What Is Off-Page SEO? 11 Strategies That Work (Plus How to Track Them in AI Search)

In this article, you'll learn what off-page SEO is, why it matters for both traditional search rankings and AI answer engines, and 11 actionable strategies you can implement to build authority. You'll also discover how to track whether your off-page efforts are translating into visibility where it increasingly counts—in AI-generated responses from ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and other answer engines.

What Is Off-Page SEO?

Off-page SEO is the practice of building your website's authority, reputation, and trustworthiness through activities that happen outside your own site. While on-page SEO focuses on optimizing your content, keywords, and technical elements, off-page SEO is about what other websites, platforms, and people say about you.

The most common off-page signal is backlinks—when another website links to yours. But off-page SEO also includes brand mentions (linked or unlinked), reviews, social signals, and any external indicator that tells search engines your content is credible and worth ranking.

Here's the critical shift: Off-page signals don't just influence Google anymore. AI answer engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude rely heavily on external validation to decide which brands to mention and cite. When Perplexity answers "What's the best CRM for small businesses?" it's drawing from sources that have strong off-page authority—the same signals Google uses to determine rankings.

This means your link building and reputation efforts now compound across two channels: traditional search and AI-generated answers.

The Difference Between On-Page and Off-Page SEO

On-page SEO and off-page SEO serve different purposes, though both are essential for visibility.

On-page SEO involves optimizing elements you control directly on your website. This includes your content quality, keyword targeting, meta titles and descriptions, internal linking structure, page speed, and mobile responsiveness. You have complete control over these factors.

Off-page SEO involves building signals that exist outside your website. These signals indicate to search engines (and now AI models) that other credible sources vouch for your content. The most important off-page factors include the number and quality of backlinks pointing to your site, brand mentions across the web, reviews on third-party platforms, and social media engagement.

Think of it this way: On-page SEO is writing a resume. Off-page SEO is getting references who confirm you're actually good at what you claim.

Why this matters for AI search: AI models don't just crawl your site—they synthesize information from across the web. When ChatGPT recommends a tool, it's pulling from multiple sources that have already established authority through off-page signals. If your brand isn't mentioned on authoritative third-party sites, AI engines have less data to draw from when generating answers about your category.

Why Off-Page SEO Matters

Off-page SEO is essential because search engines need external validation to determine whether your content deserves to rank. Google can't rely solely on what you say about yourself—it needs confirmation from other trusted sources.

This is codified in Google's E-E-A-T guidelines: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. While you can demonstrate experience and expertise through your content (on-page), authoritativeness and trustworthiness require external proof. That proof comes from off-page signals.

When authoritative websites link to your content, Google interprets this as a vote of confidence. The logic is simple: if Forbes, TechCrunch, or an established industry blog links to your guide, they're signaling that your content is worth their audience's attention. That endorsement carries weight in ranking algorithms.

Beyond rankings, off-page SEO drives three additional benefits:

Referral traffic. Links from high-traffic websites send visitors directly to your site. A single mention on a popular industry blog can generate hundreds of qualified visitors.

Brand awareness. Even unlinked mentions expose your brand to new audiences. Someone reading a listicle that mentions your tool might search for you later.

AI visibility. This is the emerging benefit most marketers overlook. AI answer engines synthesize information from multiple sources. If your brand appears consistently across authoritative third-party sites, AI models have more data points to draw from when generating answers—making them more likely to mention you.

In our analysis of 83,670 AI citations across ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity, we found that 82.9% of citations come from third-party sources rather than brand-owned websites. This means the content other people create about you directly influences whether AI engines mention your brand.

Off-page SEO isn't optional. Without it, you're relying entirely on what you say about yourself—and search engines (both traditional and AI-powered) need more than that to trust you.

How Off-Page SEO Works

Off-page SEO works through association. When reputable sources connect their authority to your website—through links, mentions, or citations—search engines transfer a portion of that credibility to you.

The underlying mechanism is straightforward: if trusted websites vouch for your content, it's more likely to be accurate, useful, and worth ranking. This concept applies to both Google's algorithm and the training data that informs AI language models.

