The Different Types of SEO

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a set of techniques to improve how your website ranks on search engines like Google. The goal is to be as close as possible to the first result of the search engine result page (commonly called a SERP, but I’ll call it “results page”) when someone searches keywords that relate to your products or services.

SEO is a form of internet marketing and it encompasses a laundry list of details from content creation to security. However, the general idea is to strike a balance between accommodating both people and search engines. The better the search engine algorithm the more these two aims overlap.

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The vast majority of searches are with Google, so focus on Google if you are trying to get more traffic[1]. Fortunately, you don’t have to worry about whether to prioritize your website’s visitors or Google’s algorithm. Google focuses on providing search results that offer a good user experience[2].

So, you’ll be on the right track if you focus on making a website that your customers will find useful and convenient. Understanding how Google determines what makes a good user experience can be greatly aided by familiarizing yourself with its ranking criteria, as detailed in our article, Understanding Google’s 200+ Ranking Factors, which aligns perfectly with this approach.

Here, we focus on the mechanics of Google search because of its popularity.

Anytime you do a Google search, the algorithm retrieves websites that have already been indexed. It is a misconception that Google’s algorithm actually scours the entire internet at the time when your search occurs. Instead, websites are crawled and indexed beforehand. Then the results are ranked and retrieved when someone searches[3].

Before Search - Web Crawling and Indexing

The first step is web crawling. This is when the search engine visits a set of pages to collect data[4]. The part of the search engine that does the web crawling is sometimes called a spider or search engine bot. The information gathered by the web crawler gets indexed, which basically means it has been stored in a database. Google’s algorithm will filter through the index when you make a query.

After Search - Ranking and Retrieval

Once the information is indexed, the algorithm ranks results based on how well your web page fits their query along with the quality of your page[4].

When you do SEO, you want to make your website easy for web crawlers to find and index.

Why SEO Is a Foundational Part of Your Business Strategy

The core value of SEO is simple to understand, yet incredibly powerful in its impact: when someone searches for a product, service, or solution related to what your business offers, your website should be the first thing they see. If your competitors are showing up ahead of you, they’re likely the ones earning the click, the call, or the customer.

Let’s look at a real-world analogy. Imagine two coffee shops on the same street. One has a bright sign, clean storefront, and appears first in Google Maps. The other is tucked away, unlisted, and harder to find. Which one are you going to visit? SEO is what makes your digital storefront visible and appealing—ensuring that when someone searches, you get found first.

In simple terms, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of improving your website to increase its visibility in search engines like Google. But that visibility doesn’t just mean more people looking at your site—it means more of the right people, at the right time, with the right intent.

For example, let’s say you run a custom cabinet business. If someone in your area searches “custom kitchen cabinets near me,” you want your site to show up in the top results. If you’re not optimized, your competitors will be the ones that show up, and you’ll miss out on a highly motivated customer ready to buy.

SEO Is More Than Just Rankings—It’s About Revenue

Yes, higher rankings are a goal. But the real purpose of SEO is to drive traffic that converts into leads, calls, or purchases. It’s not just about being seen—it’s about being chosen. When your site appears in the top 3 organic listings, the odds of someone clicking on it are significantly higher. Studies consistently show that over 65% of all clicks go to the top three results. Less than 1% of users click through to the second page of results.

Think about this: when was the last time you went to page two of Google? Most people don’t. That’s why your placement on the search engine results page (SERP) directly impacts your bottom line.

SEO Supports Reputation, Trust, and Brand Awareness

Unlike ads, which disappear the second you stop paying, SEO builds long-term credibility. When your business appears consistently in search results, it sends a powerful message: you’re relevant, established, and trustworthy. This consistency increases brand awareness, builds recognition, and helps shape public perception.

Let’s use another hypothetical. Imagine someone searches “best roofing company in Erie” and sees your business listed in organic results, on the map, and in a few positive review articles. Even if they don’t click immediately, they now recognize your brand. The next time they need a roofer, they’re more likely to remember you.

This is how SEO fuels the marketing funnel: first, it creates visibility. Then it builds familiarity. Finally, it drives action.

