Types of SEO & How to Use Them Strategically: The Ultimate Guide for 2024

When it comes to boosting your website’s visibility, search engine optimization (SEO) is essential. But with so many strategies out there, understanding the different types of SEO is key to developing an effective approach. SEO isn’t a one-size-fits-all tactic; it’s a combination of methods that work together to improve your rankings and online presence.

You might wonder, how many types of SEO should you focus on? 

There are several, each addressing different aspects of your website’s performance. On-page SEO ensures that your content is optimized for search engines, while off-page SEO focuses on building authority through external factors like backlinks. Technical SEO ensures that your website runs smoothly, making it easy for search engines to crawl and index. Then, there’s local SEO, which helps businesses reach customers in specific geographical areas.

Understanding these various types allows you to create a balanced strategy that covers all bases, ensuring that your site isn’t just optimized but optimized well. This guide will walk you through the essentials of each type, helping you navigate the complexities of SEO with confidence.

Before jumping on the types of SEO, let’s under what is SEO. 

SEO is the process of optimizing the web pages and the website to rank higher in the search engine result page (SERP). The main aim of SEO is to bring more and more organic traffic by considering Google Search Engine guidelines.

Different Types of SEO in Digital Marketing

SEO is a complex process. It consists of hundreds of rules, and it is essential to follow all the rules simultaneously. To make this process simple, here are the different types of SEO you must know. 

1. On-page SEO

On-page SEO deals with the SEO activities that take place on the website. It only has to do with the content of your website and how it should appear in front of the user. Your content should be your priority. That’s why SEO experts suggest on-page SEO as the first step in the world of SEO. 

On-page SEO strategies include:

• Title Tags: These are the titles that appear in search engine results and browser tabs. A well-crafted title tag should be concise, typically under 60 characters, and should accurately reflect the content of the page. It’s important to include the primary keyword for the page within the title tag to signal relevance to search engines.
• Meta Descriptions: Meta descriptions are summaries of your page’s content that appear under the title in search engine results. Although they don’t directly impact rankings, a compelling meta description can significantly improve click-through rates. Aim for about 150-160 characters, and include a call to action or highlight a unique value proposition.
• User-friendly URLs– The URLs should be easy to understand and user-friendly. The primary keyword must be there in the URL.
• Keyword Research– Before jumping on to the content, it is better if you do proper keyword research.
• Keyword Optimization: Keywords should be naturally integrated throughout your content. Focus on placing the primary keyword in key areas like the title, first paragraph, headers, and throughout the body text. Avoid keyword stuffing, which can harm your rankings, and instead aim for a balanced approach that prioritizes readability.
• Header Tags (H1, H2, etc.)– Headers are used to structure content, making it easier for both users and search engines to understand. The H1 tag should clearly define the main topic of the page, while the H2 and H3 tags help break down content into manageable sections. Proper use of headers enhances readability and helps search engines better index your content.
• Internal Linking: Internal links connect different pages on your website, helping both users and search engines navigate your site more easily. By linking related content, you can guide users to more in-depth information and help search engines understand the structure of your site. This can also improve the ranking of linked pages by distributing authority.
• Outbound links– External links or outbound links are the links pointing to the web pages of some other website apart from the one they are given. The quality of external links plays a significant factor in the ranking of your website.
• Schema data– Google crawlers understand schema data much better than the actual content of the web page. You should create schema data for every post. You can take the help of the Structured Data Testing tool for making the schema data. It is one of the best free SEO tools.
• Image optimization– Optimized images offer faster loading of web pages. You can use descriptive alt text that includes relevant keywords so that if your image fails to load, the user gets an idea of the image. Alt text helps search engines understand what the image is about and improves accessibility for users who rely on screen readers. Additionally, optimized images can appear in image search results, driving more traffic to your site.
• Social media buttons– People are more active on the social media platform than on any other internet platform. Ensure your blog or page has social media buttons with sharing options.
• Readability check- If a 12-year-old can read your content. Well, it means that the readability of your content is good enough, and everyone can read it.

