Off-Page SEO for Ecommerce: Strategies to Boost Your Online Store’s Visibility

“If you build it, they will come.” 

This might be true in baseball movies, but when it comes to ecommerce, it couldn’t be further from the truth. 

You might have an amazing store with top-notch products, but without the right strategies in place, no one’s going to see it.

That’s where off-page SEO comes in. Sure, on-page SEO gets your content in order, but off-page tactics—building backlinks, social media engagement, and brand mentions—can help you get seen by the masses. 

In this guide, I’ll break down some easy, actionable off-page SEO strategies that’ll help you increase your ecommerce store’s visibility, grow your audience, and outshine the competition.

What Is Off-Page SEO?

Off-page SEO is all about building up your website’s authority and trustworthiness from the outside. 

Instead of tweaking your site content, you’re focusing on activities like getting backlinks from trusted sites, engaging on social media, and being mentioned in relevant online spaces. 

Think of it as your website’s reputation—off-page SEO tells Google and other search engines that your site deserves to rank higher.

Let me break these terms down quickly:

• Backlinks: Links from other reputable websites that point to your store, boosting your credibility.
• Social Media: Engaging with audiences across platforms and driving traffic to your site (bonus: increased brand visibility!).
• Brand Mentions: Even without a direct link, a mention of your store across the web builds trust with search engines.

Remember, none of this works unless your site itself is optimized. You’ve got to make sure the content on your site is primed and ready to rank first. Then, these off-page strategies will give it the extra boost it needs to really stand out.

The Importance of Off-Page SEO in Ecommerce

In the competitive world of ecommerce—whether that’s b2c or d2c ecommerce—getting your store noticed is everything. 

On-page SEO gets your website content and structure in order, but off-page SEO helps build the trust and authority that search engines love. The more credible your store looks to Google, the more likely you’ll rank higher—and that means more eyes on your products.

Here’s why off-page SEO matters:

• Boosts Visibility: Backlinks and mentions from reputable sites increase your store’s reach and trustworthiness.
• Drives Organic Traffic: The better your backlink profile, the higher you’ll rank in search results, leading to more organic traffic.
• Gives You a Competitive Edge: Not all ecommerce sites invest in off-page SEO. Getting it right helps you pull ahead of the competition.

Understanding the Difference Between On-Page and Off-Page SEO

It’s important to understand the difference between on-page and off-page SEO. Both are essential for your overall ecommerce SEO strategy, but they focus on different aspects of your website’s performance.

On-Page SEO

On-page SEO refers to the optimization efforts made directly on your website. Key areas of on-page SEO include:

• Content: Product descriptions, blog posts, landing pages—everything optimized with the right keywords.
• Meta Tags and Descriptions: Titles, meta descriptions, header tags, and structured data that signal to search engines what your page is about.
• User Experience: Ensuring fast load times, mobile-friendliness, and intuitive navigation.
• Internal Linking: Logically connecting your pages to improve navigation and SEO performance.

No matter how well-optimized your on-page elements are, they alone won’t guarantee top rankings. This is where off-page SEO comes into play.

Off-Page SEO

Off-page SEO focuses on actions taken outside of your website that influence its authority and reputation. 

Key elements of off-page SEO include:

• Backlinks: Getting other websites to link to your store.
• Social Media: Engaging your audience and driving traffic through platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
• Brand Mentions: Being talked about across the web, even if it’s not linked.

How They Work Together

Think of your website as a storefront in a bustling city. 

On-page SEO is like setting up your store’s interior—organizing products, putting up clear signage, and making sure everything looks perfect for customers when they walk in. It’s all about creating a great experience once they’ve found you.

But off-page SEO? That’s like spreading the word about your store around the city. It’s the flyers you hand out, the recommendations people give, and the buzz that gets others talking about you. The more people hear about your store, the more likely they are to show up at your door.

On-page SEO makes sure your site is ready for visitors, while off-page SEO helps more people find it in the first place. Without both working together, you might have a great store, but hardly anyone will know it exists!

