SEO glossary · Updated
Off-page SEO: what it is and what actually works
Off-page SEO covers actions outside your own website that affect how search engines see it, mainly links, brand mentions, reviews and profiles.
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Builds SEO·AEO·GEO and writes the crawler, schema, and citation research published here.
Off-page SEO (or off-site SEO) is everything that happens away from your own website that can affect how search engines and AI systems see it: other sites linking to you, mentioning you, reviewing you, and listing you.
What off-page SEO includes
| Activity | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Earned backlinks | Google uses links to discover pages and as one signal of importance |
| Brand mentions in news and industry sites | Builds the reputation people and AI systems find when they research you |
| Google Business Profile and reviews | Google says review count and rating help local ranking |
| Directory and association listings | Confirms your business details; a few relevant ones are worth more than many |
| Profiles on platforms your customers use | AI assistants often cite well-known third-party sites |
| Social media and community activity | Gets your content seen by people who may link to or search for you |
Off-page SEO and AI answers
When AI assistants recommend a product or business, they often cite third-party pages such as reviews, comparisons, forums and directories, not only the brand's own site. Being accurately described on those pages is becoming as important as links.
What's risky
Buying links, link exchanges at scale, automated link building and fake reviews all break Google's spam policies. See black hat vs white hat SEO.
Where to start
- Claim and complete your Google Business Profile and the main directories in your industry.
- Ask happy customers for reviews.
- Publish one thing worth citing, such as data, a tool or a guide, and tell the people who'd care.
- Get involved where your industry talks: associations, events, communities.
Check it on your own site
What the free audit tests for this
- Third-party profiles
One URL, about 20 seconds, no login. You get the result of every check and the exact fix for the top three issues.
Audit your website freeFAQ
Is off-page SEO just link building?+
Links are the biggest part, but off-page SEO also covers mentions, reviews, listings and profiles, which matter especially for local businesses and AI recommendations.
Which is more important, on-page or off-page SEO?+
You need both. Without on-page and technical work, links point to pages that can't rank. Without off-page signals, good pages can struggle in competitive searches.
Do social media posts count as off-page SEO?+
Indirectly. Google hasn't documented likes or shares as ranking signals, but social activity can lead to links, mentions and searches for your brand.
Sources
- A guide to Google Search ranking systems — Google Search Central
- Spam policies for Google web search — Google Search Central (2026-08-28)
- Tips to improve your local ranking on Google — Google Business Profile Help