Introduction
In the Part 1 and Part 2 of this series, we laid a solid SEO foundation and implemented advanced on-site strategies to make your enterprise WordPress site more visible, engaging, and technically sound.
Now it’s time to take your SEO efforts beyond your website. In this final part, we’ll cover the
- Adding structured data (schema markup) to enhance search visibility and click-through rates
- Continuously optimizing performance to keep your site fast and secure
- Building authority with a sustainable off-page SEO strategy and high-quality backlinks
- Implementing international and multilingual SEO to reach a global audience
1. Add Structured Data (Schema Markup)
Structured data (also known as schema markup) helps search engines like Google understand what your page is really about. It enhances listings with rich snippets like FAQs, reviews, and product prices and often improves click-through rates by 20–30%.
Types of Structured Data to Use
- Article: Use for blogs or news. Shows the author and publication date.
- Product: Ideal for eCommerce—adds price, stock, and rating.
- FAQ: For pages with question-answer formats.
- Breadcrumb: Helps show site hierarchy in search.
- Review: Adds customer ratings or testimonials.
- Schema.org offers many more types of structured data suited to different content types. You can explore the full list here: https://schema.org.
Tools for Implementation & Testing
Schema Markup Validator
Screenshot: Schema Markup Validator
This tool helps you validate your structured data to ensure it’s formatted correctly in JSON-LD or Microdata formats. It detects missing or wrongly applied properties.
Rich Results Test
Screenshot: Rich Results Test
This is Google’s official tool that checks if your structured data can generate rich snippets in search results.
2. Continuous Performance Optimization & Maintenance
A fast and well-maintained WordPress site keeps visitors engaged and helps your content get discovered more easily. Let’s look at some key points that we need to keep in mind to keep your site running at its best.
Host Website on a High-Speed, Scalable Server
Choose a hosting provider known for speed and reliability. These services automatically scale your resources during traffic surges, which means your site remains fast even during high-demand periods like major campaigns or product launches.
Use a CDN to Deliver Assets Worldwide
A Content Delivery Network (CDN) stores copies of your site’s files across global servers. When a visitor loads your page, they receive content from the server closest to them.
Ongoing Speed Optimizations to pass core web vitals
- Optimize Site Load Time: To keep your website fast and user-friendly, regularly monitor Core Web Vitals—Google’s key performance metrics:
- LCP (Largest Contentful Paint): Measures how fast the main content loads.
- CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift): Tracks layout stability while loading.
- INP (Interaction to Next Paint): Replaces FID in 2024 to measure how quickly your site responds to clicks or taps.
- Improving these helps with both SEO and user experience. Common fixes include compressing images, reducing unused code, and limiting third-party scripts.
- Use WordPress caching plugins: Caching plugins like FlyingPress, W3 Total Cache, or WP Rocket help by storing a static version of webpages. Because the server doesn’t generate the page afresh on every visit, load times can be dramatically reduced, sometimes by more than 50%.
- Minimize CSS and JS: Reducing the size of your CSS and JavaScript files helps your website load faster and perform better. This is done by removing unnecessary characters like spaces, comments, and formatting without changing how the code works.
- Key benefits of minifying include
- Speeds up page load time
- Improves Core Web Vitals scores
- Lowers data usage for users
- Boosts user experience and engagement
- Key benefits of minifying include
- Optimize Images (use WebP, compress with TinyPNG): Switching to formats like WebP or AVIF can reduce image files by around 25–40 percent. Tools such as TinyPNG can further compress images without noticeable quality loss. Properly sized images are critical for fast, responsive pages.
- Enable Gzip and HTTP/2 for Faster Transfers: Gzip compression reduces the size of text-based files, while HTTP/2 enables servers to deliver multiple files simultaneously. Together, these technologies speed up file delivery and improve overall performance.
- Lazy Load All Non-Essential Elements: Lazy loading defers the loading of images, videos, and iframes until they become necessary, speeding up initial page rendering. Modern browsers support loading=”lazy” natively. This approach significantly improves perceived performance without compromising experience.
- Keep All Plugins, Themes & WordPress Core Up-to-Date: Outdated or unsupported software can slow your site and increase vulnerability to hacking. Regular updates ensure smooth performance, stronger security, and compatibility with optimization tools and technologies.
- Optimize WordPress Database Regularly: Over time, databases accumulate clutter, like post revisions, spam comments, and transients. Plugins like WP-Optimize clean out this digital debris, improving database speed and overall site performance.
Tools to Monitor and Improve Page Speed & Core Web Vitals
- PageSpeed Insights: Real-user performance data
- Google Search Console: Tracks site-wide Core Web Vitals
- Chrome Lighthouse & Web Vitals Extension: Built directly into the Chrome browser and can be accessed through DevTools (the Inspect panel). Which evaluates performance accessibility, SEO, etc.