On-page SEO is the starting point for a solid SEO strategy, laying the groundwork for the other types to build upon.

2. Off-page SEO

Off-page SEO deals with the activities outside your website. It is all about the promotion of your post and website. You can’t move on to off-page SEO unless you have completed the activities of on-page SEO. You can’t depend on off-page SEO without correct on-page SEO. The main purpose of off-page SEO is to create a strong online reputation that search engines recognize, which then improves your site’s credibility and ranking potential.

Off-page SEO strategies include:

• Link building– Link building is one of the most effective off-page SEO strategies. Try bringing authority links to your website through content partnerships, guest blogging, and other outreach efforts because backlinks and links from trusted sources ensure work as a vote of confidence and indicate to Google or any search engine that your content is valuable and trustworthy.
• Referring domains– The domains from which a backlink to your website is coming are known as referring domains. Ensure you take do follow links from high-authority websites.
• Dofollow and Nofollow– Dofollow links are those that pass on SEO value or “link juice” from the referring website to the linked website. On the other hand, Nofollow links do not give SEO value or pass “link juice” to the website. Most websites mark backlinks as Nofollow.
• Guest Posting– Guest Posting or Guest Blogging is posting on other websites. You can give the links to your website in the guest post. It ensures organic traffic.
• Brand mentions– Brand mentions mean mentioning the names of famous brands in your post. It increases the trustworthiness of your website among the users as well as Googlebot. Search engines consider mentions as an indicator of your brand’s relevance and authority. Ensure your business information is consistent across all platforms, including local directories and industry-specific websites.
• Commenting– Commenting is an old-fashioned way of bringing traffic, but even today plays a vital role in seeking the right audience.

Off-page SEO requires ongoing effort and strategic planning. Still, the rewards in terms of higher search engine rankings, increased traffic, and greater brand authority make it a crucial component of a well-rounded SEO strategy.

3. Technical SEO

Technical SEO, as the name suggests, deals with the technical activities of the web page or website. It focuses on optimizing the backend structure of your website to ensure it meets the requirements of search engines and delivers a seamless user experience. Technical SEO mainly focuses on the fact that search engine crawlers can crawl your website easily.

Technical SEO strategies include

• HTTPS or Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)– You should use HTTPS or Secure Socket Layer to provide security to the website. It maintains privacy by encrypting the data between the website and the user. Websites with SSL certificates use HTTPS, which is now a ranking factor for Google and it also boosts credibility.
• AMP– Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) delivers the content at high speed on mobile devices.
• Preferred domain– Every domain has four versions. That is https with www, https without www, Http with www, and Http without www. Set a preferred domain version to prevent the website from duplicity. Along with this, don’t forget to set up canonical URLs so that the content is duplicated.
• Page Speed– Page load time plays a vital role in the ranking factor. Search engines like Google prioritize fast-loading websites because users generally abandon slow pages. Optimize your images, enable browser caching, and use content delivery networks (CDNs) to improve site speed.
• Sitemap.xml– An XML sitemap is a file that consists of all the web pages, posts, and images of your website. It helps search engines understand the structure of your website and discover new or updated pages. You need to update it every time you add a new page to your website. It helps ensure that all your web pages are getting crawled and indexed.
• Structured Data (Schema Markup): Structured data, or schema markup, is a code added to your website that helps search engines understand the content better. It can enhance your search listings with rich snippets, such as star ratings, product prices, or event details, making your pages more appealing in search results.
• Robots.txt– The robots.txt file consists of those URLs which you don’t want the search engine to crawl.
• Website structure- The structure of the website should be easy to understand by the user because it’s the first impression on the user. All the menus, headings, colors, images, and everything should be set accordingly.
• 301 redirection- If you have changed the URL of some web page or deleted the web page. It is your foremost duty to give the 301 redirections. It refers to moving the web page completely.
• Fixing broken links– Broken links or dead links create a wrong impression on the user as well as Googlebot. Keep checking for the broken links and provide a 301 redirection in its place.
• Mobile-friendly website- With the majority of search traffic coming from mobile devices, it is your priority to make your website mobile-friendly. The font, menus, tabs, headings, and images should be responsive, meaning it adjusts and performs well on all screen sizes. Google’s mobile-first indexing also means that the mobile version of your site is considered the primary version.