SEO Improves Your Website Quality and Marketing as a Whole

Here’s something many business owners don’t realize: good SEO is actually good UX (user experience). Google’s algorithms are designed to reward websites that serve users well. That means sites that load quickly, are mobile-friendly, have clear navigation, helpful content, and answer user questions are more likely to rank.

So when you invest in SEO, you’re also investing in a better experience for your visitors. That experience often leads to higher conversion rates—even if you’re not getting millions of visitors. It’s not about volume; it’s about quality and relevance.

Let’s say you own a dental clinic and someone lands on your site after searching “emergency dentist near me.” If your site loads fast, clearly explains your services, offers online booking, and shows positive reviews—all things Google looks for—you’re not only more likely to rank, you’re more likely to earn the call.

SEO Makes Every Other Marketing Channel Perform Better

Your SEO work doesn’t live in a silo. It complements your entire marketing strategy. When your content ranks organically, your paid ads perform better. When people search your brand after seeing a social media post, they find optimized, relevant pages. When someone checks reviews and visits your site, your speed, structure, and layout increase the chance they take action.

Think of SEO as the groundwork. It sets the foundation so that when you run Facebook ads, send emails, or share on Instagram, your website is ready to receive, convert, and track those visitors.

With the importance of SEO being defined lets move into the main subtypes of SEO.

SEO can be divided up into three categories: technical, on-page, and off-page.

Technical SEO

Technical SEO refers to improving the technical parts like the code of your website[7]. Much of the focus is on web design and the makings of a quality website rather than the actual content. Making sure your site loads quickly and works on mobile devices is an example of technical SEO. It also involves structuring your website so it is comprehensible to a search engine’s web crawler. In practical terms, this includes optimizing your site’s XML sitemap, ensuring pages use clean URL structures, minimizing broken links, and making proper use of meta tags and schema markup. If search engines can't easily crawl, understand, and index your site, your content—even if it’s great—won’t rank well. Technical SEO acts like the infrastructure of your house: without a solid foundation, the walls (your content) won’t stand.

For example, imagine a bakery with an amazing menu and gorgeous cakes—but its location has no signage, confusing layout, and broken lights. That’s what it’s like having strong content with poor technical SEO. Even the best-written blogs won’t perform if your site is slow, not secure (HTTPS), or filled with crawl errors.

Google has also made Core Web Vitals a ranking factor, meaning how fast your site loads, how stable it is as it loads, and how quickly it becomes interactive are all critical. Technical SEO ensures you're not just providing great content—but that the content is delivered in a fast, accessible, and reliable way.

Examples of Technical SEO

• Organizing your website pages and navigation so pages easily internally link to each other[8].
• Accommodating web crawlers by performing audits to make sure your website is crawlable and indexable[8]
• Providing google with an XML sitemap[7]
• Making your site secure[9]
• Making sure your pages load quickly[8]
• Adding a noindex tag to duplicate or similar pages[8]
• Making your website work well on mobile[8]

On-page SEO

On-page SEO is when you optimize the actual content on the website (think “copy” or the writing on a website). It has a lot of overlap with technical SEO because it also focuses on internal linking.

On-page SEO includes everything that appears on a webpage itself—headlines, subheadings, keyword usage, paragraph structure, meta descriptions, and even image alt text. The goal is to align your content with how users search and how Google interprets relevance. You want your page to clearly answer the intent behind a search query, while also being easy for Google to crawl and categorize.

Internal linking, for example, helps guide both users and search engines to related pages on your site. This not only improves site navigation but also distributes page authority, making it easier for lesser-known pages to rank. Think of it like building a map through your website—clear internal links act like signposts that guide visitors and search engines in the right direction.

For instance, if you have a blog post on “How to Prevent Water Damage” and you link it to your main “Water Damage Restoration” service page, you’re helping both users and Google understand the relationship between your content and services. That kind of contextual linking improves dwell time, reduces bounce rate, and signals topical authority.

A dentist might publish an article titled “5 Signs You Might Need a Root Canal” and link it directly to their endodontics service page. This not only educates the patient but smoothly transitions them toward scheduling an appointment, while reinforcing the service’s importance to search engines.

A law firm could write a post on “What to Do Immediately After a Car Accident” and link it to their personal injury or auto accident legal services page. This type of internal linking supports SEO goals while helping potential clients move from general research to hiring representation.

A roofing company might publish a guide like “How to Spot Early Signs of Roof Damage Before It’s Too Late” and link that guide to their main roof replacement or repair page. This supports both user education and sales funnel movement—making it easier for someone to go from reading to requesting a quote.

On-page SEO also includes making your content scannable and accessible. This means breaking text into short paragraphs, using bullet points or numbered lists, and including relevant keywords in natural-sounding ways. When done well, on-page SEO turns static content into a high-performing, conversion-ready asset that ranks better and delivers more value to the user.

Examples of On-page SEO

• ‍‍Keyword research[9]
• Writing quality articles that answer the questions related to the keywords your customers are searching[10]
• Using keywords in the right places such as alt tags, H1 tags, meta titles and descriptions[9]
• Optimizing your images for SEO

Off-page SEO

Off-page SEO is the set of activities you do to improve your website’s search engine rankings that happen outside of your actual website. These actions send signals to search engines about the credibility, authority, and relevance of your site. One of the most common and effective examples is link building—getting other websites to link back to yours.

When another reputable site includes a link to your website, it's seen as a vote of confidence. Search engines interpret these backlinks as validation that your content is trustworthy and worth referencing. The more high-quality links you earn, the more likely your site is to rank well in competitive search results.

But off-page SEO isn’t just about backlinks. It also includes things like online reviews, social media shares, mentions in news articles, local citations, and even guest posting. These external signals help build your digital footprint and establish your brand’s authority beyond the pages of your site.

For example, if a dental practice gets featured in a local health magazine’s article titled “Top 10 Dentists in Atlanta,” and the article links to the practice’s website, that’s a powerful off-page SEO win. It tells Google this dentist is respected in their community and industry.

A lawyer might publish a guest article on a legal advice blog or be cited in a press release for a high-profile case. If those platforms link back to the firm’s website, it improves the site’s authority and can boost visibility for key phrases like “personal injury attorney near me.”

For a roofing company, being listed in local business directories like Angie’s List, HomeAdvisor, or a regional Chamber of Commerce site—with links pointing to their main website—helps reinforce their legitimacy in the eyes of search engines. Even better is earning a backlink from a trusted blog that features a roundup of “Top Roofers in the Midwest.”

Off-page SEO is essentially your reputation online. You may not fully control it, but you can influence it by producing content worth referencing, building partnerships, and engaging in your community—both online and off.

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Examples of Off-page SEO

• Link Building[12]
• Networking with influencers[12]
• Marketing on social media to link back to your website[11]
• Doing guest posts for other sites[13]

Is SEM (Search Engine Marketing) the same thing as SEO?

SEO is a subcategory of Search Engine Marketing (SEM). Search engine marketing is composed of both SEO and pay per click (PPC). SEO is about making unpaid (organic) results rank high on search results. In contrast, Pay per click is about ranking high in paid search results[14]. As a part of PPC, one bids for keywords so that your ad is shown when someone searches that keyword[14].

Local SEO

For many small and service-based businesses, local SEO is where the battle is won—or lost. Local SEO focuses on optimizing your digital presence so your business appears in search results when someone in your area is looking for the products or services you offer. These searches often include location-specific terms like “near me” or the name of a city, and they usually come from users who are ready to take action.

Think of someone searching for “emergency dentist near me” or “roof repair in Erie.” These aren’t casual searches—they’re intent-driven, and they often lead to a phone call, a booking, or a visit that same day. That’s the power of local SEO: it targets people who are actively looking for what you offer in your service area.

Local SEO involves many of the same strategies as general SEO, including technical optimization, on-page improvements, and off-page link building. However, it also introduces location-specific elements like managing your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business), creating dedicated location landing pages, and producing locally-relevant content.

Your Google Business Profile plays a critical role. It’s what populates the “Map Pack”—the top 3 business listings shown above the standard search results when someone searches for local services. Optimizing your profile with accurate hours, categories, photos, services, and regular updates can make the difference between getting found or getting ignored.

Location pages are equally important. These are pages on your website that focus on a specific service + location combination. For example, if you serve multiple towns, each page should be optimized for searches like “Roof Replacement in Meadville” or “Criminal Defense Attorney in Crawford County.” These pages help Google match your business with hyper-local intent.

Here are some industry-specific examples:

A dentist might create separate location pages for each practice area they serve—like “Family Dentistry in Cambridge Springs” or “Emergency Dental Care in Erie.” They can also write localized blog posts like “What to Do If You Chip a Tooth in Meadville” to drive more geo-targeted traffic.

A law firm may develop city-specific service pages such as “DUI Attorney in Titusville” or “Estate Planning Lawyer in Albion,” which are optimized for both legal service keywords and local intent. They might also collect and showcase local client testimonials to build credibility with nearby audiences.

A roofing company could benefit from local SEO by publishing service pages for “Metal Roof Installation in Conneaut” and “Storm Damage Roof Repair in Edinboro,” complete with project photos, neighborhood-specific FAQs, and service area maps. Adding before-and-after images from real jobs in that city also builds local trust.

Another key part of local SEO is NAP consistency—your Name, Address, and Phone number. These details need to be identical across your website, directory listings, social media profiles, and review platforms. Inconsistent information can confuse search engines and hurt your local rankings.

Local SEO is one of the most profitable areas of digital marketing for small businesses because it focuses on high-intent, geographically targeted traffic. Whether you operate a single location or serve multiple towns, showing up in local search results ensures that nearby customers find you first—before your competitors.

SEO for E-commerce

E-commerce SEO is about optimizing SEO on product and product category pages for online stores. You’ll do things like discovering popular keywords for your products by using Amazon Suggest[17]. SEO for e-commerce involves a unique set of challenges and opportunities compared to traditional service or content-based websites. Because online stores often have hundreds—or even thousands—of products, your goal is to make each one discoverable in search engines without creating duplicate content or thin pages. That means your strategy must be scalable, structured, and data-informed.

Keyword research is foundational. Tools like Amazon Suggest, Google Autocomplete, and platforms like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Surfer SEO can help you identify the exact phrases people use when looking for products. For example, someone may search for “black running shoes size 11 men’s” instead of just “running shoes.” Understanding long-tail, buyer-intent keywords is key to driving qualified traffic that converts.

Once you’ve mapped your keyword strategy, the next step is to apply it to individual product pages and category pages. Product page SEO includes writing unique, compelling product descriptions—not just copying manufacturer blurbs. You should also optimize your title tags, meta descriptions, image alt text, and internal linking between related products or collections. The goal is to make each page rankable and user-friendly.

Category pages often have more ranking potential than individual product pages because they target broader, high-volume search terms. For instance, a category page titled “Women’s Hiking Boots” can outrank dozens of single product pages if it’s optimized well. You’ll want to structure it with an H1 headline, intro text explaining the collection, and internal links to featured products or subcategories. Structured data (like product schema) can also help search engines understand your product details more clearly.

Another critical element is site architecture. You need a clean, logical navigation structure so that both users and search engines can move easily from home to category to product with no confusion. A flat architecture—where most pages are accessible within 3 clicks from the homepage—helps ensure proper crawlability and indexing.

Technical SEO becomes especially important in e-commerce because of how many URLs your site generates. Filters, variations (like size or color), and sorting options can create duplicate content or thin pages that hurt your rankings. Implementing canonical tags, setting up crawl rules, and using proper URL parameters can prevent these issues.

Site speed and mobile usability are make-or-break factors for e-commerce SEO. Online shoppers are notoriously impatient—if your site doesn’t load fast or isn’t easy to navigate on a phone, they’ll bounce to a competitor. Google's Page Experience metrics (including Core Web Vitals) are directly tied to how your pages perform in search.

User-generated content, like reviews and Q&As, also helps strengthen product pages by adding fresh, keyword-rich content and building trust. Plus, reviews often include keywords you might not have targeted yourself, which expands your long-tail visibility organically.

