To the uninitiated, there is only one kind of SEO (search engine optimization). The reality is that there are several different types across different categories. Understanding the differences can offer you better insight into what your website needs and how to go about it. Remember, all of the parts are important, and all work hand in hand to make your site visible to users. To make it easier to understand, let’s assign the different kinds of SEO to individual SEO specialists.
The On Page Expert
This person has mastered the balance that needs to be achieved between on page content, the HTML aspect, and the site architecture. Solid, informative content of the appropriate length and properly formatted meta tags abound on this SEO’s client sites. The URL structure is sound, and they may even dabble in off page SEO by getting you quality inbound links. The on page expert is well rounded in their knowledge and can easily assess a site’s strengths and weaknesses with one good audit.
Learn about the 5 Essential Tools of SEO.
The Off Page Expert
This SEO expert knows that quality links are few and far between. But, thanks to their expertise, they also know how to get them. And not only that, they know where your competitors get theirs from. This SEO knows the tricks of the trade when it comes to leveraging your social media to work for you as well. They know that a site that isn’t seen just isn’t doing its job.
The Content Expert
The content expert is the one who has the way with words. While they are technically part of the on page expert’s team, when it comes to writing content that is informative, engaging, and authoritative, they know just how to do it. Research is one of this SEO’s strong suits, as they will spend hours finding the ideal keywords to base their content on. This SEO writes the optimized site content and will have a solid grounding in seemingly random topics due to their clients’ varying specialties.
The Technical Expert
This is the SEO specialist that you want in your corner when the dreaded Google penalty comes down. Should your site be assessed a penalty, the damage could be extraordinary and long lasting. Imagine – you run an eCommerce site that is ranking in the top 20 for 25 extremely competitive keywords. It’s taken years to achieve and now your site generates sales and revenue from ad sales. Then, a Google algorithm change comes down. Suddenly, your site is on the 10th page in the SERPs. That technical expert will be the one who is going to save your business.
The Analytical Expert
The analytical expert is the SEO who spends hours poring over the data provided by the myriad of website monitoring tools. When a site’s keyword rankings drop or when a penalty has been assessed, the analytical expert is the one who has the data compiled to know exactly when and how things were affected. You’ll often see analytical experts monitoring a number of websites dedicated specifically to tracking Google algorithm updates and playing with the latest analytical software.
The takeaway is that there are different aspects of SEO, and due to that, there are different types of SEO experts. SEO is a team effort, so each persons strengths reinforce each other and the weaknesses are negated. So when the team gets together, the results are successful SEO campaigns and happy clients.