Technical SEO is not limited to the activities mentioned above. It’s a whole lot of a process that you need to understand. For more information regarding technical SEO, you can refer to our complete guide on Technical SEO.

4. Local SEO

Local SEO is just for local businesses.  When you search for shops near me, a list of the top three or top five shops appears. How do you think they appear at the top? The simple answer is Local SEO. If you have a business website, your goal should be to get customers for your local store.  

If the name of your store appears at the exact time when people are looking for stores near them, consider your work done completely. 

Local SEO strategies are somewhat different from the regular SEO that we do. Those who are new to Local SEO consider Google My business listings as everything. But Local SEO is not limited to this.

Local SEO is not just a type of SEO. It is an entirely different process.

The Local SEO strategies include:

• Google My Business Optimization: Google My Business (GMB) is a free tool that allows businesses to manage their online presence across Google, including Search and Maps. Optimizing your GMB profile is crucial for local SEO. You should mention the Name, Address, Phone number (NAP), and hours of operation of your business on the website for people and search engines to reach you easily. Add photos, respond to reviews, and post updates to improve your local visibility.
• Local Keyword Research– Here, keyword research does not refer to choosing a keyword and then starting a business. Instead, it refers to adding the most searched keywords related to your business in your content. Search for local keywords like “best wedding photographer in Los Angeles.”
• Mobile-friendly website– While you are traveling stop at a point searching for the best restaurant nearby. You don’t search with your PC or laptop. You take your mobile phone out and search for the same. That’s the reason why your website has to be mobile-friendly. Try to focus more on the mobile-friendliness of your website.
• Optimize homepage– The homepage of your website gets the maximum attention. Add the NAP citations, images, and Google map showing your location.
• Optimize the tags– Optimize the heading tags, meta description, and meta title. Create a user-friendly URL and, most important, the content of your website. Try to add more images and alt tags to the images. Add high-volume keywords.
• Local reviews– How do you differentiate between the top three coffee shops near you? Generally, we differentiate on the basis of reviews. Local reviews play an important role in uplifting the value of the business and attracting clients. People look for reviews, get the direction of your store, and look for your contact information. Positive reviews build trust with potential customers and influence local search rankings. So, encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews on your Google My Business profile and other relevant review platforms.
• Schema markup– Google understands the language of schema markup much better. Create a schema markup of all the web pages of your website using the Structure data testing tool. If your schema markup is proper, there is are 90% chance of your business coming to the top.

5. Video SEO

Video SEO is the process of ranking up the videos.

What do you prefer, reading a long 2000-word article or watching a 180-second video? I am not sure about you, but I prefer watching a video and then a jump to reading an article. Do people watch all the videos? The answer is a simple no. 

People only watch the top 5 or top 10 videos related to their search. The top 10 results that appear on YouTube when you perform a particular search are because of video SEO.

Video SEO strategies include:

• Video title and description optimization– The title, as well as the description, holds equal value. The title should be catchy and should have the keyword. The description should clearly describe what the video is about.
• Add video transcript– Inserting a video transcript means converting the video into text. Search engines are not so advanced that they can watch the video. Video transcripts are the captions alongside the video. They help search engines understand the content of the video. Google crawlers crawl the video transcript and then rank the video. So ensure you add keywords as well in the transcripts.
• Related thumbnail image– Thumbnail images play an important role in attracting viewers. The thumbnail image should be eye-catchy, engaging, and related to the video.
• Video sitemaps: A video sitemap is a specialized XML sitemap that helps search engines index your video content. By submitting a video sitemap, you ensure that search engines are aware of your video content, increasing the chances of it appearing in search results. Include important details such as the video title, description, duration, and thumbnail URL in the sitemap.
• Social shares– You can’t entirely depend on SEO. Promote your video on various social media platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Twitter (Now X) to gain more traffic. The more your video is shared, the more visibility it gains, which can positively impact your SEO.
• Video schema markup– Video schema markup is precisely like a structured data markup. It includes name, description, thumbnail URL, duration, transcript, content URL, embeds URL, and upload time. Google, Bing, and Yahoo support video schema markup. You can create the Video schema markup using the Structured Data Testing Tool.
• Duration– Don’t create long videos. Keep the length in mind. People usually opt for videos with lesser duration.

