GeniusWebsite

What is Off-Page SEO?

Off-page SEO can build your careers site’s reputation and boost traffic and search ranking. That’s because websites with a good reputation are deemed to be high in what search engines call E-E-A-T, which stands for experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness. Websites high in E-E-A-T are likely to rank higher on search engine results pages (SERPs)—and off-page SEO is how you cultivate it. The key tenets of off-page SEO strategy include:

Backlinks: These are links to your careers site from other sites and are highly valuable SEO assets. Search engines see backlinks as endorsements of your content. The more authoritative and relevant the websites linking to you, the more their backlinks will help your ranking.

Social media: Social media clout isn’t a direct ranking factor but is still influential in SEO. Posting content on your social platforms, encouraging sharing and engaging with your audience can help you build an audience on social media that can lead to more people talking about you as an employer. It all adds to the online buzz about your brand online, which helps to generate backlinks and traffic and boosts ranking.

Content marketing: Producing content is a way to demonstrate subject area expertise and authority. An employer content campaign could include blog posts, employer podcasts, journalistic articles or video content. The more original and valuable content you create, the more you’ll stand out to candidates and search engines as a reputable source.

Reputation management: A study found that 78% of people trust user reviews over marketing messaging, so what people say about you online really matters. You can’t control what people say, but you can be proactive in managing reviews and feedback as part of your off-page SEO strategy. Encouraging reviews, interacting with reviewers and, crucially, delivering great employee and candidate experiences can build trust in your brand, which is an important part of E-E-A-T that drives SEO.

‍

How do I attract backlinks?

Talking about the internet in 1996, Bill Gates famously said: “Content is king”. And where off-page SEO is concerned, that’s still true. Because content is how you attract backlinks that are a critical factor in off-page SEO. Content, whether it’s a blog post, video, podcast or whatever your content marketing partner has come up with, is what other sites will link to. Without content, you’ll miss out on backlinks that drive your ranking.

Blog posts are a major source of backlinks. Other sites will link to blog posts that can add authority to their own content. By nurturing a blog full of authoritative, well-written posts that offer candidates information of genuine worth, you can create multiple opportunities for other sites to link to yours. When they do, it has a direct effect on the search performance of your content page and signals to Google that your careers site is high in E-E-A-T, which influences your ranking.

Any content that offers real value to users can be useful in attracting backlinks. Video content or infographics that give insight into what it’s like to work for you or celebrate the success of employees might attract links from websites concerned with workplace culture. Publishing your own original research can act as a magnet for backlinks from other sites looking for the latest insights. The more diverse and authoritative your content marketing, the more backlinking opportunities you create.

‍

How can I increase my off-page influence?

Broadening your off-page SEO strategy can help you generate attention and build influence in other areas of the internet.

So, how can you do that?

Start an employer podcast. The podcasting space is another area of the internet where employers can build their reputation and demonstrate E-E-A-T to search engines. There’s currently little competition from other employers doing the same thing, meaning there’s plenty of scope for producing the kind of original content that Google rewards. Podcast solutions like Podbean can give you visibility on high-traffic platforms such as Google, Apple and Spotify and podcasts listenership tends to be loyal due to the niche nature of the subject matter covered. What’s more, establishing yourself within the ‘podosphere’ can also lead to guest spots on other podcasts, which can attract valuable backlinks to your careers site.

Guest blogging. Guest posting can help build valuable backlinks to your careers site from other high authority sites. A content specialist can help seek out guest blogging opportunities and craft a blog post that will make the most of the opportunity to attract attention and establish brand authority with a new audience.

Events. Not all off-page SEO takes place online. You can improve your search ranking through activities in the physical world. Events such as careers fairs can help you build a buzz about your brand that can lead to more traffic. It can also generate backlinks in online discussion of the event. A recruitment marketing agency will help you come up with ideas that will help your brand stand out from others and generate a positive social media buzz that can lead to more candidates checking out your careers site.

‍

Or chat in real-time: