3 Primary Types of Search Engine Optimization Explained

There’s a reason why search engine optimization is now mainstream. Increased competition, changing consumer behavior, cost-effective marketing, and measurable are only some of the reasons that have contributed to the widespread adoption of SEO as an essential marketing tool in today’s digital landscape. It’s important to know that search engine optimization is a complex process that takes months or even years for significant results to be seen, even with the help of a professional team. 

Still, whether you’re a freight unloading service provider or a college student starting a lifestyle website, if you’re thinking about joining the bandwagon, here’s what you should know about the three primary types of SEO. 

On-page SEO 

On-page SEO is all about the optimization of individual web pages to enhance their visibility and relevance in search engine results pages (SERPs). 

Here are some top techniques for doing this:

  • Keyword research. Identifying the keywords and phrases that potential customers are using to search for products or services related to a website 
  • Content optimization. High-quality, relevant, and engaging content optimized for relevant keywords 
  • Internal linking. Linking to other pages on the same website
  • Meta tags. HTML tags that contain information about a web page

Off-page SEO 

Off-page SEO is all about the activities done outside of a website to enhance its search engine ranking and visibility. 

Here are some top techniques for doing this: 

  • Link building. Acquiring backlinks to a website from other high-authority websites
  • Social media marketing. Sharing valuable content to attract more traffic to a website
  • Content marketing. High-quality content that gives value to a target audience to increase engagement 
  • Online reputation management. Responding to customer reviews, and managing online listings to build trust and credibility 

Technical SEO 

Technical SEO is all about the optimization of a website’s technical elements to make it more search-engine friendly.

Here are some top techniques for doing this: 

  • Site architecture optimization. Getting website pages organized in a logical hierarchy so that navigation is easy to use and understand
  • URL optimization. URLs that are short, descriptive, and contain relevant keywords
  • Page speed optimization. Optimizing a website’s code, images, and other assets so that the site loads quickly and efficiently
  • Mobile optimization. Optimizing a website for mobile devices, including responsive design, mobile-friendly navigation, and optimized images
  • Schema markup implementation. Structured data on a website’s pages that help search engines understand the content to improve the visibility of rich snippets in search results

When putting together a plan to enhance your website’s visibility on search engine results pages (SERPS), keep in mind that these three types of SEO are interconnected, and a comprehensive SEO strategy should include all three. A website that is optimized for on-page SEO but lacks strong off-page and technical SEO is unlikely to rank well in search engine results pages. Similarly, a website that has strong off-page SEO but lacks on-page optimization and technical SEO may also struggle to rank well. So a balanced and comprehensive approach is necessary to achieve the best results.