Three factors determine the strength of off-page signals:

Source authority. A backlink from the New York Times carries more weight than a link from a low-traffic blog. Search engines evaluate the authority of the linking domain when deciding how much credibility to pass along.

Relevance. A link from a website in your industry matters more than a link from an unrelated site. If you sell project management software, a backlink from a productivity blog is more valuable than one from a cooking website.

Context. Where the link appears and what anchor text surrounds it influences its value. A link embedded naturally within relevant content signals more than a link buried in a footer or sidebar.

These same factors influence AI citations. When Perplexity generates an answer about "best email marketing tools," it pulls from sources that have established authority on that topic. If Mailchimp is mentioned across dozens of authoritative marketing blogs, Perplexity has abundant data to draw from. If a newer competitor only appears on its own website, the AI has less to work with.

The mechanism is similar, but the stakes are different. In traditional SEO, poor off-page signals mean lower rankings. In AI search, weak off-page presence can mean being omitted from answers entirely.

11 Off-Page SEO Strategies That Work

The following strategies will help you build authority through off-page signals. Each section includes specific steps you can implement, along with guidance on tracking results in both traditional search and AI answer engines.

1. Build Quality Backlinks

Backlinks remain the most important off-page ranking factor. A link from another website tells search engines that your content is worth referencing—essentially a vote of confidence from another source.

Not all links are equal. The goal is to acquire backlinks from websites that are authoritative and topically relevant to your content.

How to evaluate link quality:

Domain authority. Use tools like Ahrefs, Moz, or Semrush to check the domain rating of potential link sources. Higher authority domains pass more value.

Topical relevance. A link from a site in your industry carries more weight than a random link. If you sell marketing software, prioritize links from marketing blogs, not general business sites.

Link placement. Editorial links embedded in content are more valuable than sidebar, footer, or bio links. Google can distinguish between natural editorial endorsements and structural links.

How to acquire quality backlinks:

Start by identifying websites that rank well for topics related to your content. Search for your target keywords and note the top-ranking sites. These are your potential link targets.

Next, find content on those sites that could naturally link to yours. Look for resource pages, listicles, or articles that mention competitors but not you. Use Ahrefs' Content Explorer or a similar tool to find these opportunities.

Reach out with a specific value proposition. Don't ask for a link—explain why linking to your content would benefit their readers. Reference a gap in their current article that your resource fills.

Track your backlink growth over time. Set up a monthly review to monitor new referring domains, lost links, and anchor text distribution. This helps you understand which outreach tactics are working.

How this affects AI visibility:

Backlinks influence which sources AI engines trust. When ChatGPT generates an answer, it draws from content that has established authority—often the same content that ranks well in traditional search due to strong backlink profiles.

To see whether your link-building efforts translate into AI mentions, track which third-party sources AI engines cite when answering prompts in your category.

If sites that link to you are being cited by AI engines, your backlinks are doing double duty—boosting traditional rankings and contributing to the pool of sources that inform AI answers.

2. Publish Original Research and Data

Original research attracts backlinks naturally because it provides something other content can't: unique data. When you publish proprietary statistics, survey findings, or industry analysis, other writers cite your work as a source.

This is one of the highest-leverage off-page strategies. A single piece of original research can generate dozens of backlinks over time as writers across your industry reference your findings.

Types of original research that attract links:

Industry surveys. Survey your customers or audience on a relevant topic and publish the findings. "State of [Industry]" reports consistently attract attention and backlinks.

Data analysis. Analyze your own product data or publicly available datasets to surface insights others haven't covered. Our analysis of 83,670 AI citations is an example—it provides data that doesn't exist elsewhere.

Benchmarking studies. Compare performance across tools, strategies, or approaches using consistent methodology. Marketers love referencing benchmarks to support their arguments.

How to structure research content for maximum links:

Lead with the key findings. Put your most interesting statistics in the first few paragraphs so journalists and bloggers can quickly find quotable data.

