Authority Score: Semrush’s proprietary metric that measures the domain’s reputability. A high number indicates your domain has good overall SEO strength.
- Referring Domains: The number of unique domains linking to your site. A higher number can increase your site’s authority, especially if those sites have high Authority Scores.
- Backlinks: The total number of links pointing to your site. Generally, a higher number is better.
- Overall Toxicity Score: A measure of how healthy your backlink profile is. A rating of “Medium” or “High” indicates there’s room for improvement. (You need to have configured Backlink Audit for your domain to see this metric.)
- Top Anchors: Shows the most common anchor text other domains used to link to you. A natural variety is good, while overuse of the same few variations can be seen as spammy.
- Referring Domains by Authority Score: Reveals how Authority Scores vary among referring domains. The more domains with a high Authority Score that point to your site, the better.
- Link Attributes: Shows the division between follow and nofollow backlinks. Follow links typically pass ranking authority, so it’s best to prioritize them.
Consider these data points and what they indicate.
For instance, a high number of referring domains from reputable websites with strong Authority Scores indicates that search engines see your site as authoritative. And you don’t need to do much to improve your backlink profile.
2. Analyze Your Competitors' Backlink Profiles
Analyzing your competitors' backlink profiles can help you determine whether those profiles are giving them an advantage in rankings. And provide valuable insights into their link building tactics.
For example, if your competitors have secured many high-quality backlinks using infographics, you could start creating your own infographics. Ideally, versions that are even better than what your rivals are publishing.
Use Semrush’s Backlink Gap tool to analyze your competitors’ link profiles alongside yours. Simply enter your domain and the domains of up to four competitors. Then click “Find prospects.”
Scroll down to the “Prospects for” section. Make sure your domain is selected and click the “Best” tab to generate a list of domains linking to competitors’ sites but not to yours.
Click on the arrows in competitors’ columns to see which pages attract backlinks from a specific domain. Like this:
Analyze this information to identify high-value domains and the types of content they tend to link to. And use that to inform your link-building efforts.
3. Build High-Quality Backlinks
In addition to finding opportunities from your competitors’ backlinks, consider several more link building tactics when working through your off-page SEO checklist. Each of these tactics can improve traditional search visibility and possibly your AI search visibility.
Dennis Shirshikov, Founder of Growth Limit, suggests trying these off-page SEO tactics to build backlinks:
“You can [build backlinks] by networking with industry bloggers (they may reference your content in their own posts), seeking out guest posting opportunities (you can often include a backlink within the article or author bio), or by interviewing influencers (they often cite and share the interview on their own platforms).”
Here are some additional ideas for building high-quality backlinks:
- Reclaim broken links. Find broken external links on target websites and offer an alternative page with relevant content from your site.
- Find unlinked brand mentions. Locate mentions of your brand that don’t include a link and request one.
- Create linkable assets. Create unique, original content like research reports, infographics, tools, or guides that naturally attract backlinks.
- Provide expert advice. Share your expertise through interviews, podcasts, or answering media requests. Publishers often provide a link when they cite you. But even if they don’t, you can earn a brand mention, which can impact your AI visibility.
Prioritize techniques that seem like the best fit for your business, For instance, if your company employs leading industry experts, sharing their expertise with writers and journalists is a sensible approach for acquiring backlinks.
Semrush’s Link Building Tool can help you implement a variety of tactics for building backlinks.
Head to the tool, enter your domain, and click “Start Link Building” to set up your campaign.
Once in the tool, go to the “Prospects” tab.
Here, you’ll find a list of promising websites to contact.
You may want to prioritize websites with high Authority Scores (listed in the “AS” column). Because these reputable sites can better help you build your own authority.
Once you’ve selected some websites and know which link building tactic you want to use, check the boxes next to those websites, select the drop-down menu next to the “To In Progress” field, and choose the tactic you’ll be using.
Go to the “In Progress” tab—your chosen prospects now appear here.
