A Guide on the Common Types of SEO

Types of SEO

Nearly 70% of all online experiences begin with a search engine. However, fewer than 1% of Google users check results on the second page. If your website doesn’t appear on the first page for a search, you need search engine optimization (SEO).

There are four types of SEO you’ll need to boost your rankings, though. Read on to learn everything you need to know about SEO for websites.

Use this guide to improve your digital marketing strategy today!

On-Page SEO

When most people think of search engine optimization, they’re imagining on-page SEO. On-page SEO requires businesses to optimize their website pages and posts for relevant searches. To start using on-page SEO, first gather audience and keyword research.

Google prioritizes content that matches the user’s search intent. Search intent is usually:

• Commercial
• Informational
• Navigational
• Transactional

Understanding the user’s search intent will ensure you provide the reader with the information they want. If your content doesn’t match their intent, they’ll leave your website. As people leave, your website’s bounce rate will begin to rise.

An increased bounce rate will tell Google that you’re offering a negative user experience (UX). Your content might not appear for searches if you’re offering a bad UX.

To meet the user’s search intent, learn more about your customers. Consider the pain points they’re experiencing. Divide your customers into smaller buyer personas to learn about their interests, behaviors, and struggles.

Gather keyword research for each group to determine what terms customers search to find your offerings online. Use tools like SEMRush, Google Trends, Keyword Planner, or Answer the Public to build a keyword list. Focus on long-tail keywords (which feature four or more words) or searches phrased as questions.

When writing content for your website, choose a focus keyword before writing. Prioritize quality over quantity to provide your readers with the information they want. Then, optimize your content with on-page SEO by adding the target keyword to the:

• Page title
• URL
• Opening and closing paragraphs
• Image alt text and file name
• SEO title and meta description
• An H1 header
• Body test

Avoid stuffing your content using the same keyword. Instead, sprinkle secondary keywords and synonyms throughout your content.

SEO Title and Description

The SEO title and meta description will appear on Google’s search engine result pages (SERPs) as consumers search online. It’s important to choose an engaging, informative, relevant title and description. As people click on your content, your clickthrough rate will improve.

Increasing your clickthrough rate and dwell times (how long people remain on your website) can benefit your SEO rankings. As your rankings improve, you can experience the benefits of SEO like:

• Brand awareness and recognition
• Credibility and authority
• Website Traffic
• Leads and sales

You’ll also start ranking ahead of competitors, ensuring consumers find your website first.

Off-Page SEO

Off-page SEO involves marketing tactics outside of your website. For example, backlinks are one of Google’s top three ranking factors. These links appear on other websites before sending readers to your content.

You can start generating high-quality backlinks by writing guest blog content for other websites. Choose websites that already have a high domain authority (DA) to improve your own. Then, direct the reader to your website by adding a link to your content within the post.

You can also rely on backlink-building services.

As you generate more backlinks, you’ll gain more referral traffic, which can further boost your rankings.

Technical SEO

Technical SEO involves improving the backend and user experience on your website. Remember, a negative UX could cost you visitors, customers, and higher rankings. To improve your website, first run it through Google’s:

• PageSpeed Insights
• Core Web Vitals
• Mobile-Friendly Test

Confirm your website is fast, secure, mobile-optimized, and user-friendly. Simplify your navigation bar and avoid intrusive elements like pop-ups. Test your website on both mobile and desktop devices.

If your website is slow or difficult to navigate, visitors will leave.

Google uses mobile-first indexing when ranking websites on SERPs. If your site isn’t mobile-friendly, competitors are likely ranking ahead of you online.

Make sure it’s easy for visitors to fill out forms or complete purchases on all devices. Otherwise, you could lose potential leads and sales.

Local SEO

Local SEO can help you reach nearby customers. Start by claiming and optimizing your Google Business listing. Your Google Business profile shows consumers your business:

• Name
• Address/Directions
• Hours
• Services/products
• Recent updates
• Customer reviews
• Photos/videos

Refresh your Google Business listing with new photos and videos throughout the year. Ask customers to share their feedback on your profile. Positive reviews will benefit your brand’s reputation.

New customers might feel more encouraged to trust your brand after reading reviews from other consumers.

You can also appear for local searches by targeting location-specific keywords within your content. Create blog posts personalized for your nearby customers. Let them know about upcoming events or sales throughout the year.

If you have more than one business location, create dedicated location pages on your website. Embed a Google Map onto each page. Feed reviews for each business location onto the page using a plugin.

For example, perhaps you have multiple healthcare clinics. Make sure to use Healthcare SEO to appear in front of more patients who need your services. Managed SEO services can save you time and money while ensuring you boost your rankings.

Use All Four Types of SEO for Higher Rankings

If you want to improve your organic search engine rankings, you need to consider all four types of SEO. Otherwise, potential customers might never find your business online. Upgrade your digital marketing strategy with SEO marketing today.

Then, start experiencing the benefits of SEO, including increased brand awareness and website traffic, firsthand!

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