6. Voice SEO

The laziness of human beings in typing has made Voice search a new trend. Voice SEO refers to optimizing the website for searches performed by voice assistants. Navigation searches are the top voice searches. 

Voice search contributes 20-25% of the total annual searches. People tend to ignore the importance of voice SEO and realize it later. Voice assistants are used more for giving commands. 

For example, setting the alarm, a reminder, and calling someone.  Siri, Google Assistant, and Cortana have made it easier for mobile users to ask any question (by voice). 

Voice SEO is not entirely different from the point of general SEO. The strategies are quite the same.

Voice SEO strategies include:

• Targeting Conversational Keywords: Voice search queries are often longer and more conversational than traditional text searches. To optimize for voice SEO, focus on long-tail keywords that mimic natural speech. For example, instead of targeting “best restaurants,” you might optimize for “What are the best restaurants near me?”
• Optimizing for Question-Based Queries: Many voice searches are in the form of questions, such as “How do I bake a chocolate cake?” or “What’s the weather like today?” Create content that answers specific questions directly. This can improve your chances of appearing in voice search results. Add FAQ sections on your website that address common queries related to your industry.
• Aim for featured snippets– When a user performs a voice search, the voice assistant currently reads out the featured snippet. Optimize your content for featured snippets. Take the help of tools like Answer the public and keywords everywhere to find the most asked questions. Keep the answer short and simple. Don’t add difficult vocabulary. Your answer should be clear.
• Optimize for local searches– Around 35% of voice searches are for businesses nearby. Therefore optimizing your local SEO is of much importance. Your Google My Business page must be up to date. It should have NAP citations, including the time at which your store opens and closes.
• Structured data markup– Voice assistant doesn’t go through every result from the top 10 results. It reads out the first result. Structured data markup can help your web page to come in the top result.
• Readability– The content should be in easy, natural language.  It should be readable by a kid in class 7^th. Voice searches do not contain vast vocabulary. It is how we speak with each other, and we speak with each other in our natural language. Write what you speak. Do not include fancy words in your content.
• Natural Language Content: Write content that mimics the way people naturally speak. Use simple, conversational language and avoid overly technical jargon. The more your content reflects natural speech patterns, the better it will perform in voice search.

7. Mobile SEO

Mobile SEO is not an option or just a type of SEO. Instead, it is a necessity. Mobile phones are always the top priority when it comes to traffic. Mobile SEO refers to optimizing the website as per mobile and tablet usage.  

Almost 60-65% of traffic comes from mobile phones, which is a large number.  The number is enough to give an idea of why Mobile SEO is important.

Mobile SEO strategies include:

• Google Mobile-first Indexing– This means that Google uses the mobile version of the content for indexing as well as raking the website.  Earlier, Google only used the laptop version, but now it is considering the Mobile version of the website. Your website should be responsive as per the screen on which it opens. The phrase mobile-first signifies that the mobile version is given priority while ranking a website.
• Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP): AMP is an open-source initiative designed to make web pages load faster on mobile devices. Accelerated Mobile ages are used for delivering the data at the fastest speed. It offers a faster experience for mobile users. It is the most crucial mobile content strategy. AMP uses an AMP HTML code, which is a subset of HTML code, to enhance the user experience.  Implementing AMP can lead to better rankings in mobile search results, especially for content-rich pages like blogs and news articles.
• Page Speed– A user waits for a maximum of 5 seconds for the site to load. If it takes time to load it, close it, and jump on to some other site. A website takes time to load if there is unnecessary coding of CSS and JavaScript, and it is not minified in a single file. The bounce rate increases, which leads to zero traffic. You can use Google Page Speed Insights. It tells you about the speed of your website on every screen (laptops and mobile phones).
• Page Load Time– It is the amount of time a website takes to appear entirely on the screen. You can decrease the page load time of your website by optimizing the images, keeping less amount or necessary plugins, and installing a cache plugin.
• Google Search Console– GSC allows you to check for mobile usability issues and offers suggestions to remove the same. For example, GSC tells you about the number of views from mobile phones and if the font is too small for the users.