Click “Contact” to email a prospect from within the Link Building Tool. Available contact email addresses will be automatically added.
Once you acquire a backlink from a prospect, move that website to the “Monitor” tab by clicking the checkmark in the far right column. So you can track if you lose that backlink or if a referring domain is no longer live.
4. Earn Brand Mentions
Earning brand mentions involves getting your business name referenced around the web, which may positively impact your SEO and visibility in AI tools.
Being referenced by others can get you in front of new audiences who may be more likely to click on your results in search engines. And we now know that Google’s Navboost algorithm considers click-related behavior to influence rankings.
As for how brand mentions affect AI platform visibility, a Seer Interactive study shows branded searches strongly correlate with appearance in AI tools. And because getting mentioned more can lead to more branded searches, gaining brand mentions gives you a better chance of appearing in AI tool responses.
Here are some tactics to earn more brand mentions:
- User-generated content (UGC) campaigns: Encourage your customers to share their experiences with your products/services on social media platforms. You can even offer incentives such as giveaways or features on your official channels to motivate them.
- Press releases: Whenever you have something newsworthy to share (like a new product launch or company milestone), draft a press release and distribute it to media outlets
- Podcast and webinar appearances: Either host your own or be a guest on popular industry podcasts or webinars
- Affiliate marketing: Start an affiliate program that allows others to promote your brand in exchange for a commission. You’ll need a dedicated budget for commissions, so plan accordingly.
- Free education: Offer free workshops, seminars, or courses related to your industry. To position your brand as an authority.
You’ll also want a way to monitor whether these efforts are increasing your brand mentions. And whether those mentions have positive sentiment.
This is where the Media Monitoring app can help. Configure it to track your brand name and go to the “Mentions” tab to see a complete report of your online mentions.
You can filter results by category, sentiment, or importance to focus on what matters most.
5. Be Active in Forums
By joining and participating in relevant forums and online communities, you can increase your visibility in both traditional and AI search results.
Since Google’s licensing deal with Reddit was announced, there’s been a noticeable rise in forum content showing up in search results. Especially for commercial queries like “best productivity tool for teams.”
These forum conversations also show up in AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, AI Overviews, and AI Mode. Our AI Mode Study shows Reddit is the most-cited domain across these AI platforms.
If searchers click through to those discussions, they might see information about you or even your own insight and be more likely to look for your content later on.
Making the most of forum participation means avoiding being overly promotional or sharing links to your website unless it’s genuinely useful.
For example, the image below shows a user sharing helpful resources for SEO beginners in a Reddit thread:
Mateah Kittle, Online Reputation & Community Team Lead at Semrush, shares her Reddit marketing approach:
“You have to be human. Reddit isn’t a place for brands and formality—it wasn’t built for that. Have a set number of keywords and subreddits relevant to your brand, and check them daily for opportunities to contribute positively to the discussion. When responding from a brand account, personalize your response by signing your name, reminding users there’s a person behind the profile.”
So, show up in Reddit threads with genuine answers, real experiences, and a personal touch.
Further reading: Reddit Marketing 101: How to Successfully Market on Reddit
6. Optimize for Local SEO
If you run a local business, off-page local SEO efforts like getting relevant citations and reviews can increase your online visibility.
It helps you show up on Google Maps and search results for keywords with local search intent. Like “indian restaurants in new york”:
To appear for local searches, implement these tips:
- Create and optimize your Google Business Profile (GBP). An optimized profile can make your business appear more prominently in local search and ensure users have up-to-date details on your business.
- Get local directory listings with consistent information. Local directories (Yelp, Tripadvisor, etc.) offer another way for customers to discover your business. Ensuring your listings have consistent information can improve visibility in traditional search results and increase the likelihood that AI tools will provide accurate information about your business.
- Encourage reviews. Accumulating reviews (especially positive ones) can increase trust with users and even give you greater visibility in traditional and AI search.