Here’s a quick example: imagine you sell kitchen appliances online. Optimizing a product page for “Stainless Steel 4-Slice Toaster” with a descriptive title tag, high-quality photos, original copy, reviews, structured data, and links back to the “Kitchen Appliances” category can dramatically increase its visibility. Then, you target your “Toasters” category page for higher-volume phrases like “best countertop toaster” or “4-slice toaster for bagels.”

And don’t forget international SEO if you sell globally—using hreflang tags, local domain variations, and language-specific content ensures you reach the right customers in the right country.

Ultimately, e-commerce SEO is about creating a seamless connection between how people search, how your site is structured, and how well your product pages answer those searches. Done well, it can become the highest-ROI traffic source in your entire marketing strategy—delivering consistent, qualified, purchase-ready visitors to your store without ongoing ad spend.

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[1] “Search Engine Market Share in 2023 [Jun ’23 Update] | Oberlo.” Accessed: Jul. 29, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.oberlo.com/statistics/search-engine-market-share

[2] C. Interactive, “SEO vs User Experience: What Does Google Care About?” Accessed: Sep. 25, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.commonplaces.com/blog/seo-vs-user-experience-what-does-google-care-about

‍[3] “SEO 101: What is it, and why is it important? The Beginner’s Guide to SEO,” Moz. Accessed: Sep. 22, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://moz.com/beginners-guide-to-seo/why-search-engine-marketing-is-necessary

‍[4] “How Search Engines Work: Crawling, Indexing, and Ranking - Beginner’s Guide to SEO,” Moz. Accessed: Sep. 22, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://moz.com/beginners-guide-to-seo/how-search-engines-operate

‍[5] “87% of shoppers now begin product searches online,” Retail Dive. Accessed: Sep. 22, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.retaildive.com/news/87-of-shoppers-now-begin-product-searches-online/530139/

‍[6] E. Bailyn, “Google Click-Through Rates (CTRs) by Ranking Position in 2023,” First Page Sage. Accessed: Sep. 19, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://firstpagesage.com/seo-blog/google-click-through-rates-ctrs-by-ranking-position/

‍[7] “What Is Technical SEO? Basics and 10 Best Practices,” Semrush Blog. Accessed: Jul. 28, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.semrush.com/blog/technical-seo/

‍[8] “Technical SEO: The Definitive Guide,” Backlinko. Accessed: Sep. 25, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://backlinko.com/technical-seo-guide

‍[9] J. Owen, “The Difference Between Technical Seo, On-page Seo, And Off-page Seo,” Click Intelligence. Accessed: Sep. 25, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.clickintelligence.co.uk/difference-between-technical-seo-on-page-seo-and-off-page-seo/

‍[10] “A Complete Guide to On-Page SEO [Updated for 2023].” Accessed: Sep. 18, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://careerfoundry.com/en/blog/digital-marketing/on-page-seo/

‍[11] J. Hughes, “Off-Page SEO Checklist: 10 Tactics to Rank Higher in 2023,” Themeisle Blog. Accessed: Sep. 25, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://themeisle.com/blog/off-page-seo-checklist-wordpress/

[12] “Off-Page SEO: What It Is & Why You Need It [+a Helpful Checklist].” Accessed: Sep. 25, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/off-page-seo

‍[13] “6 off-page SEO strategies for small businesses worth implementing.” Accessed: Sep. 18, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://keap.com/business-success-blog/marketing/seo/6-off-page-seo-strategies-for-small-businesses-worth-implementing

‍[14] “SEO vs. SEM: What’s The Difference?,” Backlinko. Accessed: Sep. 25, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://backlinko.com/hub/seo/seo-vs-sem

‍[15] “A Comprehensive Guide to Local SEO in 2023.” Accessed: Sep. 25, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/local-seo

‍[16] E. Brady, “How to Craft Unique and Helpful Location Pages,” BrightLocal. Accessed: Sep. 25, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.brightlocal.com/learn/local-seo/local-search-optimization/location-pages/

‍[17] “Ecommerce SEO: The Definitive Guide [2023],” Backlinko. Accessed: Sep. 26, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://backlinko.com/ecommerce-seo