The 8 Best Off-Page SEO Tactics for Ecommerce Stores

Ready to ramp up your off-page SEO efforts? 

Below are nine actionable strategies that will help you build authority, drive traffic, and boost your rankings.

1. Leverage Social Media

While social media shares don’t directly impact your SEO rankings, they do play a role in increasing your online visibility and driving traffic to your store. 

The more people engage with your content, the more opportunities you have to generate backlinks and brand mentions.

Actionable Tips:

• Share Engaging Content: Post promotions, new product launches, and behind-the-scenes content to engage your followers.
• Encourage User-Generated Content: Get your customers to share their experiences and tag your brand, which increases visibility.
• Run Social Campaigns: Launch giveaways or contests to get your audience talking and sharing your brand.

2. Content Marketing Beyond Your Site

Producing valuable creative content off-site is a great way to earn backlinks and boost your off-page SEO. It’s an essential part of any good content development strategy. When your content provides value, other websites are more likely to link back to it, which improves your authority.

Actionable Tips:

• Guest Blog Posts: Write detailed, informative posts for other blogs or online publications in your niche.
• How-To Guides: Publish useful, shareable content that solves common customer problems or provides in-depth product comparisons.
• Infographics: Visual content is highly shareable and can help you earn backlinks from other websites.

The more valuable and informative your content, the more likely it is to be shared, referenced, and linked to by others.

3. Optimize for Local SEO

Local SEO can give you a competitive edge if your ecommerce business also operates in specific regions or has physical stores. It helps your site appear in local search results and Google’s Local Pack, driving traffic from customers near you.

Actionable Tips:

• Google My Business: Claim and optimize your Google My Business listing with up-to-date info and photos.
• Encourage Reviews: Positive reviews build credibility, both for your brand and in the eyes of Google.
• Local Directories: Get your store listed on reputable local and industry-specific directories.

By optimizing for local search, you can drive more relevant traffic from potential customers in your target areas.

4. Influencer Marketing for Credibility

Partnering with influencers not only helps you reach new audiences but also boosts your off-page SEO. 

Influencers with strong, engaged followings can link back to your store, increasing both traffic and credibility.

Actionable Tips:

• Choose Niche Influencers: Focus on influencers who align with your brand and have an engaged audience.
• Offer Unique Deals: Work with influencers to promote special offers or discounts, encouraging more traffic and backlinks to your site.

5. Engage in Online Communities

Participating in forums and Q&A sites relevant to your industry is a great way to build authority and earn backlinks. Providing helpful advice builds trust within the community and can lead to organic backlinks to your store.

Actionable Tips:

• Join the Conversion on Quora and Reddit: Answer questions and offer valuable insights while linking back to relevant content or products on your site.
• Post on Industry-Specific Forums: Join forums where your target audience hangs out and shares helpful content, linking to your store where relevant.

Remember, only list your site in credible forums to avoid being associated with low-quality websites.

6. Multimedia Content for Shareability

Multimedia content like videos, infographics, and podcasts is incredibly shareable and can help you build backlinks while expanding your reach.

Actionable Tips:

• Create Product Videos: Show your products in action through videos and share them across platforms like YouTube and Instagram.
• Infographics: Design visual content that other websites are likely to share and link back to.
• Podcasts: Participate in or create podcasts that allow you to showcase your expertise and promote your store.

Search engines love multimedia content, and users are more likely to engage with and share this type of content, further enhancing your off-page efforts.

7. List Your Store in Online Directories

Listing your ecommerce store in credible online directories helps improve your site’s authority and can provide valuable backlinks. Focus on directories relevant to your industry or region.

Actionable Tips:

• General Directories: Claim listings on directories like Google My Business, Yelp, and Bing Places.
• Industry-Specific Directories: Find niche directories that cater to your industry and add your store for additional exposure.

This tactic not only builds backlinks but also positions your brand as an authority in your industry.

8. Build Quality Backlinks

Backlinks are the cornerstone of off-page SEO. 