- GTmetrix: Speed and visual performance audits
3. Building Authority Beyond Your Website
Off-page SEO focuses on building your site’s reputation and authority beyond its content, primarily through backlinks.
Strategic off-page SEO is essential for standing out in search and earning trust from both users and search engines.
Performing Competitive Analysis to Spot Link Opportunities
Before you build links, you need to know where to get them. This starts with analyzing your competitors’ backlink profiles to spot opportunities you might be missing.
Use tools like
- Ahrefs
- SEMrush
- Ubersuggest
These tools allow you to
- Discover niche-specific websites that link to your competitors (ideal for guest posting or partnerships)
- Uncover broken backlinks for which you can offer better content to replace those dead links.
- Learn what content formats (e.g., blogs, infographics, guides) earn the most links in your industry.
Develop a Link Strategy That Matches Your Goals
Not all links serve the same purpose. Whether you want to boost product visibility, improve domain authority, or increase overall rankings, your link-building strategy should align with specific business objectives.
Ask yourself:
- Do I want to rank a particular page?
- Am I trying to build authority in a niche?
- Is my goal to improve referral traffic or brand awareness?
Choose your approach wisely.
Build Foundational Backlinks (Directories, Citations)
Before chasing high-authority publications, lock down the basic opportunities. Foundational backlinks are the “low-hanging fruit” that establish credibility.
These help Google confirm your business is legitimate and connected to a real location or niche.
Try getting a backlink from
- Business Directories: Register your site on reputable business directories such as:
- Google Business Profile
- Yelp
- Clutch
- Crunchbase
These platforms help verify your business identity, increase online visibility, and even generate customer leads.
- Local Citations
If your business serves specific cities or regions, submit your details to local business citation sites and chamber of commerce directories. Consistent name, address, and phone number (NAP) across listings helps improve local SEO. Examples: - Industry-Specific Listings
Choose directories relevant to your niche:- For design or marketing agencies: DesignRush
- For medical professionals: Healthgrades or Practo
These listings not only give you valuable backlinks but also help potential customers find you in targeted searches.
Launch Guest Blogging Campaigns on Niche Sites
Guest blogging remains one of the safest and most sustainable link-building methods in 2025, when done right. These:
- Target relevant niche blogs with engaged audiences
- Personalize your pitch, showing familiarity with their tone and past content
- Link back naturally to useful content on your site (not just your homepage)
Create linkable assets that naturally attract links
You can’t earn good links without creating great content. Linkable assets are content pieces designed to attract natural backlinks due to their quality, originality, or usefulness.
Examples include:
- Data-driven industry reports
- Ultimate guides
- Infographics or interactive visuals
- Templates, checklists, and calculators
According to Backlinko’s 2024 Content Study, long-form, data-backed content gets 77.2% more links on average.
Build Campaigns Around Existing High-Value Content
Instead of starting from scratch, focus on content that’s already performing well. These pages have proven value, so giving them an extra push with backlinks can lead to even better rankings and traffic.
Use tools like Google Search Console or GA4 to:
- Identify high-performing pages; look for those with strong traffic or impressions.
- Check their keyword rankings. Understand which terms they’re showing up for in search results.
- Spot link gaps; prioritize pages that rank well but have few backlinks. These are often easier to boost with strategic outreach.
Example: If a blog post on your site ranks on page 2 for a valuable keyword, building a few strong backlinks to it might push it to page 1.
Create Infographics to earn backlinks.
Infographics are still an underrated way to build backlinks, especially when paired with manual outreach.
How to run a campaign:
- Design a stunning, data-rich infographic
- Reach out to relevant blogs in your niche.
- Offer to write a short post to go with the infographic on their site.
- Get a backlink in return.
Tools like Canva can help you create professional visuals in minutes.
Turn Brand Mentions into Backlinks
Sometimes, websites mention your brand but don’t link back. Reclaim these mentions with a friendly outreach email.
Use tools like:
Politely ask for a backlink where your brand name is mentioned. Most site owners are happy to oblige if your brand is already included.
Leverage Digital PR to Earn High-Quality Backlinks and Brand Mentions
Digital PR blends traditional media outreach with SEO strategy. Instead of just asking for links, you’re offering valuable insights, research, or stories that journalists genuinely want to feature.
By contributing expert commentary or unique data, you can earn links from major publications like Forbes, TechCrunch, or Business Insider—all of which carry high authority in Google’s eyes.
Useful platforms to connect with journalists:
- HARO (Help a Reporter Out) – Respond to real journalist queries.
- Quoted – Share expert quotes with reporters on deadline.
- Terkel – Contribute answers that get featured in articles.
Develop a Free Tool to Attract Natural Backlinks
One of the most effective ways to earn backlinks passively is by offering a free, helpful tool that others in your industry want to share. Tools that simplify tasks, solve a common problem, or help users get quick results are highly linkable.
People naturally link to resources that save time or add value, especially when they’re easy to use and reliable.
