Difference Between On-Site And Off-Site SEO

There are many strategies and elements you can focus on in the SEO (  Search Engine Optimization ) efforts for your site, all with the same aim which is making your site appear on a higher ranking in the search engine result page ( SERPs ).

There are many types of SEO, each focusing on optimizing different areas using different methods. Today, we will delve into two major types of SEO, the on-site and off-site SEO.

What is On-Site SEO

On-site SEO, also known as on-page SEO, refers to SEO optimization work that is implemented directly on your website, hence, on-site. This method focuses on optimizing your website to make it user and search engine friendly. 

Elements of On-Site SEO

There are a few elements involved in a proper on-site SEO effort. Here are some of them:

• Content Creation & Optimization: Content creation involves creating high quality content that focuses on E-A-T to publish on the site white content optimization involves optimizing current content such as the company description and footer.
• Title tag and Meta Description : Title tag and meta descriptions are what appeared on the search result pages. Those are usually filled with relevant keywords related to the content of the page it’s linked to.
• Technical SEO : Technical SEO involves optimizing the working structure and coding of a website to ensure search engine crawlers can easily access, index, and understand the website’s content. Here are some examples of the elements in technical SEO:
  • Website Loading Speed : Website loading speed refers to the time taken for users to access the site with all of its content loaded. 
  • Website Security (HTTPS) : Website security is what secures the data connection between you and the server, usually in the forms of HTTPS protocol.
  • Mobile Friendliness : This refers to the accessibility and usability of the site on mobile devices such as mobile phone and tablet. 
  • Website Structure : Website structure is how the website hierarchy is being arranged. For example, each specific service landing page is placed as the sub-pages for the service listing page, which is the main page.
  • Indexability : Indexability is how efficient your website is for search engines to discover, go through and understand the content, and potentially index it.
• Internal Linking: Internal linking is connecting different pages on your website using relevant anchor text. This creates a clear site hierarchy, making it easy for users and search engines to navigate your website.
• Image Optimization: Image optimization generally involves compressing the images on your site into smaller size while still retaining the same quality, and adding alt text to those images.

What is Off-Site SEO

Off-site SEO, also known as off-page SEO, is just like the name suggests where SEO effort is implemented off the website. This method focuses on building reputation and authority for your website that helps with improving search ranking.

Elements of Off-Site SEO

There are a few elements involved in off-site SEO. Some of those elements are:

• Link Building: Link building is the process of creating links that are placed on external websites pointing to your site, known as backlink. Some of the popular forms of backlinks are directory submissions and guest blogging. Backlink helps improve website authority and credibility toward search engines, which helps improve the ranking. 
• Brand Mentions : Brand mentions are just like what the methods are called; mentions of your brand across the internet. Reaching out to those mentions and asking them to link to your website is one great method to get valuable backlink. You can use tools like Google Alert to monitor mentions of your brand on the internet.
• Google My Business ( GMB ) : Google My Business are the listings that appear on the search results when you search for a specific business or services at a location. For local businesses, creating and optimizing GMB profile is important in establishing a solid customer base. Having customers leave positive reviews and providing accurate business information also will create trust and credibility for your business.

Differences Between On-Site and Off-Site SEO

Now that we’ve covered what is on-site and off-site SEO, let’s look at their similarities and differences. Both of them share the same goal which is boosting your website visibility and ranking in the search engine, and that’s where their similarities end. 

The element, their focus area and level of control all differs significantly. Here are some breakdown on their differences:

Focus Area

On-site SEO revolves around optimizing the elements on your website. This involves the content, the technical aspects as well as how the website appears to the users in the search result pages. It focuses on improving the website according to the guideline and algorithm of the search engine that affect the ranking factor. Some of these elements involve implementing the right keyword, optimizing the headings, and also improving the way the website works for mobile users.  

Off-site SEO on the other hand revolves around working externally from the website. This method focuses on building authority and reputation of your site for the search engine. This is like putting up signboards leading to your shop around your neighbourhood. The higher the amount of signboards and better quality is, the better the trust the locals have toward your business. Off-site SEO’s link building process is akin to placing those signboards all around the web, gaining trust from the search engine.

Level of Control 

On-Site SEO is where you have the most control. You can directly optimize your content, website structure, loading speed, and image usage and so on. You have the control to implement the best SEO practices, and you have the ability to ensure your website is search engine friendly and delivers a positive experience for the user.

Off-Site SEO gives you a more limited control. You cannot force other websites to implement backlink pointing to yours or control what your customer wrote on their review. This might seem to leave you with little room to play with but you can instead focus on creating high quality content so people will voluntarily create links pointing to your site, and create a positive customer experience so they will leave positive reviews of your business.

Conclusion

While those two types of SEO are vastly different, it shares the same aim ; improving your website ranking in the search engine. Using only one of either strategies would not give you the best result for your website. By harnessing both type, you will be able to gain the best benefits for your website and drive your business toward success.