When we want to operate on a large scale, a back office is essential. SEO is no exception! What are SEO back offices? Why is it worth investing in them? What should they include? And, most importantly, how should they be created? You'll find the answers to these and other questions in the text below. We invite you to read on!
Among the many activities that underpin online marketing, one of the key is SEO . It used to be a relatively unsophisticated art. Website optimization was based on simplified guidelines, a proliferation of keywords, numerous links inserted haphazardly, and text that was difficult for the recipient to digest. The principle of "quantity over quality" was applied.
As a result, the web began to be flooded with "pretzels" that sounded delicious—worthless content that served as links to SEO-friendly websites . To call them "unpalatable" would be an understatement...
In 2012, Penguin (a search engine algorithm update) came along and cleaned things up. The clutter of links from cluttered pretzels, the promotion of low-quality sites and questionable sources, was eliminated. As a result of these cuts, sites with little substantive value suffered sharp declines in Google rankings—a slow death.
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In 2016, Penguin was incorporated into the search engine's core algorithms and its real-time activity sowed panic among "junk links," taking SEO to an even higher level.
How does this translate to SEO ? They've become not only an essential tool for proper website positioning, but also a source of engaging content for audiences.
This is a hot topic that's generating a lot of emotion! We'll elaborate below. Before we dive in, let's start with a good baseline.
SEO support – what is it?
A SEO resource is a specially created website or collection of websites with content dedicated to a specific brand, industry or issue.
We offer various types of SEO resources, including blogs, forums, and microsites with product subpages. These sites display links to the domain(s) being promoted. Their goal is to support the SEO process , i.e., to compete for top organic search results, and to increase the website's authority.
Additionally, we receive support for marketing activities and building brand awareness. However, it's worth remembering that the main goal of the backend is to build and improve the quality of the link profile, not, for example, generate visits to the client's website.
Google's algorithms use incoming links to decide where a website should rank. They also consider the words it contains to be more valuable and worth quoting.
Good to know…
A website shouldn't rely solely on a single type of link. It's also important to diversify them, for example by utilizing the SEO services of SEO firms.
The entire linking strategy (including determining the number of links added) is developed by the digital marketing agency at the beginning of the collaboration, and it may change during the contract period. This is influenced, for example, by changes in the Google algorithm.
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What should an SEO plan include?
Above all, it should be "a good word." We mean more than just well-written texts that answer audience questions and spark their interest in a specific topic or product. Back-end texts must also be SEO-friendly, contain keywords, and be on-topic.
Long ago, so-called link farms were popular—sites consisting essentially of website addresses. However, a lack of content meant that they ceased to be an effective SEO method , and as a result, they were relegated to the dustbin of SEO history.
Well-formed letters are essential, but their proper presentation, in other words, their broadly defined creation, is also crucial. To enhance the material, you can use photos, infographics, pictures, quotes, tables, or videos. Additional elements are welcome but not essential.
Google indexes backend sites, so there's a chance someone will find them through a search engine. Done well, they can be indistinguishable from a professional website—to anyone other than SEO experts, of course.
Good to know…
If you want to spruce up your backend, add alternative descriptions to your images. Google sees them, so someone might find you that way too. Also, remember that backend images follow similar rules as those on other websites – for this reason, they shouldn't be too heavy to avoid slowing down the backend service.
While a blog isn't the ideal SEO resource, it's still worth adding new, unique content periodically and connecting your domain to analytics tools like GSC or GA. This will allow you to see how searches, clicks, and traffic are performing. We probably don't need to mention the dofollow attribute in links accessible to web crawlers.
SEO resources – the most popular link sources
Links, i.e. references that, when clicked, redirect us to another (sub)page, are divided into:
- inside – allowing for efficient movement within one domain and deepening the topics that interest us,
- Outside – referring to external websites; we distinguish spontaneous links, which are the result of sharing interesting content by Internet users, and those planned by SEO specialists and marketing.
Where can I get external links? What are their possible sources? Popular ones include:
- Internet forums – necessarily related thematically to the topic we're linking to. It's recommended to engage in dialogue with internet users and post links in response to their questions.
- Comments – this point has already been touched on in the sentence above. It's worth leaving them not only on forums, but also, for example, under interesting articles related to "our industry."
- Catalogues – both well-known and local, covering a specific industry. Thanks to them, we can further promote our company and brand on a broader scale.
