Layer 3 of the SEO stack
Off-Page SEO: Show Google Others Trust You
Off-page SEO is everything outside your website that shows search engines your business is real, trusted and relevant: links from other websites, mentions of your business, directory listings (citations) and reviews. It’s how Google and AI tools learn what others say about you.
- Earned local links
- Citations & directories
- Reviews & mentions
- No link schemes
Where trust comes from
Where off-page signals come from
Local news and blogs
Stories and features about your business, your events or your expertise.
Associations and chambers
Member listings with chambers of commerce, trade groups and professional bodies.
Partners and suppliers
Brands you carry, partners you work with, and sponsorships in your community.
Directories and citations
Apple Maps, Bing Places, Yelp and the directories that matter in your industry.
Reviews
Recent, genuine reviews on Google and the sites your customers use.
Mentions
Your business named on other sites, even without a link, which AI tools also read.
Earned vs. bought
Earned links vs. bought links
Earned links come from real relationships and relevant sites. Bought links break Google’s spam policies and can hurt your rankings.
| What matters | Earned links | Bought links |
|---|---|---|
| Allowed by Google’s spam policies | Yes | No |
| Relevant to your area or industry | Yes | No |
| Builds lasting trust | Yes | No |
| Safe from penalties | Yes | No |
Source: Google Search spam policies.
What we do
What our off-page SEO includes
- Backlink auditWhat links point to you, and which are spam
- Citation cleanupName, address and phone matched across directories
- Local link opportunitiesAssociations, partners, events and local press
- Review programAsk every customer, reply to every review
- Brand mentionsFind and correct how sites describe you
- Monthly reportingNew links, citations and reviews
Answers
Off-Page SEO FAQs
Can you buy links to rank faster?
We don’t, and you shouldn’t. Google’s spam policies treat buying or exchanging links for ranking as link spam, which can get a site demoted. We earn links that make sense for your business.
What is a citation?
A listing of your business name, address and phone on another site, such as Apple Maps, Bing Places, Yelp or an industry directory. Matching details everywhere build trust.
Do reviews count as off-page SEO?
Yes. Reviews on Google and other sites are a sign of prominence for local search, and they help people choose you.
My site was hacked and has spam links. Can you help?
Yes. We audit your backlinks and clean up after a hack. See our website compliance and security audit.
No two businesses are the same
Build trust that search engines can see
Start with a free evaluation. We review how visible your business is today, run a quick audit and send a custom plan with a fixed quote.
Or call (323) 333-6480