8. Content SEO

Content SEO is not at all a different concept. It refers to involves creating and optimizing high-quality content to improve your website’s visibility and rankings in search engine results. Content SEO is essential because content alone is capable of deteriorating the ranking of the website. 

Content SEO strategies include:

• Keyword research– Before creating the content, do proper keyword research and find out the high volume keywords. Search for primary, secondary, long tail and LSI keywords. The keyword density should be between 1-2%. However, avoid keyword stuffing; prioritize readability and context over excessive keyword use.
• Creating High-Quality, Valuable Content: The foundation of content SEO is producing content that provides genuine value to your audience. This includes informative blog posts, how-to guides, case studies, and other forms of content that address the needs and interests of your readers. High-quality content is original, well-researched, and engaging, encouraging users to stay on your site longer and explore more of your offerings.
• Content Structure and Readability: The headings under the content should be organized logically for both user experience and SEO. Use clear headings (H1, H2, H3), bullet points, and short paragraphs to improve readability. Well-structured content helps search engines understand the hierarchy and relevance of your information, making it easier for them to index and rank your pages.
• Link building– Add internal and external links to your websites. Reach out to trusted websites and get a backlink from them.
• Content-Length and Depth: While there’s no universal rule for content length, longer, in-depth content often performs better in search rankings. Comprehensive articles that thoroughly cover a topic tend to be more valuable to readers and are more likely to rank for multiple keywords. However, the content should remain focused, well-organized, and free of fluff.
• Content promotion– Promote your content on Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, and Instagram to attract the audience.
• Quality is the priority– Don’t go for quantity. Delete the old content if you find it not so appealing because quality matters the most. Blog posts should have fresh content. It should not be copied from any other sources because Google crawler finds out and penalizes your website.

9. News SEO

There is fierce competition among the various news websites. Just like other websites, News websites also require SEO for better ranking. 

News SEO focuses on optimizing content specifically for news-related searches and Google News. This specialized form of SEO is crucial for publishers, media outlets, and blogs that produce timely content.

News SEO strategies include.

The goal of News SEO is to ensure that your articles are indexed quickly, rank well in search results, and appear in news aggregators like Google News.

Key strategies for News SEO include:

• Timeliness and Relevance: News SEO requires producing content that is timely and relevant to current events. Search engines prioritize fresh content, so being among the first to publish a story can give you a significant advantage. Ensure that your articles are not only quick to publish but also provide unique insights or information that stands out from competitors.
• Compelling Headlines: Craft concise, keyword-rich headlines that capture the main point of the article. Headlines should stay within 110 characters to avoid truncation in search results. Incorporate relevant keywords naturally for better rankings.
• Structured Data (NewsArticle Schema): Use the NewsArticle schema to provide search engines with clear details about your content. This approach increases the chances of appearing in rich results like top stories carousels.
• Be available on Google News– Google News is the best way for beginner websites to uplift themselves. But not every website can take its place in Google news. For your website to come in Google News, it should have the unique and latest content, clean site structure, clear bylines, and accurate publication dates, and it should also have crawlable HTML Google value keywords, domain authority, social sharing, and category authority.
• Fast Indexing: Ensure quick indexing of news articles. XML sitemaps, Google Search Console’s URL inspection tool, and consistent publication schedules help achieve faster indexing.
• Mobile Optimization: With many users accessing news via mobile, ensuring a mobile-friendly site is essential. Responsive design, quick loading times, and a seamless mobile experience improve rankings.
• Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness: Establish your site’s authority by publishing high-quality content, sourcing reliable information, and showcasing clear author credentials. Trust signals like HTTPS and transparent contact information boost credibility.
• Engaging Content Formats: Use multimedia elements such as videos, images, and infographics to enhance articles. These additions create a more engaging experience and help your content stand out.

