SEO on site and SEO off site: differences, advantages and basic techniques

by Moises Hamui March 20, 2024

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a set of techniques used to improve the visibility of a website in the search results of search engines such as Google, Bing or Yahoo. It is divided into two large areas: on-site SEO and off-site SEO.

When to use SEO and when to use SEM

1. SEO on site: Optimization within the website

On-site SEO focuses on optimizing all the internal elements of the website to make them more relevant to search engines and users. Some of the most important on-site SEO techniques are:

Keyword Optimization: Choosing the right keywords and including them in the website title, meta description, content, and images.
Website structure: Create a clear and logical navigation structure so that users and search engines can easily navigate the website.
Loading speed: Optimize the loading speed of the website, since it is an important factor for positioning in search engines.
Quality content: Create original, useful and relevant content for users.
Internal links: Create internal links between the different pages of the website to improve navigation and user experience.

2. Off site SEO: Optimization outside the website

Off-site SEO focuses on improving the visibility of the website through actions that are carried out outside of it. Some of the most important off-site SEO techniques are:

Link building: Get quality links from other websites relevant to yours.
Social media: Use social networks to share content and increase the visibility of the website.
Guest blogging: Post guest posts on other blogs to get links and increase visibility.
Web directories: Register the website in relevant web directories.

3. Advantages of on-site SEO and off-site SEO

On-site SEO and off-site SEO are two complementary strategies that offer a series of advantages:

Improve search engine ranking: By optimizing your website both internally and externally, you can improve its ranking in search results, meaning more users will be able to see it.
Increase web traffic: Better search engine positioning translates into greater web traffic, which means that more users will visit the website.
Generate more leads and sales: Greater web traffic can generate more leads and sales, which means the website will be more profitable.

4. Basic techniques to improve SEO on site and off site

Here we present some basic techniques to improve on-site and off-site SEO:

On-site SEO:

Research keywords: Use tools like Google Keyword Planner to find the keywords your target audience is searching for.
Optimize the title and meta description: Include the main keywords in the title and meta description of each page of the website.
Create quality content: Write original, useful and relevant content for users.
Optimize images: Include descriptive alt tags on website images.
Create internal links: Link the different pages of the website together.

Offsite SEO:

Get quality links: Look for opportunities to get quality links from other websites relevant to yours.
Participate on social networks: Share content on social networks to increase website visibility.
Write Guest Posts: Post guest posts on other blogs to get links and increase visibility.
Register the website in web directories: Search for web directories relevant to your sector and register the website in them.

5. How to choose the best SEO strategy?

The best SEO strategy will depend on the specific goals of the website and the budget available. In general, it is recommended to combine on-site and off-site SEO techniques to obtain the best results.

6. Tools to improve SEO

There are various tools that can help you improve the SEO of your website, such as:

Google Search Console: Allows you to monitor the positioning of the website in search results and detect SEO errors.
Google Analytics : Allows you to analyze website traffic and obtain information about user behavior.
Semrush: It is a complete SEO tool that allows you to perform keyword analysis, SEO audits, positioning tracking and much more.

Written by Moises Hamui Abadi : I am an entrepreneur, founding partner of Viceversa and SoyMacho. After leading several digital businesses and advising several other businesses; I decided to form MHA Consulting, a digital marketing consultancy dedicated to growing and enhancing digital businesses in more than 7 countries and generating more than 1,500 million pesos.