Examples of Free Tools That Earn Backlinks:
- Mortgage calculator – Popular on finance and real estate blogs.
- ROI calculator – Ideal for SaaS and marketing websites.
- Keyword clustering tool – Valuable for SEO professionals and digital marketers.
To make the most of your tool:
- Keep it user-friendly and mobile-friendly.
- Add a lead capture form or email opt-in to grow your mailing list while offering value.
- Promote it through blog posts, guest posts, and social media for initial visibility.
Tracking and Managing Backlinks to Protect Your Site
Getting backlinks is important, but keeping your backlink profile clean is just as crucial. Over time, websites naturally collect links from all kinds of sources, and not all of them are good for your site.
Some may even hurt your SEO if they come from spammy or untrustworthy domains.
How to Track and Maintain Link Health:
- Monitor Backlink Profile Health Regularly
- Run regular audits using tools like Ahrefs, Ubersuggest, or SEMrush. These show which sites are linking to you and flag suspicious domains.
- Audit Backlinks for Spam or Toxic Domains
- Look out for sudden spikes in backlinks, especially if many come from unrelated or low-quality websites. This could indicate negative SEO or bot spam.
- Google’s Disavow Tool is used to remove harmful links:
- Use Google’s Disavow Tool (with caution) to tell Google to ignore harmful links pointing to your site. This should only be done if you’re sure the links are affecting your rankings and you can’t get them removed manually.
4. Optimize for a Global Reach using International and Multilingual SEO
If you’re expanding your website to target users in different countries or languages, it’s essential to optimize for international and multilingual SEO.
This helps search engines serve the right version of your content to the right audience and improves visibility across different regions.
Here’s how to approach it step by step:
1. Choose Target Locations Through Data and Research: Before making your website multilingual, use tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to find out:
- Which countries drive the most traffic to your site?
- What languages do your visitors speak?
- Which pages are popular in which regions?
This data will help you prioritize the right language and country combinations for targeting.
- Define Target Countries and Languages: After gathering data, decide whether your goal is to reach
- Different countries (e.g., Canada vs. India)
- Different languages (e.g., Spanish in Mexico vs. Spain)
This step helps shape everything from keyword selection to content formatting and URL structures.
- Choose a URL Structure for International Targeting: Your website should differentiate versions for each language or country. Google recommends one of the following structures:
- Country Code Top-Level Domains (ccTLDs): Ideal for strong local targeting, but harder to scale. E.g.: example.fr, example.de
- Subdomains: Useful for separating different language versions, but may require more effort to build SEO equity. E.g: fr.example.com or en.example.com
- Subdirectories: Easy to manage and maintain authority from one domain. E.g: example.com/fr/ or example.com/en-us/
- Localized slugs: Great for creating keyword-rich, location-specific content. E.g: /mejores-hoteles-en-madrid/ or /best-restaurants-in-italy/.
- Conduct Multilingual Keyword Research: Translation is not enough. People in different countries search differently, even for the same topic. Use localized keyword tools like:
- SEMrush’s Keyword Magic Tool
- Ahrefs Keywords Explorer
- Google Keyword Planner (location/language targeting)
Target queries that people use in their language and location.
- Implement Hreflang Tags Correctly: Add hreflang attributes to your pages to tell Google which language and region each version of a page is meant for. This avoids duplicate content issues and ensures the correct version is served to users.
Example: <link rel=”alternate” hreflang=”fr” href=”https://example.com/fr/” />
- Translate Content Properly: There are three key strategies when translating content:
- Translation: Word-for-word conversion (okay for technical content)
- Transliteration: Adjusts how words sound or are written (e.g., names)
- Transcreation: Creative adaptation of content, tone, and context to suit local culture (best for marketing content)
Avoid machine translation without review, as poor-quality translation hurts SEO and user trust.
- Use Canonical Tags to Prevent Duplicate Content: If different language versions of a page are similar, add canonical tags to indicate the primary version. This prevents search engines from indexing multiple versions of nearly identical content.
Example: <link rel=”canonical” href=”https://example.com/en/product-page” />
- Build Local Backlinks: Backlinks from websites based in your target country strengthen your site’s visibility in that region. Look for:
- Local Directories
- Country-specific forums or media
- Partnerships with local bloggers
Example: If targeting Spain, backlinks from .es domains or Spanish-language news sites boost credibility with Google’s local algorithms.
Conclusion
Enterprise WordPress SEO isn’t a one-time task; it’s an ongoing process. It starts with getting your site technically sound, well-structured, and filled with useful content. But once your site goes live, the real work begins.
You’ll need to regularly optimize pages, build quality backlinks, and focus on giving users the best experience possible. With constant changes in search algorithms and user behavior, staying visible means tracking results, testing new approaches, and adjusting your strategy as needed.
With all three parts of this checklist, you now have a comprehensive roadmap to scale your SEO efforts and keep your enterprise WordPress site ahead of the curve in 2025 and beyond.
