What Are the 4 Types of SEO?

Most people think SEO is just about keywords. Slap a few into your homepage, maybe write a blog post, and boom — traffic. But the truth is, SEO’s more like a toolbox than a single tool. And if you’re only using one wrench, you’re not getting very far.

There are four key areas that make up a solid SEO strategy. Miss one, and your site might never show up — even if your service is ten times better than the competition. I’ve seen it happen more than once, especially with small local businesses around Roseville.

Let’s break down each type and why all four actually matter.

1. On-Page SEO

This is the part of SEO you control directly. It’s all about what’s actually on your site — your content, structure, and the way each page communicates with Google. Think of it as cleaning your own house before inviting guests over. If Google shows up and finds a mess, it’s probably not sending anyone your way.

Smart Keywords, Not Keyword Soup

Start with knowing what your clients actually search for. If you offer SEO services, don’t just aim for “SEO agency” — that’s broad and brutally competitive. Instead, drill down:

• “SEO services for roofers”
  
• “affordable SEO agency in Roseville”
  
• “small business SEO pricing”
  

Each service you offer — local SEO, technical audits, content strategy — deserves its own page, written in plain language, using terms your potential clients would actually Google.

Clear Structure and Scannable Pages

Use headings (h1, h2, h3) that guide both the reader and Google. A page titled “Our SEO Services” should clearly break down what those services are, not bury them in one long paragraph.

Keep it scannable:

• Bullet points
  
• Subheadings
  
• Short paragraphs
  

If someone’s skimming your site to decide whether to call you or bounce, make it easy for them to say yes.

Meta Titles and Descriptions that Pull Clicks

Your meta title is the headline that shows up in Google. Your meta description is the little blurb underneath. Together, they either get someone to click… or keep scrolling.

Bad:
“Home | SEO Solutions Inc.”

Better:
“Local SEO Agency in Roseville – Get Found by Local Customers”

The meta description should support that:
“We help service businesses in Roseville rank on Google with honest, effective SEO. Book a free consultation today.”

It’s not rocket science, just clarity.

Internal Links with Purpose

Let’s say someone’s reading your blog post about Google’s latest algorithm update. Don’t let them leave after that. Link to your services page. Link to a related case study. Link to your contact form.

Think of each page as part of a larger system — not a one-and-done landing strip.

Alt Text: Not Just for Accessibility

When you add an image — whether it’s a screenshot of a ranking report, a client testimonial, or even your own face in a Zoom call — describe it clearly in the alt text.

Good alt text:
“SEO consultant explaining rankings to a roofing client on Zoom”

It helps with Google indexing, and yeah, it’s the right thing to do for accessibility too.

2. Off-Page SEO

If on-page SEO is what you say about yourself, off-page SEO is what the internet says about you. And just like in real life, reputation matters. You can write the most eloquent “About Us” page ever — but if nobody’s talking about you, Google’s not impressed.

Backlinks: Digital Word-of-Mouth

Backlinks are links from other websites to yours. For an SEO agency, this is how Google knows other people trust your expertise.

Some examples that actually help:

• A link from a guest post you wrote on a marketing blog
  
• A mention in a “Top SEO Companies in Sacramento” roundup
  
• A backlink from a client’s website with an “SEO by” credit in the footer
  

What doesn’t help? Random spammy directories or buying 500 backlinks for $49. You know this — but your clients probably don’t.

When you build or earn links from real, relevant websites — especially those with traffic — it tells Google you’re part of the conversation, not some fly-by-night operation.

Citations and Directories (Yes, They Still Matter)

If your agency targets local businesses, make sure your local listings are dialed in.

That means:

• Google Business Profile is fully filled out and updated
  
• You’re listed in places like Clutch, UpCity, DesignRush, or local chambers of commerce
  
• Your name, address, phone, and website match exactly across platforms
  

Even if you work remotely, Google still wants to place you somewhere. That “somewhere” should be consistent.

Get Reviewed Where It Counts

A handful of legit, positive reviews from your actual clients can do more than a shiny homepage ever will. Especially if they mention specifics like:

• “Helped us rank on page one for roofing keywords in 3 months”
  
• “Our traffic doubled after working with their team”
  

You don’t need 100 reviews. Five solid ones, with details and keywords, go a long way — especially on your Google Business Profile and platforms like Clutch or LinkedIn.

