Have you ever typed something into Google and wondered why certain websites always show up on top while others seem impossible to find?
The answer is SEO – Search Engine Optimization. But what most business owners do not realise is that SEO is not just one thing. It is made up of different types, each working on a different part of your online presence.
Whether you are a startup in Koramangala, a boutique in Indiranagar, or a growing B2B company in Whitefield, understanding the types of SEO can help you make smarter decisions about where to focus your digital marketing efforts.
In this blog, we break down the four core types of SEO – On-Page, Off-Page, Technical, and Local in simple, practical terms. We also cover a bonus section on White Hat vs Black Hat SEO, because knowing the difference can save your business from serious trouble.
Key Points At A Glance
- SEO is made up of four core types, each targeting a different aspect of your website.
- On-Page SEO focuses on your content and page structure.
- Off-Page SEO builds trust and authority through external signals.
- Technical SEO ensures search engines can properly access your site.
- Local SEO helps you get discovered by customers in your city or neighbourhood.
- White Hat SEO is the only safe, long-term approach. Black Hat SEO leads to penalties.
Quick Overview: The 4 Types of SEO
| Type of SEO | What It Focuses On | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| On-Page SEO | Content, keywords, headings, meta tags | All websites |
| Off-Page SEO | Backlinks, brand authority, mentions | Competitive industries |
| Technical SEO | Site speed, crawlability, mobile, schema | All websites |
| Local SEO | Location-based searches, Google Maps | Local businesses |
1. On-Page SEO – Getting Your Content Right
On-Page SEO is everything you do directly on your web pages to make them more visible and relevant to search engines and users.
Think of it as writing a well-organised book. The title needs to be clear, the chapters need logical headings, and the content needs to genuinely answer what the reader is looking for. On-Page SEO applies the same logic to web pages.
What On-Page SEO Includes
| Element | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Title Tag | The headline shown on Google results must include your target keyword |
| Meta Description | Short summary below the title influences how many people click |
| Header Tags (H1, H2…) | Headings that structure your content logically |
| Keyword Placement | Using relevant search terms naturally throughout the page |
| Image Alt Text | Descriptive text for images helps Google understand visuals |
| Internal Linking | Links between your own pages guides users and distributes authority |
| URL Structure | Short, clean, readable URLs that describe the page clearly |
| Content Quality | Original, helpful content that genuinely answers user questions |
On-Page SEO Best Practices
- Write content that clearly answers what your audience is searching for.
- Include your primary keyword in the title, the first paragraph, and at least one heading.
- Keep URLs short and descriptive avoid numbers and random characters.
- Add alt text to every image on your page.
- Link to related pages within your own website to help users navigate.
On-Page SEO is the foundation. Without it, no other type of SEO will deliver the results you expect.
2. Off-Page SEO – Building Your Website’s Reputation
Off-Page SEO refers to everything that happens outside your website that influences how Google perceives your authority and trustworthiness.
The most important Off-Page signal is backlinks, links from other websites pointing to yours. When a credible website links to you, Google treats it as a vote of confidence. The more quality votes you have, the higher you tend to rank.
Key Off-Page SEO Strategies
• Link Building: Earning links from reputable, relevant websites in your industry.
• Guest Posting: Writing valuable articles for other websites with a link back to yours.
• Brand Mentions: Getting your business name referenced online, with or without a direct link.
• Business Directory Listings: Being listed on platforms like Justdial, Sulekha, and IndiaMart.
• PR and Media Coverage: Getting featured in news articles or industry reports.
What Makes a Quality Backlink?
| Signal | Good Sign | Red Flag |
|---|---|---|
| Source Website | High-authority, trusted site | Spammy or unrelated blog |
| Relevance | Same or related industry | Completely unrelated topic |
| Anchor Text | Natural, descriptive phrase | Exact keyword repeated too often |
| Link Placement | Within the content body | Hidden in footer or sidebar |
Quality always wins over quantity in Off-Page SEO. One link from a respected publication is worth far more than fifty links from low-quality directories.
3. Technical SEO – The Engine Under the Hood
Technical SEO is about making sure search engines can actually find, crawl, and understand your website without any obstacles.
Even the most well-written, keyword-optimised content will not rank if Google cannot access your pages properly. Technical SEO fixes those invisible backend problems that silently hurt your rankings.
Core Technical SEO Elements
• Page Speed: Slow websites frustrate users and get downranked by Google. Aim for under 3 seconds.
• Mobile-Friendliness: Google uses mobile-first indexing your mobile version is what it evaluates first.
• HTTPS / SSL Certificate: A secure website builds trust with users and is a confirmed Google ranking signal.
• XML Sitemap: A file that maps all your important pages so search bots can find them easily.
• Robots.txt: Tells search bots which pages to crawl and which to skip.
• Structured Data / Schema: Code that helps Google show rich results like star ratings, FAQs, and pricing.
• Core Web Vitals: Google’s performance metrics covering loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability.
• Fixing Broken Links: 404 errors and broken redirects confuse bots and hurt user experience.
If your website is slow, has crawl errors, or performs poorly on mobile, Technical SEO must be your first priority before anything else.
Not sure if your website is technically ready for SEO? Read our detailed guide: Is Your Website SEO-Ready? Tips from a Bangalore Digital Agency.
4. Local SEO – Getting Found in Your City
Local SEO is the practice of optimising your online presence so that your business appears when people nearby search for your products or services.
When someone in Bangalore searches ‘digital marketing agency near me‘ or ‘best salon in Koramangala,’ Google shows a map with local results at the very top. That is the Google Local Pack and Local SEO is how you get into it.
