What are the 4 types of SEO? and how to rank at the top

There are 4 types of SEO or search engine optimization: on-page, off-page, technical and local. Each has its own specific purpose and methodology. On-page SEO is the practice of optimizing your website’s content, structure, and other factors to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). Off-page SEO is the process of optimizing your website’s external properties (e.g., backlinks) to improve its ranking. Technical SEO refers to the optimization of a website’s internal architecture and infrastructure for the purposes of improving search engine visibility. And finally, local SEO is the practice of optimizing a business’s online presence for customers in a particular geographic area.

In this article we will talk through these 4 types of SEO and why they are important to your SEO marketing.

1. On-page SEO (on-site SEO) 

On-page SEO, or on-site SEO, is the process of optimizing your website’s content, structure, and other factors to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). It is the most important type of SEO, as it refers to the measures you can take on your own website to improve your ranking. On-page SEO includes optimizing your titles, meta descriptions, header tags, optimized content, page speed, images, and other elements that affect how your site appears in search engines.

What is on-page SEO and why is it important?

There are many different factors to consider when optimizing your site for SEO, but the most important is creating valuable content that will entice people to click through to your site from the SERPs. You also need to make sure that your site is easy to navigate and that all of your content is correctly labeled and organized. Additionally, you should use keywords throughout your website to help improve your ranking for those terms and promote topical authority.

While on-page search engine optimization can be a lot of work, it’s essential for improving your website’s visibility and driving more traffic to your site.

What are the most common on-page SEO mistakes to avoid?

There are several things to keep in mind when tackling your on-page SEO. We recommend hiring an SEO consultant to help identify the various SEO items that will make the biggest impact on your on-page SEO. The most common on-page SEO mistakes to avoid are:

1. Not including relevant keywords in your content.

2. Not using the correct keyword density (avoid keyword stuffing).

3. Not optimizing your titles and meta descriptions.

4. Not optimizing your images.

5. Making your website difficult to navigate.

6. Not using anchor text correctly.

7. Not interlinking between content on your website.

How can you track the results of your on-page SEO efforts?

Wordpress SEO consultant - 4 types of SEO

Once you’ve implemented on-page SEO changes, it’s important to track the results to see if they’re having the desired effect. There are a few different ways to track your on-page SEO efforts:

  1. Use Google Search Console to track the number of keywords a page is being found for, the number of impressions, and the number of clicks. Google Search Console will also provide you with any errors that need to be addressed.
  2. Use Google Analytics to measure how much traffic is coming to your site from organic search results. I recommend looking at a per-page basis. Keep in mind that Google ranks web pages individually, not websites. Filter down the traffic coming from organic search.
  3. Use a tool like Moz or SEMrush to track how your website’s ranking position in the SERPs for specific keywords has changed over time. These tools will also provide you with backlink activities which is a key search signal.
  4. Use a tool like Screaming Frog or Xenu’s Link Sleuth to audit your website’s links and identify any areas that need improvement.
  5. Monitor how long people are spending on your website and which pages they’re visiting most frequently.
  6. Compare your website’s bounce rate with that of your competitors.
  7. Look at the percentage of people who are converting on your website after arriving from organic search results.

What’s the future of on-page SEO?

On-page SEO is a critical component of any successful SEO strategy, and the future of on-page SEO looks bright. With Google’s ever-changing algorithm, it’s more important than ever to make sure your website is optimized for search engines. Here are four on-page SEO trends that you should be aware of in the coming year:

Mobile optimization will become increasingly important.

As more and more people use their mobile devices to search the web, it’s important to make sure your website is optimized for these users. This means having a responsive design that looks great on all devices, as well as ensuring that your content is mobile-friendly.

The importance of voice search will continue to grow.

With the rise of voice-activated assistants like Siri and Alexa, it’s no surprise that voice search is becoming more popular. This means that you need to optimize your website for voice search, which is different than traditional text-based search.

Visual content will become more important.

As people continue to consume more content on social media, it’s important to make sure your visual content stands out. This means using high-quality images and videos, as well as interesting infographics.

The importance of backlinks will remain unchanged.

Although the algorithm for determining Rankings has changed over the years, one thing remains constant: the importance of backlinks. In order for your website to rank highly in search results, you need to have high-quality backlinks from other websites. This means creating great content that other people will want to link to.

Optimized SEO content will accelerate due to the use of AI tools.

AI tools can help you create optimized content that ranks higher in search results. They can also help you track your website’s performance and find potential improvements.

If you want to stay ahead of the competition, it’s important to use AI tools to optimize your SEO strategy.

