Off-page SEO

Off-page SEO covers everything that happens outside your own website and influences how search engines judge your business. Whereas on-page SEO is about your copy, titles and structure, off-page SEO is about your reputation across the rest of the web. Who links to you? Where are you mentioned? What do customers say about you?

You can compare it to word of mouth. You can say yourself that you're the best joiner in the Cotswolds, but it carries more weight when others say it about you.

The main elements of off-page SEO

• Backlinks: links from other websites to yours. A backlink from a relevant, trustworthy site is widely seen as a strong signal.
• Unlinked mentions: your business name in a newspaper article, on an industry website or in a podcast.
• Reviews: ratings on Google, Trustpilot or industry platforms.
• Local listings: correct details in online directories and on the websites of local councils or associations.
• Social presence: not a direct ranking factor according to Google, but a way to become known and get shared.

Together, these signals build your authority: the extent to which you're seen as a reliable source.

A realistic approach for small businesses

Off-page SEO doesn't have to mean buying links or sending hundreds of emails. For an architecture practice in Bath, a strong approach might look like this:

1. Getting projects published in trade magazines or on the websites of suppliers whose materials were used.
2. Giving a talk at the local Chamber of Commerce or a university, with a mention on their website.
3. Asking partners such as builders and engineering firms to refer to each other where it makes sense.
4. Asking satisfied clients for a review.
5. Creating useful content, such as a guide to planning permission in Bath, that others are happy to link to.

Above all, avoid buying links or joining link exchange networks. Google considers that spam, and the risk of harm is greater than the possible benefit.

Be patient, too. You don't build mentions and links in a month, and the effect is rarely visible straight away. It works best as a standard part of your communications: every time you finish a project, win an award, sponsor an event or work with a partner, check whether it could lead to a mention online. That way your reputation grows naturally along with your business.

Off-page SEO and AI visibility

In AI search, off-page SEO may be even more important. Language models and AI search engines form a picture of your business based on what's written about you in lots of different places. If your brand is consistently mentioned in connection with a particular subject in industry articles, local news sites and comparisons, ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity are probably more likely to include you in an answer. Every mention contributes to your AI visibility, even without a clickable link.

See what your competitors are doing

A good way to find opportunities is to check where your competitors are mentioned and you aren't. With insight into your competitors' backlinks and mentions, you can see which websites, directories and platforms count in your sector, so you can approach your link building in a targeted way.