A 2018 survey by Search Engine Land revealed that 90% of searchers are likely to click on the first set of results when they make a search engine query. Thus, if you're to have any chance of leveraging the power of organic search as a traffic source, you'll need to get your website on the first page of search engine result pages (SERPs). The strategies and processes involved in achieving this goal are collectively known as search engine optimization.

Not too long ago, search engine optimization was a reasonably straightforward task. All you had to do was find the right keywords to target and stuff them on your web pages. However, search engines have grown much smarter, and keyword stuffing will only get you penalized. To get to the lofty heights you desire, you'll have to understand SEO principles and how to keep search engine crawlers and your users happy.

For a business owner that's almost always occupied with multiple administrative tasks, learning the rudiments of SEO and applying it can be highly time-consuming. That's why it's advisable to hire an expert SEO agency in Toronto, or any of the surrounding cities, when thinking about boosting your site's ranking on search engines.

What are the different types of SEO?

SEO can be broadly classified into:

Technical SEO
On-Page SEO
Content SEO
Off-Page SEO
Local SEO
Mobile SEO

Technical SEO

Technical SEO deals with the technical parameters that affect your site's visibility on search engines. It determines whether search engine crawlers will index your site, and users will get the best experience when they visit. Without a solid technical foundation, all your other SEO strategies will not yield the desired results.

Technical SEO starts right from the web design stage. That's why it's vital to employ a web design company in Toronto that understands search engine optimization and how to position your site to rank high on search engines even with zero content. The following are some of the essential aspects of technical SEO:

Website speed
Responsiveness and mobile-friendliness
Structured data
Crawlability and indexing
Security
Site architecture

On-Page SEO/Content SEO

On-page SEO deals with how to make your website pages friendlier to users and search engines alike. Because search engine ranking is typically on a page-by-page basis, it's vital to pay attention to the content on all your website pages. Below are some valuable tips for making the most out of on-page SEO:

Research your keywords

This involves analyzing the keywords and phrases your target audience is most likely to search for and optimizing your content to rank for them. When conducting keyword research, you'd want to go for keywords with a high search volume and low competition. Once you have your target keywords, the content development team will then work on infusing them into your website content and blog posts.

Optimize page titles, metadata, and headings

Page titles and metadata often determine whether potential visitors will click your website link or not. Thus, more than stuffing them with keywords, it's vital to ensure that they match the visitors' search intent and provide an accurate glimpse into the content in your website.

Pay attention to internal linking

Visitors are likely to spend more time on your website if your pages link freely to each other. Consequently, your chances of ranking higher on SERPs will increase if you structure your content to accommodate helpful internal links.

Optimize your images and videos

Gone are the days when search engine optimization was restricted to textual content only. These days, videos and images should also be optimized to rank higher on SERPs. You should pay attention to the file names, title, captions, and also include alt tags. Doing this could give you the extra visibility you desire and get you a step ahead of the competition.

Off-Page SEO

Off-Page SEO relates to the external techniques you can employ to increase your website's popularity on the internet. If your website is frequently mentioned on other credible websites or popular among internet users, search engines are more likely to rank you higher than the less popular ones. Here are some of the popular off-page SEO techniques:

Link building

Link building is arguably the most crucial task in off-page SEO. It's the process of sourcing SEO backlinks from other websites. These backlinks serve as a vote of confidence for your website, and the more credible the source of the backlink, the higher your page will rank on SERPs.

Social media promotion

Getting more people to talk about your website on social media increases your chances of being noticed by Google and other search engines. A credible Toronto SEO expert can help you leverage the available social media channels to increase your website's visibility on search engines.

Local SEO

Local SEO is a highly targeted type of optimization that focuses on a specific area. The goal is to increase your visibility for local searches, and it's useful for brick-and-mortar businesses, artisans, and service providers. For example, if you run a laundry service in the Greater Toronto Area, you're not likely to benefit much from traffic outside your region. Thus, you may want to employ a local SEO company in Toronto to help you optimize your website for local search. The following are some of the most important tasks in Local SEO:

Claim your Google My Business listing
Register your business with trusted directories like Foursquare, Yelp, Yahoo Small Business, etc.
Promote your website on local platforms such as online local newspapers and directories
Make your business name, contact details, and address easily accessible to your website visitors
Factor Schema Tags into your development process

Mobile SEO

Mobile SEO is a subset of SEO that deals with optimizing your website for mobile searches. Currently, nearly 60% of all Google searches are performed on mobile devices, and the percentage is likely to increase in the coming years. A credible Toronto SEO expert will ensure your website doesn't miss out on this large traffic pool by:

Optimizing your website to be mobile-friendly and responsive
Reducing your loading time on mobile devices to the shortest possible
Structuring your content to be easily readable on mobile devices
Minimizing popups, interstitial banners, and other advertising methods that could lead to a negative experience on mobile

Let's do the hard work for you

Search Engine Optimization can be a resource-intensive and time-consuming task. Thankfully, when done right, it's almost impossible to argue with the results. However, most small business owners hardly have the knowledge or time required to do it right. That's why you should consider partnering with Tap Marketing, a leading SEO company in Toronto and its surrounding cities.

We have the experience and expertise required to take your website from the creeks to the first page of SERPs. Why not get in touch with us today, and let's discuss how we can help.

What Are the Different Types of Search Engine Optimization?