In order for search engines to properly categorize your website in their search results, you need to implement on-site SEO. However, your competition is also likely to have their website categorized as well. If you want your website to rank better than your competition, you have to prove to the search engines that your site is more authoritative. This is where off-site SEO comes in.

How to do off-site SEO

Since anybody can build a website, having a website is no indication that you are an authority on any particular subject matter. If you want to become an authority for your subject matter, product or service, you need to get other websites to acknowledge yours. The more third-party acknowledgements you receive, the more authoritative your website becomes in the eyes of search engines.

How to build an authority website

There are numerous ways that you can get other websites to acknowledge yours, which will help raise your credibility and authoritative status in search engines.

• Getting Listed in Authoritative Business Directories
• Networking with Affiliated Businesses
• Providing Content to Relevant Websites
• Getting Quoted in Relevant Articles
• Actively Promoting/Building Your Brand
• Practicing Corporate Social Responsibility

How long do I need to do off-site SEO?

Website authority is a relative measurement - your site vs your competition. As long as your competition continues to build their authoritative status, you need to keep pace with them (at a minimum), and ideally outpace them. Since you can always count on the competition trying to one-up your business, you need to make off-site SEO a permanent part of your online marketing initiatives.