Create easily quotable snippets. Format individual statistics so they can be copied and cited with minimal editing. Include specific numbers, percentages, and comparisons.

Add visual assets. Infographics, charts, and data visualizations are highly shareable. Other sites often embed these visuals and link back to the source.

Promote your research actively. Original research doesn't promote itself. Reach out to journalists and bloggers who cover your industry. Use tools like HARO (Help A Reporter Out) or directly contact writers who have covered similar topics.

How this affects AI visibility:

Original research directly influences AI citations. When AI engines generate answers, they often cite statistics and data points. If your research is referenced across multiple authoritative sources, AI models encounter your brand name alongside those statistics.

We've observed this in our own data. Articles with original statistics get cited more frequently across AI engines because they provide concrete data points that AI models can include in answers.

Track which of your research findings appear in AI-generated responses using prompt monitoring. If your statistics are being cited, your research is contributing to AI visibility.

3. Strengthen E-E-A-T Through Guest Posting

Guest posting—writing articles for other websites in exchange for a byline and backlink—remains an effective way to build authority. It places your content on established platforms, exposing your brand to new audiences while earning backlinks.

The key is targeting high-quality publications, not just any site that accepts guest posts. A single placement on an authoritative industry blog is worth more than ten placements on low-quality sites.

How to find guest posting opportunities:

Search for sites in your niche that accept contributions. Use queries like:

• "[your industry] + write for us"

• "[your industry] + guest post guidelines"

• "[your industry] + contribute"

Evaluate each opportunity using the same criteria you'd use for backlink quality: domain authority, topical relevance, and audience quality. Prioritize sites your target customers actually read.

How to pitch effectively:

Don't send generic pitches. Research the publication's existing content and propose topics that fill gaps or expand on what they've already covered.

Include 2-3 specific headline ideas with brief descriptions. Editors can quickly assess whether your ideas fit their editorial calendar.

Reference your credentials. Explain why you're qualified to write about this topic. Include links to previous publications if you have them.

How to maximize the SEO value of guest posts:

Negotiate your anchor text. Try to get a contextual link within the article body, not just in the author bio. Links embedded in content carry more weight.

Link to specific resources on your site, not just your homepage. Deep links to helpful content are more natural and distribute authority across your site.

Repurpose guest post research into content on your own site. If you wrote a guest post about "email marketing automation," create a related piece on your blog that expands on the topic.

How this affects AI visibility:

Guest posts expand your brand's footprint across the web. When your name and company appear on authoritative publications, AI models have more data points associating your brand with expertise in your category.

Track whether sites where you've published guest posts appear as citation sources in AI answers. If AI engines cite content that mentions your brand, your guest posting strategy is contributing to AI visibility.

4. Land Mentions in Media and Publications

Media coverage—whether through press releases, journalist pitches, or expert commentary—generates both brand awareness and off-page SEO value. Even unlinked mentions contribute to your brand's authority in Google's eyes and expand the pool of sources AI engines can draw from.

How to get media coverage:

Use HARO (Help A Reporter Out). Journalists post queries seeking expert sources. Sign up and respond to relevant queries with concise, quotable answers.

Build relationships with industry journalists. Follow reporters who cover your space on Twitter/X and LinkedIn. Engage with their work genuinely before pitching story ideas.

Create newsworthy angles. Journalists need hooks. Tie your company news to broader trends, release original data, or offer a contrarian perspective on industry developments.

Issue press releases strategically. Don't issue a press release for every company update. Save them for genuinely newsworthy announcements: funding rounds, major product launches, significant partnerships, or industry-first features.

Track your media mentions.

Use Google Alerts or a media monitoring tool to track when your brand is mentioned. This helps you identify coverage you didn't know about and find opportunities to convert unlinked mentions into backlinks.

When you find an unlinked mention, reach out to the author or editor and politely ask if they'd consider adding a link. Many will—it improves the reader experience by making it easier to learn more.

How this affects AI visibility:

Media mentions directly influence AI citations. News articles, industry publications, and authoritative blogs are prime sources for AI-generated answers. If your brand is mentioned consistently across these sources, AI engines have more context to draw from when generating responses about your category.

