Best Practices for On-Page and Off-Page SEO

SEO, or search engine optimization, is the process of improving the visibility and ranking of a website on search engine result pages (SERPs). The goal of SEO is to increase traffic to a website by improving its position in the search results for relevant keywords. SEO is a complex and ever-evolving practice that uses both on-page and off-page optimization techniques.

What is On-Page SEO?

On-page SEO is the practice of optimizing a webpage to rank higher on a search engine results page (SERP) and to get more relevant traffic. The goal of on-page SEO is to improve the quality of a webpage so that it will be ranked higher by search engines.

There are many technical aspects of SEO that can be optimized with on-page SEO, including the title, meta tags, keywords, and description. In addition, the content of the webpage must be well written and relevant to the keywords being targeted.

Examples of On-Page SEO

Title Tags

Title tags are one of the most important on-page SEO elements, as they tell search engines what your page is about and appear as the clickable title in SERPs. Each title tag should be unique, descriptive and optimized with a keyword, and no longer than 60 characters. Including a keyword in your title tag helps improve your click-through rate from SERPs, as users are more likely to click on a result that is relevant to their search.

Headings

Headings allow you to organize your content in a way that makes it easier for readers and search engine crawlers. The best headings focus on relevant words or phrases, so they’re not over-run with keywords. These should be in H1 format for best results. In order to break up content, you can also use subheadings (H2 - H6) following the same best practices, but don’t repeat keywords or phrases throughout a post.

URL Structure

When you want to rank higher on search engines, it's important that your URLs are both relevant and optimized with keywords. Search engines take URL structure into account when ranking pages, and they should be descriptive of a page's subject, while also including keywords that are relevant.

Alt Text for Images

The alt text of an image should be descriptive and optimized with keywords or phrases to help search engines better understand what's being depicted in the photo. It can take up 125 characters, though it’s typically used to describe images to web visitors who can't see them.

Site Speed

Page load speed is a ranking factor that can make the difference between success and failure. This means it’s important to ensure fast page loads, which in turn benefits your site with higher rankings from search engines like Google or Bing.

Internal Links

Internal links are an important part of making your website easy for visitors, but they also help search engines understand the content on each page. This will result in a higher rank in SERPs and make it easier to find relevant pages that may be buried deep within the website's hierarchy.

Meta Descriptions

Meta descriptions are brief yet dynamic explanations of your content. They summarize the page’s information and entice readers with a reason to read more about what you have written. The meta description appears below both title tags and URLs, so make sure it's no longer than 160 characters.

Blogs

Blogging has been around for as long as the Internet has, but the practice has become more sophisticated over the years. Businesses have increasingly begun to use blogs as a way to engage audiences, and there are now a number of different ways to optimize your posts for SEO, while also reaching your target audience.

Website Landing Page Copy

Writing keyword-rich content for your website's landing pages is a great way to keep visitors engaged and help ensure that you rank higher on search engine results pages.

Calls To Action (CTAs) Language

Effective CTAs tell your website visitors exactly what happens when they click. Specific language benefits everyone: sighted users know where they're going, screen reader users can distinguish between links on a page (an ADA requirement), and search engines use CTA text as a signal to understand what a page is about.

• Instead of "Learn More," use "Book an AI Workshop."
• Instead of "Click Here," use "Explore Our Portfolio."

Responsiveness

Designing a responsive website ensures that your page will display properly on any device, including mobile devices and desktop ones. This will become even more important as more and more people around the world start using mobile devices and tablets.

What is Off-Page SEO?

Off-page SEO refers to off-site opportunities to support your SEO efforts. These tactics fall into different categories. Some, like linkable assets — content such as infographics, videos, and case studies — are designed to be shared, and featured on external websites, creating opportunities for other sites to link back to yours. Others, like link building, guest blogging, and brand mentions, work differently but serve the same ultimate goal: signaling to Google that your site is a trusted, authoritative resource on a given topic. Social media engagement also plays a role by increasing brand awareness and driving traffic back to your website. Together, these off-page tactics are essential components of a well-rounded digital marketing strategy.

Examples of Off-Page SEO

Videos

Video content is a powerful linkable asset — meaning it can be embedded, shared, and featured on external websites, social media platforms, YouTube, and partner pages, all while linking back to your site. Beyond being highly engaging, video helps increase brand visibility across channels, generate leads, and convert visitors into customers. Every placement is another pathway driving traffic back to your website..

Infographics

Infographics are one of the most shareable and linkable assets you can create. Because they present data and complex information visually in a portable, easy-to-digest format, other websites, blogs, and publications are naturally inclined to feature them, and when they do, they link back to your site as the original source. That makes infographics a smart off-page strategy for earning quality backlinks while expanding your reach.

eBooks

eBooks are a great way to share your expertise on any given topic, and they double as a powerful linkable asset. Because they offer comprehensive, in-depth value, other websites, blogs, and industry resource pages are naturally inclined to reference and link to them — sending traffic back to your site. Beyond earning backlinks, eBooks are an effective lead generation tool that helps grow your email list and establish your brand as a trusted authority in your space.

Case studies

Another linkable asset type are case studies. They demonstrate real-world results and work to demonstrate your expertise. Because they offer genuine, data-backed proof of how your brand solves problems, industry publications, partner sites, and resource roundups often reference and link to them — directing new audiences back to your website. Beyond earning backlinks, they build trust, deepen relationships, and increase customer loyalty.

Backlinks

Backlinks are one of the most powerful off-page SEO signals you can earn. When another website links to yours, it acts as a vote of confidence — telling search engines that your content is credible and worth referencing. Not all backlinks are created equal, though. Links from high-authority, relevant websites carry significantly more weight than links from low-quality sources. The goal is to earn quality backlinks naturally through great content, relationships, and visibility.

Guest Blogging

Guest blogging is the practice of writing and publishing content on another website or publication within your industry. It's a win-win: the host site gets quality content, and you get exposure to a new audience along with a backlink to your own site. When done strategically, guest blogging helps establish you as a thought leader, builds relationships with other brands, and strengthens your overall link profile.

Brand Mentions

Brand mentions occur when another website, blog, or publication references your company by name — even without a direct link back to your site. While a linked mention is always preferable, unlinked mentions still carry SEO value by building brand authority and recognition online. Encouraging satisfied clients to talk about your brand, showing up in industry roundups, and getting featured in press coverage all contribute to a stronger off-page presence.

Reviews

When you get people talking about your brand or product, it creates word-of-mouth marketing. Nowadays, encouraging your customers or clients to leave a review will go a long way. This encourages other website visitors to purchase your product or service, simply by building trust.

Wrap Up: On-Page and Off-Page SEO Best Practices

There's no question that SEO is a complex and ever-changing field. What worked yesterday might not work today, which is why it's so important to keep up with the latest trends and best practices. Fortunately, there are a few SEO basics that will always remain relevant. For instance, on-page optimization is still critical for any website that wants to rank highly in search engines. This includes things like creating quality content and making sure the site's technical elements are optimized for speed, efficiency, and keywords.

Off-page SEO is also important, and the best way to approach it is by encouraging quality backlinks from authoritative sites. This sends a signal to search engines that your site is relevant and important, which will help you achieve a higher rank. Of course, SEO is always evolving, so it's important to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and best practices. However, following these basic principles will help you lay a solid foundation for success.