For any business that serves a specific city, area, or neighbourhood, Local SEO is not optional. It is one of the highest-impact strategies available.
Key Local SEO Strategies
| Strategy | What to Do | Why It Matters |
| Google Business Profile | Claim, verify, and fully optimise your listing | Appear in map results and Local Pack |
| NAP Consistency | Same Name, Address, Phone across all platforms | Builds local trust with Google |
| Local Keywords | Include area-specific terms in your content | Rank for searches in your neighbourhood |
| Customer Reviews | Encourage genuine reviews and respond to them | Boosts trust and local ranking |
| Local Citations | List on Justdial, Sulekha, IndiaMart, etc. | Strengthens local authority signals |
| Location Pages | Create dedicated pages for each area you serve | Target neighbourhood-level searches |
Local SEO is especially powerful for service businesses clinics, salons, law firms, restaurants, coaching centres, and more. If your customers are in Bangalore, your SEO should be too.
Our professional SEO agency in Bangalore specialises in helping local businesses rank higher where it matters most in front of their own city’s customers.
Bonus: White Hat SEO vs Black Hat SEO – Know the Difference
This is extra information that every business owner should be aware of before hiring an SEO agency or starting their own SEO efforts.
Not all SEO is created equal. The tactics used matter just as much as the results they promise.
White Hat SEO
White Hat SEO refers to strategies that follow Google’s official guidelines. These are honest, ethical practices focused on genuinely improving your website for users not tricking search engines.
• Creating original, high-quality content that answers real user questions.
• Earning backlinks naturally through great content and outreach.
• Optimising page speed, structure, and mobile experience.
• Using keywords naturally without stuffing or manipulation.
White Hat SEO takes time usually 3 to 6 months to show significant results. But the results are sustainable, long-lasting, and safe.
Black Hat SEO
Black Hat SEO uses manipulative tactics to game the algorithm and while it might show fast results, it almost always ends badly.
• Keyword stuffing – cramming keywords into content unnaturally.
• Buying low-quality backlinks in bulk.
• Cloaking – showing different content to Google than to users.
• Hidden text or invisible links on pages.
• Copying content from other websites.
Google regularly updates its algorithm to detect and penalise Black Hat tactics. A penalty can wipe out your rankings overnight and recovering from one is extremely difficult and time-consuming.
Quick Comparison
| Factor | White Hat SEO | Black Hat SEO |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | Ethical, guideline-following | Manipulative, deceptive |
| Results timeline | 3-6 months | Sometimes fast, then penalised |
| Sustainability | Long-lasting | Short-lived |
| Risk level | Very low | Very high |
| Google’s stance | Rewarded | Penalised or de-indexed |
The rule is simple: always choose White Hat SEO. If an agency promises to get you to number one on Google within a week, be very cautious. Sustainable SEO growth takes consistent effort not shortcuts.
Our blog on How to Know Which SEO Agency is Good for My Business can help you identify trustworthy partners who only use ethical SEO practices.
How All 4 Types Work Together
A common mistake is focusing on just one type of SEO and neglecting the others. The reality is that all four types are interdependent.
• Great content (On-Page) with no backlinks (Off-Page) means content nobody finds.
• Strong backlinks (Off-Page) with a broken, slow website (Technical) means traffic that cannot convert.
• Perfect content and technical setup with no Local SEO means missing out on nearby customers searching for exactly what you offer.
The businesses that grow consistently online are the ones that invest in all four types, working together as a unified strategy not in isolation.
Final Thoughts
SEO is not a single tactic – it is a combination of four core strategies, each addressing a different part of how your website performs on search engines.
On-Page SEO makes your content clear and relevant. Technical SEO makes your site accessible. Off-Page SEO builds your authority. Local SEO connects you with nearby customers. Together, they create the foundation for sustainable, long-term online growth.
And always remember how you do SEO matters just as much as doing it. White Hat practices protect your business. Black Hat shortcuts put everything you have built at risk.
If you are serious about growing your business online, you need an SEO partner who understands both the strategy and the local market. That is exactly what Web Converts is built for.
We are a Bangalore-based digital marketing agency helping businesses across industries rank higher, get discovered, and convert more visitors into customers. From On-Page and Technical SEO to Local SEO and Off-Page authority building, we handle it all with complete transparency and no shortcuts.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How many types of SEO are there?
There are four core types of SEO – On-Page, Off-Page, Technical, and Local SEO. Each one focuses on a different aspect of how your website performs in search results. Together, they form a complete SEO strategy.
2. Which type of SEO should I start with?
Start with Technical SEO and On-Page SEO. If search engines cannot access your website properly, or if your content is not optimised, no other effort will make a significant difference. Once these foundations are solid, build your Off-Page and Local SEO strategy.
3. Is Local SEO important for Bangalore businesses?
Absolutely. Bangalore is one of India’s most competitive markets. Local SEO helps your business appear in Google Maps, the Local Pack, and neighbourhood-level searches – putting you in front of customers who are actively looking for your services nearby.
4. What is the difference between White Hat and Black Hat SEO?
White Hat SEO follows Google’s guidelines ethical, quality-focused, sustainable. Black Hat SEO uses manipulative shortcuts that violate those guidelines and can result in severe penalties. Always choose White Hat SEO for long-term safety and growth.
5. How long does SEO take to show results?
Most businesses see meaningful improvements within 3 to 6 months of consistent SEO work. Local SEO, especially Google Business Profile optimisation, can show results faster. The key is consistency, SEO is a long-term investment, not a one-time fix.
