Off Site SEO Checklist - Content Marketing and Storytelling

Omnipresent

Digital marketing is now focused on creating an omnipresent brand experience for consumers with content at the heart of it.

Big brands are investing vast amounts of resources in engaging with their existing customers whilst also reaching out to new customers through digital content.

But how did this digital content all come to be, and why does it exist?

It began with a battle of rankings through off site SEO activity where brands wanted to be heard online; which of course delivered leads and business. This is where off site SEO was initially conceived.

Last month I covered the basics on laying the foundations for search engine optimisation with an on site SEO guide. While effective on site SEO is the essential nuts and bolts for getting any website off the ground, off site SEO (activity away from a website) presents a host of opportunities to help search marketing objectives, as well as wider brand recognition and exposure.

There are endless possibilities to generate brand exposure and deliver new business leads. However, it all starts with content and storytelling.

Cultivating Content

Often described as ‘content marketing’ off site SEO focuses on a range of mixed marketing activity.

Whilst off site SEO has an underlying focus on pushing keyword rankings, it also lends its hand to the wider and ongoing digital marketing initiatives that brands of all shapes and sizes engage with.

Off site SEO has shifted away from the black hat era and towards the PR focused digital world. Content of any nature is as easier to access than ever before.

Here at Parallax, we’ve put together some key ideas behind off site SEO to help your business get found online.

Links Links Links

You only have to Google ‘what is SEO’ to understand the importance of links.

Whilst there are hundreds of off site ranking factors that influence search rankings, quality links are still a key factor.

The more high quality links you have pointing to your website the better. Cheap SEO tricks and spammy links have severely impacted negatively and can have devastating effects. Great links pointing to your website helps Google see you as a reliable and authoritative website.

The greater number of links pointing back to your website, the more authoritative you become. This has a huge bearing for how Google ranks your website when it comes to search queries.

But how do I get links to my website?

Content Marketing

Off site SEO is content marketing.

This is all about the curation of quality content that ends up benefitting you, although not necessarily directly at first. SEO is a long term investment that has very lucrative end results when completed properly.

To gain links from highly authoritative websites you need to provide something of value; content that people find so amazing they want to share it with other people. Over the past few months, we’ve created several pieces of content that have been featured in national newspapers, on international news stations and in magazines. The content we created became so viral, it ended up featuring on television stations across the country and further afield.

What Is Content?

Off site SEO (content marketing) is about generating stories, and getting valuable exposure. Just as cavemen shared information that was relevant and interesting to them, content marketeers do the same for their audiences. This content can come in many forms.

We’ve made static and interactive infographics, online quizzes, and tools to help build audiences and drive links, with very positive impacts on a number of our clients.

We also create bespoke articles and work with a range of industry magazines and publishers to not only drive links, but to also place the content we create (whatever medium it may be) in front of the right people.

It doesn’t matter if you make toilet cubicles, sell hot air balloon parts or service bespoke boilers from post Soviet Russia – there is an audience online who you can get in front of.

We invest a lot of time in creating the right content, and we only do work we’re proud of.

Social Media

Strictly speaking, social media marketing comes under its own umbrella. However, it is still very important when it comes to ensuring omnipresence for a brand online, and is therefore an influencer of off site SEO.

Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Linkedin to name a few, all help search engines see the activity and engagement with a brand or website. Building relationships through social media and getting content shard here is a useful part of SEO.

PR

PR is generated by stories. That’s the case both online and offline. The phrases ‘Online PR’, ‘Content Marketing’ and ‘SEO’ overlap so much in the digital industry, but they are all tied by cultivating quality content.

Angling stories and information to make it relative and of value for your audience is key to driving successful off site SEO.

Take Aways

You’ll notice I’ve hardly mentioned ranking or SERPs throughout this blog post and that’s with valid reason.

Think away from the results pages with your online activity and climbing the rankings will come naturally.

Google is striving to make the web a better and more relevant place, providing great content for people all around the world. If you think and act like a search engine, you’ll get nowhere.

Off site SEO is content focussed as part of a wider brand presence online and is part of the 360 degree marketing effort that drives successful business leads. Create fantastic content and become a leading voice and authority in your field and the ranking positions come organically.

Whilst this does take up time and resource, the effects of having a solid online presence are incredibly lucrative. What’s more, having a digital voice is only going to become more and more important in the future.

Do you have any hints and tips for off site SEO? Let us know on Twitter

Thinking of running an SEO campaign or looking to drive your business’ online presence? Come in for a chat or drop us a line.