The Off-Page SEO & Local Authority Protocol
A technically perfect website is a powerful engine. But even the best engine is useless without roads leading to it. Off-Page SEO is the process of building those roads—highways of trust and authority that tell Google your website is a premier destination. This is my protocol for engineering that authority.
Protocol Sections
Phase I: Foundational Authority Building
This protocol applies to any business aiming for national or global reach. The goal is to build a powerful brand and a high-quality backlink profile that Google recognizes as a mark of industry leadership.
- Competitor Backlink Audit
- Reverse-engineering the link profiles of top competitors.
- Link Gap Analysis
- Identifying high-authority domains linking to competitors but not to us.
- Linkable Asset Plan
- Strategizing content (guides, tools, data) designed to attract links.
- Digital PR Outreach
- Promoting data-driven content to journalists and publications.
- Guest Posting (Quality)
- Securing placements on highly relevant, authoritative industry blogs.
- Resource Page Links
- Getting listed on curated pages of industry resources.
- Broken Link Building
- Finding broken external links on other sites and suggesting our content as a replacement.
- Unlinked Mention Reclamation
- Finding mentions of our brand and requesting a link be added.
- Podcast & Interview Links
- Appearing on industry podcasts to earn links and brand exposure.
- Brand Mention Monitoring
- Setting up alerts to track all online mentions of the brand.
- Social Profile Optimization
- Ensuring all social profiles are complete, branded, and link back to the site.
- Reputation Management
- Monitoring and managing reviews on platforms like Trustpilot or G2.
Phase II: Local Dominance Protocol
For businesses serving a specific geographic area, winning the “Map Pack” is non-negotiable. This protocol focuses on hyper-local signals that tell Google you are the definitive authority in your city or region.
Google Business Profile (GBP) Optimization
- GBP Claim & Verification
- Ensuring full ownership and control of the listing.
- Primary & Secondary Categories
- Selecting the most accurate and comprehensive categories.
- NAP Consistency
- Name, Address, Phone are 100% consistent with the website.
- Service Area Definition
- Clearly defining the geographic areas served.
- Geo-Tagged Photos
- Uploading high-quality, location-tagged photos of the business.
- Business Description
- Crafting a keyword-rich, compelling description.
- Services/Products List
- Building out the full list of services or products with descriptions.
- Google Posts Strategy
- Weekly posting of offers, updates, and events to keep the profile active.
- Q&A Seeding & Management
- Proactively adding and answering common questions.
Local Citation & Link Building
- Citation Audit
- Finding all existing online citations and checking for NAP consistency.
- Citation Building
- Building new citations in top-tier and niche-specific local directories.
- Local Sponsorships
- Sponsoring local events or teams to earn high-quality local links.
- Chamber of Commerce
- Acquiring a link from the local Chamber of Commerce.
- Local News & Bloggers
- Outreach to local media for features or mentions.
Local Review Strategy
- Review Generation Plan
- Creating a systematic, non-incentivized process to ask happy customers for reviews.
- Review Response Protocol
- Responding to all reviews (positive and negative) professionally.
- Review Monitoring
- Setting up alerts for new reviews on GBP and other key local sites.
Authority is Engineered, Not Found
High rankings are a direct result of the trust Google has in your brand. This protocol is my systematic approach to building that trust. It’s the essential second half of a truly effective digital strategy. If you’re ready to not just exist online, but to dominate your market, let’s connect.