Our data shows that 82.9% of AI citations come from third-party sources. Media coverage contributes directly to this pool of citable content.

Track which media sources AI engines cite for prompts relevant to your business. If publications covering your brand appear as citation sources, your media strategy is paying dividends in AI visibility.

5. Partner With Relevant Businesses and Experts

Strategic partnerships expand your reach by connecting you to established audiences. When you collaborate with complementary businesses or industry experts, you gain exposure to their followers while building association with their credibility.

Types of partnerships that build off-page authority:

Expert roundups. Contribute to articles that aggregate insights from multiple industry experts. You'll typically get a backlink and exposure to the publication's audience.

Podcast interviews. Appear as a guest on podcasts in your industry. Podcast show notes typically include backlinks, and the audio content itself increases brand mentions.

Co-created content. Partner with a complementary brand to create joint research, webinars, or guides. Both parties promote the content to their audiences, multiplying reach.

Integration partnerships. If you have a software product, integration partners often mention you on their websites, creating backlink opportunities and brand associations.

How to find partnership opportunities:

Identify non-competitive businesses serving the same audience. If you sell project management software, potential partners include time-tracking tools, communication platforms, or productivity consultants.

Look for experts with established audiences who might benefit from featuring your insights. Search for podcasts, newsletters, and blogs that regularly feature guest contributors.

Reach out with a specific collaboration idea, not a vague request to "partner." Explain exactly what you're proposing and how it benefits both parties.

How this affects AI visibility:

Partnerships create brand mentions across multiple properties. When you appear on podcasts, in roundups, and through co-created content, you're expanding the universe of sources that mention your brand.

AI engines synthesize information from across the web. The more frequently your brand appears alongside positive context on authoritative sites, the more likely AI models are to mention you in relevant answers.

Track whether your partnership activities correlate with increased AI mentions. If brand mentions rise after a podcast tour or roundup campaign, your partnerships are contributing to AI visibility.

6. Cultivate Reviews and Testimonials

Reviews influence both purchase decisions and search visibility. Google explicitly references reviews in its Quality Rater Guidelines as signals of reputation and trustworthiness. Third-party review platforms also rank well for comparison queries, creating additional touchpoints where prospects encounter your brand.

Where to cultivate reviews:

Industry-specific review platforms. G2, Capterra, and TrustRadius for B2B software. Yelp and Google Business Profile for local businesses. Identify the platforms your prospects use when researching solutions.

Google Business Profile. Essential for local SEO. Google displays star ratings directly in search results, influencing click-through rates.

Third-party directories. Industry directories often include review functionality. Ensure your listings are claimed and optimized.

How to generate more reviews:

Ask at the right moment. Request reviews after positive interactions: successful onboarding, customer support resolution, or milestone achievements with your product.

Make it easy. Provide direct links to review platforms. Remove friction from the process.

Respond to existing reviews. Acknowledge positive reviews with thanks. Address negative reviews professionally and publicly work toward resolution. This demonstrates responsiveness and builds trust with prospects reading reviews.

How this affects AI visibility:

Review sites are frequently cited by AI engines. When someone asks ChatGPT or Perplexity for "best [category] tools," AI models often pull from review aggregators like G2 or Capterra.

In our research, we found that review sites rank among the most-cited third-party sources in AI answers. If your brand has strong reviews on these platforms, you're more likely to be mentioned when AI engines synthesize recommendations.

Track which review platforms AI engines cite for prompts in your category. Prioritize building your presence on those specific platforms.

7. Create Shareable Visual Assets

Infographics, data visualizations, and original images attract backlinks because they provide value other content creators want to use. When someone embeds your visual in their article, they typically link back to the source.

Types of visual content that earn links:

Infographics. Visual summaries of data, processes, or comparisons. Well-designed infographics get shared and embedded across the web.

Original charts and graphs. If you have unique data, visualize it in a way others can reference. Charts from original research get cited frequently.

