With proper application, Search Engine Optimization is your single biggest key to online success.
On our last SEO blog post, we broke down the Three Main SEO types: Technical, On-Page, and Off-Page.
Now our Axel & Associates SEO experts are back to cover two more, as well as some strategies for using the different SEO types to deliver results for your business…
Two More Key SEO Types
On-Page, Off-Page, and Technical SEO form the basis of all other SEO. Both of the two new types we’ll be covering are linked to these three, however, they are still worth singling out because each of them are increasing in relevance in the future, especially in the post-COVID era.
The first is Local SEO.
As the name implies, Local SEO is not nationally focused and requires a different set of strategies to utilize effectively. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, consumers have had a higher demand for humanized brands that they can relate to and that empathize with what has been occurring across communities globally. This led to an increased demand for human interaction at a time when all operations were going digital. Another outgrowth of this has been a new emphasis on local brands and businesses that address that desire for the human touch as well as longtime roots in the community.
As lockdowns and other restrictions began to lift, local businesses were among the first to see an influx of foot traffic, which continues to be in demand as Covid slowly recedes. All of this has led to the strong rise of Local SEO to prioritize businesses that are geographically close to those making search queries.
All the major search engines now factor in local SEO, which uses desktop IP addresses and mobile geolocations to pinpoint the searcher. It then uses your business’s listed address (or addresses) to sort your relevance to consumers.
The second type is Mobile SEO.
Another trend that has become firmly entrenched since the pandemic is Mobile SEO. During the lockdowns, very few people were going into offices in person, which led to a sharp spike in mobile internet usage.
As a result, today more than half of all searches in the US are now on mobile devices. Unsurprisingly, Google’s algorithms now prioritize mobile web formats when they do their rankings, which makes it essential for businesses to also factor this in when they consider their web content.
Applying The SEO Types To Your Online Marketing Strategies
So SEO is not just a one-size-fits-all discipline. Now that you have a better understanding of the different kinds of SEO that exist out there, let’s piece them together and apply them to some strategies that maximize your business’s online presence.
First, let’s look back at Local SEO.
Local SEO actually draws on both On-Page and Off-Page SEO. Therefore including your physical address and phone number on multiple places on your website is essential. A couple good places to start are your home page and your Contact Us page.
Then you can use Off-Page SEO by optimizing your Google My Business panel and making sure it has your most current address and contact information listed. Then look at your other opportunities for expanding your digital footprint beyond your website, like review sites and social media, and make sure your current information is also listed and accurate there. Both of these On and Off-page SEO tactics will work in tandem to fuel your Local SEO results and are great places to start competitively improving your rankings.
- Bonus Tip: In general, remember that Off-Page SEO in particular is linked to your branding, so being strategic specifically with your local branding will also be helpful in boosting your local SEO efforts. Consider what online resources are most popular with local businesses in your area.
Now let’s apply Mobile SEO.
Mobile SEO is linked to Technical SEO. It’s now essential to make sure your entire website is retrofitted to be optimized for mobile usage on phones and tablets. This means working with your webmaster and IT team to reassess everything right down to the coding and graphics on every page. Always be sure to have several people troubleshoot this process by searching up your business on their phones and making sure everything looks as it should with no images or text being cut with wonky formatting.
Since Mobile SEO is connected to Technical SEO, another helpful tip to consider is that hyperlinked mentions are preferable to unlinked mentions on Google’s algorithms. This means it’s worth getting creative as you reassess your website and look for opportunities to turn certain mentions and phrases into anchored text that link to other parts of your website. Another application that also factors in Local SEO is to link any address mentions to map or directions features. Then, of course, be sure all these linked mentions work properly on both desktop and mobile formats!
That wraps up our Axel and Associates SEO Types Crash-course!
Stay tuned for more SEO Pro-Tips and other online marketing strategies to bring your business to the next level.
Need immediate advice to boost your business online? Reach us at 866-DAVIDAXEL (866-328-4329) or dave@davidaxel.com to schedule a free consultation.