Also, make it a habit to respond to customer reviews to show you value feedback and protect your reputation.
You can respond to Google reviews using your Google Business Profile account.
Or use Semrush’s Review Management tool to respond to Google reviews. And get notified about reviews in other directories.
Head to the tool, find your business, and sign up for an account.
Once on the main dashboard, you’ll see an overview of your reviews. Including your average rating.
Scroll down to set up auto-replies if you wish. The tool will even provide an estimate of your time savings.
Scroll down further to see the actual reviews. Where you can manually craft responses or click “Generate draft” to get help from AI.
Click “Reply” once you’re ready to post your response.
Further reading: A Beginner’s Guide to Online Reputation Management
7. Share Content on Social Media
Promoting your content on social media can drive more traffic to your site, increase the chances of more people discovering and linking to your content, and even lead to more searches for your brand later on.
Plus, social media pages, posts, and videos can appear in search results.
Videos also tend to inform AI responses. For example, this ChatGPT response references a tutorial from YouTube:
Here are a few best practices for sharing content on social media:
- Choose the right platforms. Focus on platforms where your target audience is active and that make sense for your marketing strategy. For example, Instagram and Pinterest work well for home decor companies.
- Repurpose your content. Use the same content in different ways to tailor it to the platform and expand its reach. For instance, break a webinar into YouTube Shorts or turn a blog post into Instagram posts.
- Encourage your team. Empower your team to share your content on their personal social accounts. To increase its reach and introduce it to new audiences.
- Engage with your audience. Respond to comments, ask questions, and encourage other interactions. Users who see a brand actively engaging are more likely to interact and share the content themselves.
- Don’t overdo content promotion. Many users have observed that social platforms seem to suppress posts that share links. So, be selective about what you link and when.
Planning and posting content across multiple platforms takes time, so use Semrush’s Social Poster tool (part of Semrush’s Social Toolkit) to make things easier.
This tool lets you schedule and publish posts across different platforms. And you can use AI to draft your content.
Social Poster also has an interactive calendar you can use to plan months of social content in advance.
8. Collaborate with Influencers
Partnering with online creators in your niche who have a large and engaged following can introduce your product or service to new audiences. And that can possibly lead to more brand searches, brand mentions, and backlinks in the future.
Just make sure to find influencers whose audience aligns with your target market and whose content reflects your brand’s values and goals.
You can manually search for influencers on various platforms.
For a faster approach to identifying influencers, try the Influencer Analytics app.
Start by selecting the platform you want to focus on under the “Influencer Discover” drop-down.
Then, enter what type of influencers you’re looking for in the search bar. And choose a search method—we recommend “Channel description.”
Use the filters (to specify budget, subscriber count, etc.) if you want to narrow your results even more.
Click on an individual influencer’s profile to get additional information and details on how to contact them. And click “In the lists” to add them to an existing list or create a new list of influencers you want to contact.
Once you’ve identified potential influencers, make sure they’re a good fit by looking into their social presence. Specifically, you can:
- Analyze top-performing content. Check what type of content resonates most with their audience.
- Read audience comments. See what their followers say and what they seem to find most engaging.
- Check if they’re a brand fit. Make sure the influencer’s style and tone align with your brand.
Track Your Off-Page SEO Success
Using an off-page SEO activities list to implement changes can lead to better results. Then, you can monitor various metrics to ensure your efforts are delivering results:
- Backlinks: Watch the total number of backlinks you receive and how many referring domains you have
- Brand mentions: Monitor the volume of brand mentions over time and where those mentions occur
- Social engagement: Keep an eye on likes, shares, comments, and mentions to see whether users are connecting with your content
To see what impact your off-page work has on your performance in AI tools, use Semrush’s AI SEO Toolkit. Which lets you monitor your share of voice relative to your competitors, see how you’re mentioned in specific AI responses, and even get strategy suggestions.
