Off-the-Page SEO Factors
In addition to the mentioned on-the-page factors, like content, keywords, and structure, off-the-page factors are included in the ranking.
These Off-The-Page Factors make up about 90% or more of the ranking weight of a website. If one assumes that on-the-page criteria could be easily optimized, tweaked and manipulated, it is by far harder to optimize and manipulate off-the-page factors like “Domain Popularity”.
Domain Name
A factor that has lost its importance over the last few years is the domain name. This does not only rely on the fact that keyword domain names are given more weight by some search engines, but more on other factors, like traffic generated by type-ins.
Rate of Change/New Content
Every search engine intends to provide the freshest results for its users. It doesn’t make sense to provide information about soccer from the year 2004. Therefore, search engines rate new webpages and websites that add new content positively.
Possibilities to add new content, as mentioned in the On-the-Page Factors section, are forums, wikis, faqs, and news from your special field of knowledge.
Availability of website/Server
If you are hosting a website, you need to be aware that your server is always available. Search engine spiders visit your webpages on a regular basis, depending on your rate of new content, incoming links from other websites and authority status in your field.
If your webpage is not available once or twice in a month, this does not lead to problems, but search engines delete your websites from their index if your webpage can not be reached over a longer period of time.
Therefore, you should search for a stable webhost whom you can trust, and avoid cheap or free webhosting companies, because these tend to have service problems or can’t offer technical possibilities, for example the use of data bases.
Backlinks
The most important aspect of SEO is the building of quality backlinks that link to your website. There are many different aspects an how you can build links. From buying links over doing a linktrade or simply trade links with fellow webmasters, every aspect needs a certain amount of work.
The aspect of link analysis, building backlinks, monotoring and trading them would be another extra chapter, the best way to learn how to build backlinks is to provide good content and think about providing good linkbait material. Asking a SEO company might be another good idea if you want to save time and money.