By keeping these on-page search engine optimization trends in mind, you can make sure your website is well-positioned for success in the coming year.

2. Off-page SEO (off-site SEO) 

Off-page SEO (or off-site SEO) is the process of improving the ranking of a website on search engines through measures that are not directly under the control of the site owner. This includes link building, social media engagement, and branding. Off-page SEO can help increase your website’s search engine traffic by improving your ranking in SERPs.

One of the most important aspects of off-page SEO is link building. In order for your website to rank highly in search results, you need to have high-quality backlinks from other websites. This means creating great content that other people will want to link to.

Another important aspect of off-page SEO is social media engagement. By sharing your content on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, you can reach a larger audience and drive more traffic to your website.

Finally, branding is also an important part of off-page SEO. By creating a strong brand identity, you can make your website more visible and memorable to potential customers.

All of these link-building efforts contribute to how trustworthy your website is which can affect where Google places your content in the SERPs. Link building is a balance of quantity and quality. Please don’t just go buy a pile of cheap links you don’t know anything about. 🙂

3. Technical SEO

Technical SEO is the process of optimizing a website for search engines by improving its structure, coding, and Semantic markup. This includes optimizing page titles, meta descriptions, header tags, and images.

One of the most important aspects of technical SEO is website structure. By organizing your website’s content in a logical way, you can make it easier for search engines to index and rank your pages.

Another important aspect of technical SEO is coding. By making sure your website’s code is clean and error-free, you can avoid any penalties from Google.

Finally, Semantic markup is also an important part of technical SEO. By adding semantic tags to your website’s code, you can help Google better understand your content. This can improve your website’s ranking in search results.

Here are a few key technical SEO items to discuss with your SEO expert:

  • Website structure
  • broken links
  • meta tags
  • negative SEO
  • Google’s search algorithm changes
  • If your pages are indexed by Google bots
  • Internal linking focused on topic groupings
  • Code quality
  • Page speed
  • Semantic markup

4. Local SEO

Local SEO is all about optimizing a website for users in a specific geographic area. This can include optimizing the website for certain keywords that are relevant to the area and improving the website’s rank in local search results.

Local SEO is important for businesses that want to attract customers in their local area. It can be used to promote products and services and to generate leads and sales.

There are several things businesses can do to improve their local SEO ranking, including:

  • Optimizing the website for relevant local specific keywords
  • Creating a Google Business Profile (aka: Google My Business) listing and optimizing it
  • Creating local pages on the website, and optimizing them
  • Submitting the website to local directories
  • Promoting testimonials and reviews

If you are a small business offering services in a local market, you can’t ignore this. Local SEO can help you stand out from your competition and attract more customers. Chances are when your customers are looking to hire a local business, they still will jump to Google and ask for a list of businesses they can vet.

Wrap up 4 types of SEO

There are many things to consider when looking at what types of SEO contribute to your ranking and how to focus on white hat SEO efforts, and avoid grey hat SEO and black hat SEO. By hiring an SEO expert to help navigate the 4 types of SEO, you can ensure your website follows Google’s search engine guidelines and enhances your digital marketing efforts. The right SEO techniques and SEO strategies will set your website up for future growth.

Avatar of Mike McKearin

Mike McKearin

Mike McKearin is an experienced SEO specialist with 15 years of experience in the industry. With a deep understanding of search engine algorithms and digital marketing strategies, Mike has helped numerous clients achieve their SEO goals and increase their online visibility. During Mike's career, he has worked on a variety of projects related to SEO, including optimizing websites, conducting keyword research, and developing content strategies. He has a proven track record of success, achieving significant increases in website traffic, leads, and revenue for his clients and helping businesses improve their online presence and reach a wider audience. Mike has earned several certifications in SEO and digital marketing, including Google Analytics, AdWords, SEMrush, and HubSpot Inbound Marketing. In addition, he has received awards and recognition for his contributions to the industry. To learn more about Mike's work, visit his portfolio at mikemckearin.com, where you can see examples of his successful campaigns and results. With his expertise and experience in the field, Mike is committed to helping businesses achieve their SEO goals and reach their full potential online. Connect with Mike on LinkedIn and Twitter. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemckearin/ https://twitter.com/mckearin
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    About the author

    Mike McKearin is the CEO at WE•DO | SEO Expert | Adventurer | Optimist

     

    Mike has a long history in the world of SEO, studying it and testing various methods for over two decades now. When he's not working on his business or being a dad, Mike loves to go on adventures with his family - they live in the beautiful state of North Carolina and love exploring all that it has to offer. He's an optimist who believes that anything is possible if you set your mind to it, and he wants to help others achieve their dreams through WE•DO

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