
“SEO is the practice of improving the quality and quantity of traffic to your website through organic search results.”
So then, what is SEO?
But you said SEO was a lot of things, so what are all the things?

What’s the difference between on-site SEO and off-site SEO?


SEJ SEroundtable Search Engine Land , etc., and learning the difference between on-site and off-site SEO was one of my first steps.
On-page SEO
A lot of the time when people think of on-page, or on-site SEO, they think of the things they literally see on a page or in a page source, like metadata, body copy, etc.. While they’re not wrong, over the years search engines, (namely Google) after the 2015 launch of the RankBrain algorithm update, have become increasingly more sophisticated. Now, with a focus on user experience, there is no longer a need to use a keyword X number of times per 100 words, making on-site SEO less about keywords and more about topics. Don’t get me wrong, keywords are still important, but not in a placement/repetition way like they used to be. Other on-page elements include the use of structured data, internal/cross-linking, page load speed, URL structure, and mobile friendliness.
On-page SEO
- Keywords and Content Development
- Metadata and Internal Cross-Linking
- Site Architecture
- SEO Code Optimization
- Page Load Speed
- Structured Data Markup (Schema)
- Rich Snippets
- Mobile Friendliness
Off-page SEO
Off-page SEO recap:
- Building Backlinks
- Social Media
- Local Optimizations
Is one more important than the other?
If you want to know how to achieve internet popularity, trust, and authority for your site, check out What is SEO? Part 2: Off-site SEO Explained!