Pro tip: a case study with a backlink from your client’s site plus a Google review? That’s a triple win.

Mentions and Collabs that Boost Trust

Social media doesn’t directly improve your rankings, but it helps people discover you — and that can lead to shares, backlinks, and authority.

Some ways this works in the SEO space:

• Collaborate with non-competing web designers or branding studios — they link to your SEO work, you link to theirs
  
• Get quoted in a roundup (e.g. “12 SEO Experts Share Tips for 2025”)
  
• Get invited to small business podcasts or local webinars
  

Even if the links are nofollow, Google sees these signals. And real humans definitely do.

3. Technical SEO

This is the part of SEO most business owners never see — and where a lot of sites quietly fall apart.

Technical SEO covers everything behind the scenes: how fast your site loads, how well it works on mobile, and whether Google can even crawl your pages without getting stuck.

For an SEO agency, it’s not just about having your own house in order — it’s also a core part of the service you offer. If you’re promising rankings but your site takes 5 seconds to load, good luck convincing clients you know what you’re doing.

Here’s what you need locked in:

• Fast load times (under 2 seconds ideally) — compress those images, cut the bloat
  
• Mobile-friendly design — responsive layout that’s actually usable, not just shrunken
  
• No broken links or crawl errors — use Search Console and fix issues fast
  
• SSL certificate (HTTPS) — if you’re still on HTTP in 2025, we need to talk
  
• Structured data — like adding schema for reviews, services, and articles so Google understands the content better
  

You don’t need a PhD in Core Web Vitals, but you do need to know where the bottlenecks are — and either fix them or hand them off to your dev.

4. Local SEO

Local SEO is where the rubber meets the road — especially if you’re trying to work with small businesses in a specific area, like Roseville. It’s what helps you show up when someone types “SEO expert near me” or “SEO agency Roseville” into Google.

And yes, people absolutely do search that way.

Google Business Profile (GBP): Your Local Home Base

If you’re serious about local visibility, your Google Business Profile better be complete, updated, and optimized. That means:

• Using your main service keyword in your business description
  
• Adding real photos — not stock ones
  
• Responding to every review, good or bad
  
• Posting updates every so often (Google likes activity)
  

Google uses this listing to place you on the map. Literally. A well-optimized GBP is often what gets you in the coveted local 3-pack — that box of businesses that shows up before the regular search results.

Consistency Across Local Listings

It sounds boring, but trust me — making sure your name, address, phone, and website are 100% consistent across platforms is a big deal.

This includes:

• Yelp
  
• Bing Places
  
• YellowPages
  
• Local business directories
  
• SEO-specific ones like Clutch and UpCity
  

Even a small mismatch (like using “St.” in one place and “Street” in another) can mess with your local rankings. Google wants to be confident you’re a real, stable business.

Location Pages and Localized Content

If you serve multiple areas — say, Roseville, Folsom, and Sacramento — don’t cram everything into one Services page. Create a separate landing page for each location, with copy tailored to that area.

Example:

• /seo-services-roseville
  
• /seo-services-folsom
  

And no, this isn’t about keyword stuffing. It’s about relevance. Each page should answer what people in that town are likely searching for, and show that you’ve worked with businesses in that area before.

Bonus points if you drop in some testimonials or case studies from local clients. Makes it feel real — because it is.

Local Reviews: Social Proof That Works

Google pays attention to what people are saying, how often, and where. Encourage happy clients to leave honest reviews — and mention what you did for them.

Better than:
“Great team!”
Is something like:
“They helped our HVAC business in Folsom hit page one for all our service keywords.”

Those details help your SEO, build trust with new leads, and give you a leg up against competitors who just collect five stars with no context.

Final Thoughts: You Need All Four

If your site isn’t getting traction, chances are one (or more) of these four areas is out of tune. Maybe your content’s solid but your technical setup is a mess. Maybe you’ve got backlinks but no local presence. It doesn’t take much for things to slip — especially in local markets where competition’s heating up.

For small businesses (and SEO agencies like mine), the goal isn’t to chase some magical SEO trick. It’s to cover your bases. Nail the on-page work, earn some authority off-page, tighten up the backend, and make sure you’re visible to people near you, not just people in theory.

That’s when things start to click.