Search engines don’t just rank your site based on its content, they also consider what others say about it.

That’s where off-page SEO comes in.

In this post, we’ll break down what off-page SEO is, explain why it’s still relevant in 2025, and walk through six techniques that can help you build authority, earn trust, and improve your rankings.

Let’s dive in.

What Is Off-Page SEO and Why Does It Matter?

Off-page SEO refers to the actions you take outside of your website to improve how well it ranks in search engine results. 

It’s all about building authority, trust, and relevance in the eyes of search engines by shaping how other sites and platforms refer to yours.

Unlike on-page SEO, which focuses on optimizing the content and structure within your site, off-page SEO isn’t something you can control directly. But it’s absolutely something you can influence through consistent, strategic effort.

The Three Types of Off-Site Signals

To understand how off-page SEO works, it helps to break down the three main off-page signals that Google looks for:

  • Backlinks: Google interprets links from other sites to yours as de facto endorsements of your content. And all else being equal, the more reputable and relevant the linking site, the more weight that backlink carries in ranking calculations.
  • Implied links (brand mentions): Even when there’s no clickable link, Google can recognize when your brand is mentioned across the web. While these mentions may not directly boost rankings like backlinks, they can help strengthen your perceived authority, relevance, and reputation.
  • Reputation signals: Reviews, ratings, and consistent business listings (like in directories) help Google assess your trustworthiness and credibility. These are especially important for local and service-based businesses.

Why Off-Page SEO Still Matters in 2025

The recent rise of generative AI has drastically changed the SEO landscape.

Sites can now produce long-form, keyword-rich pages at scale for a fraction of the cost and effort it used to take. 

But this creates a problem for content publishers: if anyone can create “optimized” content with minimal effort, how do you demonstrate that your site is worth ranking high in the search results?

The answer is off-page SEO. 

With so much high-quality-looking content flooding the web, Google’s algorithms need stronger signals to decide who to trust. Off-page signals serve as real-world proof that others value your content, your brand, and your expertise.

6 Strategies for Improving Off-Page SEO in 2025

Now let’s look at six off-page SEO strategies that still deliver results in 2025—and how to make the most of them.

Backlinks are still the strongest off-page signal in Google’s ranking systems. 

Google has long prioritized quality over quantity when it comes to backlinks. So, what matters isn’t how many links you have, but where they come from, how relevant they are, and how naturally they fit within the surrounding content.

In other words, a single backlink from a respected site in your niche can carry far more weight than dozens of links from unrelated or low-authority sources.

Here are some effective tactics to help generate more high-quality backlinks:

  • Create evergreen, link-worthy content: Publish detailed guides, helpful tools, or original insights that other sites will naturally want to link to over time.
  • Pitch relevant publications: Reach out to industry blogs, trade publications, or media outlets with valuable insights, guest posts, or story ideas.
  • Use expert sourcing platforms: Join services like HARO or Help a B2B Writer to connect with journalists and earn citations.
  • Build relationships: Engage with other content creators in your niche. Thoughtful comments, collaborations, and interviews can often lead to natural backlinks.

The key is to focus on earning links—not just acquiring them. Ultimately, if your content genuinely helps people, other sites will want to reference it.

2. Launch Digital PR Campaigns

While there are many ways to earn backlinks, digital PR deserves special attention for its ability to generate high-authority coverage at scale.

By creating newsworthy assets—such as original research, expert commentary, or trend reports—you can attract links from major publications, not just niche blogs. These links tend to be harder to earn but carry exceptional weight.

Unlike general backlink tactics, digital PR focuses on reaching journalists and publishers with stories that matter to their audiences. A well-executed campaign can result in dozens of links, mentions, and lasting brand visibility from sites that Google holds in high esteem.

3. Increase Brand Mentions Across the Web

Not every valuable off-page signal needs to include a backlink. 

As we’ve mentioned, Google can recognize when your brand is mentioned across the web—even without a clickable link—and may use these references to better understand your relevance and reputation.

These implied links help reinforce your presence in a topic area and support Google’s broader understanding of your brand as an entity—especially when those mentions appear on authoritative, niche-relevant sites.

You can earn brand mentions by participating in podcasts, contributing to expert roundups, getting quoted in articles, and staying active in online communities. 

While these mentions don’t pass link equity like backlinks do, they do build your brand’s visibility and topical authority—and often create backlink opportunities over time. This is because as your name becomes more familiar in your niche, other sites are more likely to cite, quote, or include you in content that does link back to your site.

4. Encourage and Manage Online Reviews

Reviews are an important off-page signal, particularly for local and service-based businesses. 

Google uses them to assess trust, credibility, and overall customer satisfaction—factors that directly influence local search rankings, especially in the local pack.

Encouraging happy customers to leave reviews on platforms like Google Business Profile, Yelp, and industry-specific directories can help strengthen your reputation and improve visibility.

It’s not just about the number of reviews. Google also considers their quality, recency, and consistency. A steady stream of genuine, positive reviews is more effective than a short-term spike.

Don’t forget that responding to reviews—both positive and negative—also demonstrates engagement, which can further support trust in your brand.

Further reading: Review Management Strategies for Local Businesses

5. Maintain Accurate Business Citations

Citations are mentions of your business name, address, and phone number (NAP). They’re an important off-page signal, especially for local SEO. Google uses them to verify your business’s legitimacy and consistency across the web.

You don’t need to be listed everywhere, but consistency is key. Inaccurate or conflicting information can hurt your credibility and confuse both users and search engines.

Focus on maintaining accurate listings on trusted platforms like Google Business Profile, Apple Maps, Yelp, Facebook, and major data aggregators. Industry-specific directories can also help reinforce your niche relevance.

Citations may not be as powerful as backlinks, but they still support trust—especially in competitive local markets.

Not all link-building is about generating new backlinks—some of the most valuable gains come from protecting what you’ve already earned.

Over time, links can break due to URL changes, deleted pages, or site migrations. If a high-authority site links to a now-broken page, you’re losing out on trust and visibility.

Use tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, or Google Search Console to identify lost or broken backlinks. Then redirect those URLs or reach out to the linking site to have the link updated.

This kind of maintenance helps preserve your site’s authority and ensures you’re making the most of past off-page efforts.

Final Thoughts

Off-page SEO remains one of the most effective ways to build authority, earn trust, and improve your search rankings—especially in today’s content-saturated landscape. 

While you can’t control everything that happens beyond your site, you can take strategic steps to influence how your brand is perceived across the web. 

By implementing the tactics above, you’ll strengthen your off-site signals and give your content the credibility it needs to rank.