If your website is on WordPress, you can use the News SEO plugin.

10. Ecommerce SEO

Ecommerce SEO refers to optimizing the eCommerce website for a higher ranking. eCommerce SEO is a more complex process than all other types of SEO. It is easy to rank other websites, but it is slightly hard to rank an eCommerce website. 

You have a lot to handle in eCommerce SEO. It does well with the three main types of SEO: on-page, off-page, and technical SEO.

Ecommerce SEO strategies include:

• Product Page Optimization: Optimize product titles, descriptions, and meta tags with relevant keywords. Craft unique and compelling descriptions that highlight product features and benefits. Ensure each product has an original description to avoid duplicate content.
• User-Generated Content (Reviews): Encourage customer reviews on product pages. Reviews add fresh content, build trust with potential buyers, and influence rankings. Prominently display reviews to enhance credibility and engagement.
• Structured Data for Products: Implement structured data (schema markup) to help search engines understand product information. This approach can result in rich snippets in search results, displaying product prices, availability, and ratings, which improves click-through rates.
• Site Architecture for E-commerce: Create a clear, logical site structure with well-organized categories and subcategories. This strategy improves user experience and allows search engines to crawl and index pages more efficiently.
• Duplicate Content Management: Address duplicate content issues common in e-commerce sites. Use canonical tags to indicate the preferred version of a page or consolidate similar products onto a single page with variations like color or size.
• On-page SEO– A perfectly optimized website ranks higher. It includes a meta title, description, keywords, and LSI keywords and makes use of short URLs. Involvement in internal and external linking. Link the high-priority pages of your website with each other. Authority links coming to your website increase the value of the website.
• Technical SEO- Technical SEO is important for almost every website. But it is doubly important for eCommerce websites. Ecommerce websites consist of lots of pages, and their management without disturbing each other can only be achieved by technical SEO.
• Images and videos- Add the images of the product and the videos on how to use them. Customer-reviewed videos can also be added to the website.
• Title and Description- Give the title and description of every product and service.  Add the modifiers like best, discount, free shipping, and guarantee in the title. The description should consist of smaller to more important details like discounts, deals, payment, and methods. The description tag should also include phrases like buying & getting free, free shipping, and great selection.

This concludes all types of SEO you need to know to improve your search performance.

Is Black Hat SEO or White SEO a Type of SEO?

Most people have this misconception that black hat SEO and white hat SEO are the types of SEO. But no, the answer is that Black hat SEO and white hat SEO are not types of SEO but rather different approaches or techniques within the broader practice of SEO (Search Engine Optimization).

Black hat SEO refers to the SEO activities performed by violating the Google Search engine guidelines. Black hat SEO gives you results soon, but keep this thing in mind: the results achieved by violating Google Search engine guidelines are short-lived.

On the other hand, white hat SEO refers to the SEO activities performed by considering the Google Search engine guidelines. It takes time to get the desired results from the White hat SEO, but the result is reliable. All the types mentioned above follow white hat SEO.

So, while they represent different approaches to SEO, they are not types of SEO themselves but rather classifications of SEO practices.

Conclusion

Let’s be honest—trying to get a handle on every single type of SEO that’s thrown around online is just not worth it. Most of them are a mashup of buzzwords, techniques, and services that a few folks specialize in. You only realize this once you see how many of them exist.

Instead, stick to the basics: focus on the core SEO strategies and adapt for other platforms if you’re aiming for traffic outside of Google.

Incorporating these techniques goes beyond driving traffic; it’s about building credibility, improving user engagement, and setting your business on a path to continuous growth.

Boost your rankings by hiring a skilled SEO expert from KonKer. Whether you need off-page or on-page optimization, our freelancers have the experience to deliver real results. Start dominating search results—find the right SEO pro for your business today!