- Guest articles – valuable educational materials published, for example, on a blog outside of your website. Most often, adding an active link depends on an agreement with the website where the entry will appear. We distinguish between permanent links and temporary links (for example, for a year).
- Sponsored articles – focused on website promotion, usually with one or two links. The rate we pay for sponsored content depends on the website's reputation, the scope of services included in the contract, the specific industry, location, and duration of the collaboration.
- Own facilities – with links to promoted sites. Content creation costs should also be added to the costs of maintaining them, unless you want to write them yourself.
- Partner sites – on which our company logo may appear with a link to the website.
- Social media – they do not directly translate into an increase in position in SERPs, but they increase traffic to the website.
We have already described this topic in more detail in the text: Where to link the website?
Building an SEO base – what structure?
Backends can take many forms, but their goal is always the same: They are to generate positively rated links that influence their profile, and consequently, the website's rating and visibility. A good backend is an effective backend. Ultimately, Google decides how it is perceived.
There are various approaches to creating a set of backends that are Google-friendly. We present three of them below.
Creating an SEO backend – which domain?
SEO requires choosing the right domains and servers. By "right," we mean valuable and responsive websites that will be regularly updated with quality content.
Good to know…
When choosing a domain, it's worth focusing on the keyword phrase you want to optimize. It's helpful if it also reflects the website's topic, but this isn't absolutely necessary.
We can decide on:
- new domain – i.e. one where no services existed before. Positioning It may last longer than a domain on the secondary market, but its history will be written from scratch by you. This way, you don't have to worry about any potential bad past or penalties,
- domain from the secondary market – you should choose a domain that already exists and has a similar theme. Sites that are (usually) known to search engines can boast higher authority, but you should check whether they have been penalized by Google in the past – this would tie your hands when it comes to effective SEO.
Regardless of whether you decide to purchase a new domain or one from the secondary market, remember to ensure proper security – updates, purchasing SSL certificates and strong passwords for the administration panel.
SEO support from an expert's perspective
There's a difference between building SEO resources and a SEO specialist's link building strategy, and a client's independent efforts to acquire links . What's the difference? Joanna Michalska, Executive SEO Specialist at Verseo, shared this with us:
" Our clients ask about acquiring links, for example, through sponsored articles or using industry portals or legacy websites to promote their services. We always approach these issues individually and evaluate them in the context of each specific case. It's worth clarifying these issues during the link acquisition planning stage—not after the fact!"
Obtaining a link is one thing, but its impact on the website's visibility is another... Why?
"In the context of SEO, links can be divided into those that perform as expected and increase visibility, and those that do nothing for it or even harm it! It's crucial to assess the benefits and risks of acquiring a link. If you don't feel confident in SEO and aren't inclined to risky experiments, it's better to rely on proven SEO specialists. Link acquisition is included in the SEO contract with Verseo, " adds Michalska.
Below are tips from Asia on how to use the “old domain” to support your main website:
- install a user-friendly CMS and secure your website,
- Treat your back office like a mini-service for your industry. Well-organized categories and carefully selected article topics are your allies,
- write unique content (or have it written by a skilled copywriter),
- add graphics and other extras to make the content more attractive,
- take care of the friendly URL of the subpages of the entries where the links will appear,
- make sure the backend can be indexed by Google web crawlers,
- Add analytics and a sitemap.xml file. Treat your backend with care, like a full-fledged website, not just a subservient, supporting site.
- don't turn your backend into a link farm and don't exaggerate with the number of links,
- remember to renew your domain – an expired domain is of no use,
- links must have the dofollow attribute.
Summary
The above article covers the following topics:
- The article explains the principles of creating a valuable SEO base in accordance with the modern guidelines of the Penguin algorithm, which eliminates low-quality links in favor of substantive content.
- SEO resources are a network of thematic websites used to build a strong link profile and improve the position of the website in search results.
- An effective SEO base should be based on unique, optimized content enriched with multimedia and the diversification of external links from forums, articles and directories.
- Building an SEO infrastructure requires selecting valuable domains – new or from the secondary market with a clean history – and ensuring their security and regular updating with relevant content.
- Professionally building an SEO base requires an individual strategy based on unique content, correct indexing, and treating each domain as a fully-fledged industry website, which allows you to avoid penalties from Google.