Getting other trusted websites to link to your store signals to search engines that your site is credible and relevant. But, it’s not just about quantity—quality matters. 

A few backlinks from high-authority sites are far more valuable than dozens of links from low-quality sources.

Actionable Tips:

• Guest Posting: Write articles for reputable blogs in your niche and include a link back to your store.
• Influencer Collaborations: Partner with influencers to promote your products and link back to your site.
• Broken Link Building: Find broken links on industry sites and offer your content as a replacement.

Make sure to focus on natural, high-quality backlinks. Avoid spammy link-building schemes—these can do more harm than good.

Monitoring and Managing Off-Page SEO

Off-page SEO isn’t a one-and-done task. 

It requires ongoing effort and monitoring to make sure you’re building high-quality signals that improve your rankings. Here’s how to stay on top of your off-page SEO efforts:

1. Track Your Backlinks: Use tools like Ahrefs or Semrush to monitor the quality and quantity of backlinks to your site. Focus on securing links from high-authority sources and disavow any harmful or spammy backlinks.
2. Monitor Social Engagement: Keep an eye on social media activity to see which posts or campaigns are driving the most engagement and traffic.
3. Check Brand Mentions: Tools like Google Alerts can notify you when your brand is mentioned online, allowing you to engage or request a backlink.
4. Adjust Your Strategy: Regularly review your off-page SEO data and tweak your strategy based on what’s working. For example, if influencer marketing is generating high-quality backlinks, double down on those efforts.

Common Challenges and Cautions in Off-Page SEO

Off-page SEO has its challenges, and one of the biggest is building high-quality backlinks. Yes, backlinks are crucial for boosting your site’s authority, but they won’t do much if your on-page SEO isn’t solid. 

You need to have the right content in the right places, making it easy for Google to understand what you should rank for. Without that foundation, even the best backlinks are essentially useless.

Another challenge is avoiding low-quality backlinks. Buying links or getting them from spammy sites can hurt your rankings rather than help. 

You also want to be careful not to over-optimize by getting too many links too fast or using the same anchor text repeatedly—search engines might see that as unnatural and penalize you.

Finally, understand that off-page SEO is a slow process. It takes time to build authority and trust with search engines, so don’t expect instant results. Patience and a focus on long-term strategies are key to seeing success.

FAQs

Finally, let me answer a couple of frequently asked questions.

1. How long does it take to see results from off-page SEO?

Off-page SEO is a long-term strategy. It can take several weeks to months to see significant results, depending on factors such as the competitiveness of your industry, the quality of backlinks you acquire, and how often your site is mentioned across the web.

2. Which off-page SEO strategies are most effective for ecommerce?

For ecommerce, the most effective off-page SEO strategies include building high-quality backlinks from trusted sites, partnering with influencers to get your products in front of new audiences, and keeping active on social media to drive traffic. 

3. Can I outsource off-page SEO efforts?

Yes, many ecommerce businesses choose to outsource off-page SEO to SEO agencies or specialists. This can be especially helpful if you lack the time, expertise, or resources to manage your off-page efforts in-house. A reputable SEO agency can help with tasks like link building, managing social media, and monitoring your online reputation.

4. How do I measure the success of my off-page SEO efforts?

You can measure the success of your off-page SEO by keeping an eye on a few key things: your backlink profile, referral traffic, and social media engagement. Tools like Google Analytics, Ahrefs, or Moz can help track this data, showing how your efforts are paying off in terms of traffic, rankings, and overall authority.

Off-page SEO Is Essential for Your Ecommerce Store. Don’t Leave It to Chance.

Off-page SEO is the key to building authority, improving your rankings, and driving traffic to your ecommerce store. 

By focusing on solid SEO fundamentals and creating killer content, you’ll naturally attract off-page wins like shares, links, and mentions.

Need help getting started? Our team specializes in content-focused SEO strategies designed to drive results. 

Get in touch and let’s take your ecommerce store to the next level.