Diagrams and frameworks. Visual representations of concepts or methodologies. These are particularly effective in B2B contexts where frameworks help explain complex ideas.

How to create shareable visuals:

Focus on genuinely useful information, not marketing messages. Infographics that exist purely to promote your brand rarely get shared.

Keep design clean and professional. Cluttered visuals with too much text don't get embedded. Use a designer or tools like Canva to ensure quality.

Include embed code. Make it easy for others to add your visual to their content with proper attribution. Provide ready-to-use HTML that includes your backlink.

Promote your visuals actively. Reach out to writers covering related topics and offer your infographic as a resource. Submit to infographic directories. Share on social media and in relevant communities.

How this affects AI visibility:

Visual content indirectly influences AI citations by attracting backlinks and mentions. When your infographic is embedded across multiple authoritative sites, those sites become potential citation sources for AI engines.

AI models can't "see" images, but they can read the context surrounding embedded visuals. If your infographic appears on sites that AI engines cite, the accompanying text and attribution contribute to your brand's visibility in AI answers.

8. Leverage Social Media Strategically

Social media doesn't directly impact search rankings—Google has stated that social signals aren't a ranking factor. However, social media amplifies content distribution, which indirectly generates off-page SEO value through increased visibility and link opportunities.

How social media contributes to off-page SEO:

Content distribution. When your content gets shared socially, it reaches more potential linkers. A viral post can attract attention from bloggers and journalists who then link to your site.

Brand awareness. Social presence makes your brand more recognizable. When writers are looking for sources to cite, they're more likely to think of brands they've seen consistently.

Relationship building. Social platforms enable direct connections with journalists, bloggers, and potential partners. These relationships can lead to guest posting opportunities, expert quotes, and collaborative content.

How to use social media for off-page impact:

Share your best content consistently. Don't just post once—resurface evergreen content periodically to reach new audiences.

Engage with industry conversations. Comment on relevant posts, share insights, and participate in discussions where your expertise adds value.

Build relationships with potential linkers. Follow and engage with bloggers, journalists, and content creators in your space before you need something from them.

How this affects AI visibility:

Google's Quality Rater Guidelines mention social media 47 times. Raters are instructed to browse social media comments when evaluating reputation. This suggests social presence contributes to overall brand authority signals.

More directly, social platforms generate brand mentions that expand your digital footprint. AI models trained on web data encounter these mentions, which may influence brand recognition in generated responses.

9. Prioritize Local SEO (When Relevant)

If your business serves specific geographic areas, local SEO is essential for visibility. Local off-page signals differ from general SEO—they focus on location-specific authority indicators.

Key local off-page factors:

Google Business Profile optimization. Your GBP listing appears in local search results and Google Maps. Complete every section, add photos, and encourage reviews.

NAP consistency. NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone number. These details must be identical across every platform where your business appears—your website, Google Business Profile, Yelp, industry directories, and social profiles.

Local citations. Get listed in local business directories, chamber of commerce websites, and industry-specific local platforms. These citations build location-based authority.

How to build local authority:

Claim and optimize your Google Business Profile. Add high-quality photos, respond to reviews, and post updates regularly.

Audit your NAP consistency. Use tools like BrightLocal or Moz Local to identify discrepancies and correct them.

Build citations on relevant local platforms. Prioritize directories your customers actually use, not just any site that accepts listings.

How this affects AI visibility:

Local queries are increasingly answered by AI engines. When someone asks Perplexity "best pizza near me" or ChatGPT "top-rated plumbers in [city]," these engines pull from local review sites and directories.

If your local SEO is strong, you're more likely to appear in the sources AI engines cite for location-based queries.

10. Leverage Offline Channels for Online Authority

Offline activities generate online off-page signals. Speaking engagements, sponsorships, and industry events create content and mentions that contribute to your digital authority.

Offline activities that build online authority:

Speaking engagements. Conference talks are typically recorded and published online. They generate backlinks from event websites and content mentions in attendee write-ups.

