When I help businesses grow their SEO, it’s common for people to ask me this question:

“So, what’s the difference between on-page and off-page SEO?”

Here are some examples from work we have done for clients in Perth and beyond.

Seasons Bali came to us in December 2023 for a full overhaul of both their on-page and off-page SEO.

Their traffic from search engines alone was up 182% on the previous month. Read on to see how we did it.

On-Page SEO: The Backbone of Your Success

In simple terms, on-page SEO is just like constructing a building; it is everything you need to shape inside your page. So here is how we apply this with real clients:

Technical Elements

Kid Speak is a speech therapy clinic in Perth that we work with.

Here is what principal speech pathologist Bianca Chaney said about the results:

“I just wanted to touch base to let you know the SEO campaign has been really effective. We have now been at full capacity for a few months and I am at the point where I am struggling to fit in new enquiries.”

These were some of the key on-page elements we worked on:

Content Structure

In a proven content strategy, you’ll find a carefully designed title structure, accurate meta descriptions, focused keyword positioning, plus a phone-friendly layout.

These make content both easy to read and search-engine optimised, available on all sorts of devices, especially mobile.

Technical Setup

The technical setup plays a crucial role in website performance, focusing on things like speed optimisation, XML sitemaps, and a strong internal linking structure

These aspects help search engines crawl and index the site efficiently while improving overall functionality.

User Experience

User experience is as important as anything else, with mobile responsiveness, clear navigation, and quick load times.

You want a site that everyone can access easily, whatever device they are reading on.

A continuous experience will keep your visitors well and truly glued to the site for longer visits.

Off-Page SEO: Building External Authority

Off-page SEO is like your company’s reputation in the community: it shapes how others see and engage with your brand online. Here’s how we did this with All Things Nice, an e-commerce company.

“We started out with no rankings and traffic and quickly grew by being on the first page in the top positions for lots of our target keywords,” says Emma Higgins of All Things Nice.

Here’s what helped them succeed:

Authority Building

• Quality backlink acquisition
• Industry partnerships
• Online PR initiatives
• Community engagement

Social Signals

• Brand mentions
• Social media engagement
• Online community participation
• Industry forum presence

The On-Page and Off-Page Synergy

Both approaches have value, and One Shade is a good example. We worked on both fronts at the same time.

Tom Broomhead, their Shade Sails Manager, said:

“The continuing support that we receive has convinced us that signing the original SEO marketing agreement with them has been one of the best decisions we have made to keep an edge over our competition.”

Here’s how we achieved both:

On-Page Focus:

On-page attention consists of content quality enhancements, tech optimisations, site structure benefits, and user experience refinements.

These ingredients make sure the website is nicely organised, simple to browse, and optimised both for online search engines and site visitors.

Off-Page Activities:

Off-page refers to actions taken outside of your own website to impact your rankings within the search engine results page (SERP) and to build authority in your industry.

Such endeavors work to build credibility, raise awareness, and improve the site’s trustworthiness throughout the industry.

Measuring Success: The Numbers Tell the Story

Now let’s look at some results, starting with Dental O So Gentle.

As Daniella Posner, their Marketing Manager, says:

“Since we started with Peter we have seen wonderful results for our SEO ranking and our website. He is honest, quick and has achieved things no other company had.”

Key metrics we track:

On-Page Success Indicators:

On-page successes can be measured by page load times, bounce rates, time on site, and pages per session.

These metrics give a glimpse into user engagement, performance metrics of your site, and the overall effectiveness of your content.

A well-optimised and user-friendly website should have faster load times and lower bounce rates, as well as more time on site and pages per session, which means that visitors find the content valuable and engaging.

Off-Page Success Markers:

Off-page success markers have to do with growth in domain authority, referring domains, brand mentions, and social signals.

It is a great sign of credibility and trust if you see an increase in domain authority and if high-quality referring domains are linked to you.

Increasing mentions of your brand, along with social signals like shares and interactions, show the increasing influence of the site and its presence on digital platforms.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Through working with numerous businesses like Landscapes WA, I’ve observed common pitfalls in both areas:

On-Page Mistakes:

On-page errors can range from poor mobile optimisation and slow loading speeds to duplicate content and weak internal linking.

These problems can lead to poor user experience, lower search engine rankings, and decreased overall site performance.

Off-Page Mistakes:

Off-page errors relate to poor backlinks, neglected reviews, inconsistent citations, or no social presence.

Such factors can undermine a website’s credibility, visibility, and even authority-building capability within its niche.

The Implementation Timeline

Nic Russell, Director at Landscapes WA:

“The website you guys designed, built and carefully optimised has been brilliant for our business. We get so much work from it.”

A typical timeline for seeing results is as follows:

On-Page Changes:

• Technical fixes: 1-2 weeks
• Content optimisation: 2-4 weeks
• Initial results: 4-8 weeks

Off-Page Activities:

• Authority building: 3-6 months
• Relationship development: Ongoing
• Reputation growth: 6-12 months

Industry-Specific Considerations

Working with Harrison’s Landscaping for over 10 years has taught me that different industries need different approaches. As Josh Harrison notes: “I’ve always been really happy with the results. You’re in safe hands.”

Service Industries:

• On-Page: Service pages, location-specific content
• Off-Page: Local citations, customer reviews

E-commerce:

• On-Page: Product descriptions, category structure
• Off-Page: Product reviews, marketplace presence

Future-Proofing Your SEO Strategy

Paul Summers from Summers Legal experienced our full approach firsthand:

“Very professional approach and delivered top notch results within the estimated time.”

To maintain long-term success:

On-Page Maintenance:

• Regular content updates
• Technical audits
• User experience monitoring
• Performance optimisation

Off-Page Growth:

• Relationship building
• Authority development
• Brand reputation management
• Community engagement

Making the Right Choice for Your Business

As Paul Cook from iCOAT WA observed:

“I have seen a marked improvement with my SEO.”

The key is finding the right balance between on-page and off-page efforts for your specific situation.

Consider these factors:

• Current website status
• Competition level
• Industry requirements
• Available resources

Final Thoughts

On-page and off-page SEO both matter for your success online. As Wayne Ford from 4D Projects says: “Thanks, Pete, you’ve been a massive help with 4D Projects over the years!”

You don’t have to choose between on-page and off-page SEO. They work together. If you would like to know how this applies to your business, we’re happy to talk it through.