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On-page vs. off-page optimization:
What does this mean?
Search engine optimization of websites has several dimensions: In general, a distinction is made between content-related and technical SEO (derived from the English term Search Engine Optimization). These are summarized as on-page optimizations. In addition, there is another category known as off-page optimization. These are factors outside of your own website that have a major influence on search engine rankings. Nevertheless, webmasters can influence these factors to their advantage. You don't have to leave anything to chance.
1. What areon-pageoptimizations?
When people talk about search engine optimization, they often meanon-pageSEO. These are measures that are visible on the website ("on page") orthat affectitstechnical infrastructure.Content plays an important role here, as it is evaluated based on several criteria. One of these is quality.Google'sartificial intelligence can classify howhigh-qualityatext is. In order for it to be classified as helpful and valuable to readers, it should be holistic and offer them real added value. This is measured by whichkeywords, synonyms, and related terms are used. This creates a large network of relevant expressions that artificial intelligence can use to evaluate whether a text deals with a topic holistically or only with partial aspects. The systems are now even able to assess grammatical and technical correctness to a limited extent. For a goodsearch engine ranking, itisno longer enough to simply mention a certain keyword frequently in a text.
Google generally ratesits owntextsmore positively than content that can also be found in the same form on other websites. Publishing so-calledduplicate content—regardless of whether it is found on someone else's website or your own—will be penalized.
2. What isimportantforgood content?
Google also attaches great importance to the presentation of content. Search results should display the hits that best meet the needs of users at the top of the list. So-called walls of text—long texts without any breaks—tirereadersanddampentheirmotivation to read a text in its entirety. Users tend to prefer well-structured texts withembeds,videos,graphics, andimagestoprovide variety. The goal is to give readers a preview of the relevant aspects of the following sections through subheadings. This allows them to quickly find their way around and jump to the sections that are relevant to them. A sensible structure offers another important advantage: the sections serve asanchor points for readers. If they do not read a text in its entirety right away, they will find orientation points that make it easier for them to pick up where they left off at a later time.
3. Increasewebsiteusability
Thetechnicalaspectsofsearch engine optimization should not be neglected. Google also attaches great importance to this when evaluating websites. They shouldofferusers a highlevel of usability. In addition to easy and intuitive operation, this includes satisfying the needs of different user groups. This is a challenging task, as several criteria must be taken into account. A so-calledresponsive design responsive design is probably the most important. This refers to a website's abilityto adaptits display to the sizeof the device used to access it. For users who use a smartphone or tablet, the content is not only reduced in size, but also rearranged so that the width does not exceed the display area. Formobileusers,it isalso important that data transfer remains low when loading the website. This not only conserves the available data volume, but also speeds up the process. Even with a poor mobile connection, loading times are still acceptable.
When it comes to search engine optimization, webmastersshouldfocus on one thing: they should make every effort to provide users with thebest possibleservice,rather than trying to please Google. Nevertheless, there are some technical criteria that primarily serve the search engine operator's analysis algorithm rather than users. These include, among other things, theclearnamingof images and graphics. These should be tagged with appropriate tags that describe the content. This enables Google to suggest the most relevant images for search queries. The use of descriptive elements within the URL is also an important factor. Some content management systems (CMS) use only numbering to name the different areas of a website. However, if these are designated with correct terms within the URL, the algorithm can better evaluate how well they match the respective search query.
4. How dooff-pageoptimizationsdiffer?
The assessment of the source takes into account trust and authority . In terms of trust, the first step is to assess the general reputation of the website providing the link. The extent of authority refers primarily to the attributed competence in a subject area. If a website regularly publishes content on a particular topic, thelink itprovides has greaterimpactthan websites whose main focus is on other areas. This means that it is no longer effective to purchase backlinks from so-called link farms. Such behavior is penalized by Google. Instead, it makes sense to stand out with good content so that the number of links grows organically.
In the past, it was sufficient to have a large number of backlinks to benefit from them in search engine rankings. However, Google has now changed its evaluation criteria in this area as well. It is important to obtain backlinks from websites with a good reputation.
5. What makesgood backlinksstand out
The SEO measures described above are implemented by many website operators. However, the list of possible improvements is even longer. It continues with what is known as link building. This is achieved by actively seeking to obtain a so-called backlink from other homepages. backlink . The system is based on the assumption that the operators of other websites rate the linked content as high quality. They find it so successful that they recommend theexternalcontentto their own users.
However, link buildingdoesnot justmeanworking on establishing a link structure. At the same time, webmasters should remove harmful links that refer to their own homepage. To do this, they must first determine which backlinks lead to their own site. The most effective way to avert potential damage is to actively remove bad links. However, this is not always possible. These may be posts in forums where users ultimately determine the content. With the Google Disavow function in Google Search Console, it is possible to at least mitigate the effects. Website operators must actively maintain the lists stored there themselves. The backlinks of the registered domains are then no longer included in the evaluation of their own homepage.
In addition to link building, establishing a high level of trust, considerable authority, and a strong brand through content orientation and mentions (especially on social networks) are also important factors in off-page optimization.
6. How do you implementon-page and off-pageoptimizations?
Bothon-pageandoff-pageoptimizationsrequire a structured approach in order tobesuccessfullyusedforsearch engine optimization. The process is preceded by an in-depth analysis to identify needs and potential. The next step is to develop a catalog of measures. To determine success, monitoring is recommended after implementation. Fine adjustments can then be made to further improve search engine rankings.
AlthoughSEO workisfact-based, thatdoesn'tnecessarilymake it asure-fire success. It requires a high level of expertise and a wealth of experience. This is because individual measures must be planned for each case. The larger the pool of successfully implemented projects, the easier it is to develop specific solutions. The online marketing agency taismo from Munich combines the above factors with an efficient way of working, which is a fundamental factor for promising search engine optimization.