Industry events. Hosting or sponsoring events generates press coverage, social mentions, and backlinks from event partners.

Community involvement. Local sponsorships, charity partnerships, and community events generate coverage in local media and community websites.

Networking relationships. In-person connections often lead to online collaborations: podcast invitations, guest posts, and content partnerships.

How to maximize online impact from offline activities:

Document everything. Take photos, record sessions, and gather attendee testimonials. Turn offline moments into online content.

Promote your speaking engagements. Share conference announcements on social media and your website. Create content recapping your key points after the event.

Follow up with connections. After meeting someone at an event, continue the relationship online. These connections can lead to link-building opportunities.

How this affects AI visibility:

Offline activities create online mentions. Conference appearances, sponsorships, and speaking engagements generate content across event websites, news coverage, and social media. This expands the pool of sources that mention your brand—sources AI engines may cite when generating relevant answers.

11. Track Brand Mentions and Convert Them to Links

Monitoring brand mentions serves two purposes: measuring the impact of your off-page efforts and identifying opportunities to convert unlinked mentions into backlinks.

How to track brand mentions:

Google Alerts. Set up alerts for your brand name, product names, and key personnel. You'll receive email notifications when new mentions appear.

Social listening tools. Tools like Mention, Brand24, or Sprout Social track mentions across social platforms, news sites, and blogs.

Backlink monitoring. Use Ahrefs, Moz, or Semrush to track new and lost backlinks. Monitor your backlink velocity to understand growth trends.

How to convert unlinked mentions to backlinks:

When you find an unlinked mention of your brand, reach out to the author or site owner. Explain that you noticed they mentioned your company and ask if they'd consider adding a link for reader convenience.

Keep the request simple and polite. Most authors are happy to add links—they just didn't think to do so originally.

How to track off-page signals in AI search:

Traditional brand monitoring tells you where you're mentioned across the web. But it doesn't tell you whether AI engines are actually citing those sources or mentioning your brand in generated answers.

This is where AI-specific tracking becomes essential.

With Analyze AI, you can monitor which prompts mention your brand, track sentiment across different AI engines, and see exactly which sources AI models cite when answering questions in your category.

You can also track your competitors. See which brands appear most frequently for relevant prompts and identify gaps where competitors are mentioned but you're not.

The Opportunities view shows prompts where competitors win but your brand doesn't appear—giving you specific targets for content and off-page efforts.

Finally, track which third-party sources AI engines cite most frequently. If certain domains consistently appear as citation sources, prioritize getting mentioned on those sites.

This creates a feedback loop: your off-page SEO builds authority on sites that AI engines trust, which increases your visibility in AI answers, which drives additional traffic and brand awareness.

Tracking Off-Page SEO Results in AI Search

Traditional off-page SEO metrics—backlinks acquired, referring domains, brand mentions—remain important. But they don't tell the complete story anymore.

AI search is growing. Users increasingly ask ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude for recommendations instead of typing queries into Google. If your off-page efforts don't translate into AI visibility, you're missing a growing portion of your addressable audience.

Here's how to track whether your off-page SEO is working in AI search:

Monitor AI visibility by prompt.

Identify the questions your target audience asks AI engines. "Best [your category] tools," "How to [your use case]," and "[Competitor] alternatives" are common patterns.

Track whether your brand appears in AI-generated answers for these prompts. Monitor changes over time to see if your off-page efforts correlate with visibility improvements.

Track citation sources.

Understand which third-party sites AI engines cite when answering prompts in your category. These sites represent high-value targets for your off-page efforts—getting mentioned on them means you'll appear in the pool of sources AI models draw from.

Measure AI referral traffic.

Connect your analytics to track actual traffic from AI engines. See which pages receive the most AI-referred visits and which engines drive the most sessions.

This connects off-page effort to outcomes. You can see whether increased visibility in AI answers translates to actual website visits.

Compare across engines.

Different AI engines behave differently. ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity cite different sources, mention brands at different rates, and display varying sentiment toward the same brands.

Track your visibility across engines to understand where you're strongest and where you have gaps.