When you think of search engine optimization, or SEO, you probably think of on-page SEO. However, there is more than one type of SEO. Different types of SEO do different things and attract users in different ways, so understanding the different types of SEO can greatly help your business. 

What is on-page SEO?

    On-page search engine optimization is the process of optimizing elements on your website. On-page SEO is the type of SEO you probably think of when someone says search engine optimization. 

    One of the basic elements to on-page SEO is content. Your website is made up of content. Your content has to be relevant and also high quality. Content is what drives users to your website, and is how search engines, like Google, find your website. Producing content that is fresh and new brings more people to your website because it boosts your ranking on Google. Search engines appreciate and reward you when your website is producing new content so it reaches more users. Interesting content that peaks the interest of your users, while also delivering the necessary content, is also important to keep your users engaged and coming back to your website. 

    Keywords are another important aspect of on-page SEO. Your keywords are how users find your website from Google because they lead Google to your website. You cannot just throw keywords in as you please though. Keywords should only make up a small percentage of your content. Using too many keywords, or keyword stuffing, actually hurts your ranking on Google. Google does not like keyword stuffing, but prefers using keywords only in appropriate places so that your sentences flow better. 

    While not on your website directly, title tags and meta descriptions are also a part of on-page SEO. Title tags are what first appear when someone looks at your site on a search engine results page. It is the title that your website has online. Under your title tag is your meta description. Your meta description should give a short description of your website with some sort of call to action at the end. Meta descriptions not only tell Google what to expect from your site, but also lets users preview your site in a short 150-160 character blurb. Despite not being on your site, title tags and meta descriptions are still critical parts of on-page SEO.

What is off-page SEO?

    Off-page SEO deals with optimizing your site outside of your own website. Oftentimes we do not look at off-page SEO with as much care as we do on-page SEO. There are various parts to off-page SEO that can help your business grow just as on-page SEO does. 

    Link building is one of the biggest parts of off-page SEO. Getting links to your website out there helps to drive traffic to your website while also demonstrating to Google and other search engines that your site has valuable, quality content. There are different types of links that are found when looking deeper into off-page SEO. The first are natural links. Natural links are given out without any action by the page owner. That is to say, natural links are when another website uses a link to your website without you prompting them to use it. The second kind of links are manually built links. Manually built links are deliberately on a site through link building tactics. The final type of link commonly found are self-created links. Self-created links or backlinks, link one site to another. Links are a very important part of off-page SEO. 

    Social media marketing is another part of off-page SEO. Social media is a great tool because you are able to reach a variety of audiences based on current users and targeted ads. Through using social media your brand can develop relationships with other brands and even influencers. In turn, you could even experience linked or unlinked brand mentions, and even influencer marketing. Social media plays a great part in off-page SEO.

Why know both?

    On-page and off-page SEO are very similar, but also very different. Being able to comprehend one of them without understanding the other means you’re losing out on half of the people you could potentially be reaching. On-page SEO helps users that are using organic searches to find your site and helps Google to boost your ranking in search results. Off-page SEO reaches users that are not actively searching for your brand. It helps people see your website without them having to look for it. Off-page SEO also helps for Google and other search engines to know that your website is creating good enough content for others to want to use it, driving more traffic to your website. 

    While on-page and off-page SEO are different, they both aim to do the same thing. The bottom line is that both techniques are a form of search engine optimization, and they are looking to drive the most people to your website, and raise your ranking in search engine result pages. You can focus on one if you really want to, but the best way to make the most out of your website is to use on-page SEO and off-page SEO in unison to bring the most attention to your brand as possible, because the more people coming to your website the better. 

    SEO is an important part of getting your brand out there. In order to effectively boost your website you have to use both on-page and off-page SEO. By working to optimize elements on your website and elements off of your website, you give yourself the best chance of getting your business exposure and boosting your website in the eyes of Google. It is not a this or that when it comes to SEO. By understanding how to use on-page and off-page SEO you will be able to market your website the best it can be done. Unsure of how to use search engine optimization to boost your website? Request a consultation with LaunchUx today! Let us prove to you how out of this world SEO can be.