SEO BASICS
Types of SEO
The main types of SEO, what each covers and how they fit together, plus the types of SEO keywords to target.
Written by Nikhil Narasipura Doddamane, Founder & Head of SEO/GEO · Published 8 Apr 2026 · Updated 16 Oct 2026 · 3 min read
QUICK ANSWER
What are the types of SEO?
The main types of SEO are technical SEO (crawling, indexing, speed), on-page SEO (content and page elements), off-page SEO (links and mentions) and local SEO (maps and local listings). Ecommerce SEO and AI SEO (AEO and GEO) are increasingly treated as types too.
What is technical SEO?
Technical SEO makes sure search engines can crawl, render and index your site: sitemaps, robots rules, canonicals, site speed, mobile usability, HTTPS and structured data. Technical issues can block good content from ranking at all, so audits usually start here. Speed is checked against Google's Core Web Vitals (LCP within 2.5 seconds, INP of 200 ms or less, CLS of 0.1 or less), and AI crawler access in robots.txt now belongs on the same list.
What do the numbers say about SEO and AI search?
Research presented at KDD 2024 (Aggarwal et al., Princeton University and IIT Delhi) found that adding citations, quotations and statistics can boost a source's visibility in generative engine responses by up to 40%, while classic keyword stuffing performed worse than doing nothing. Google's Core Web Vitals define a good experience as Largest Contentful Paint within 2.5 seconds, Interaction to Next Paint of 200 milliseconds or less and Cumulative Layout Shift of 0.1 or less, measured at the 75th percentile of page loads (web.dev). Toffyjar SEO retainers cost $499 a month for Starter and $999 a month for Growth, with Enterprise priced on scope, and every plan includes GEO for AI search. Put simply, rankings now depend on fast pages and answers that cite real sources, and the same work also earns citations in AI Overviews, ChatGPT and Perplexity.
What are on-page and off-page SEO?
On-page SEO optimizes content and elements on your pages. Off-page SEO builds authority from outside: links, brand mentions, reviews and digital PR. See on-page SEO. On-page work covers titles, headings, body content, internal links, images and schema, all of which you control directly. Off-page work takes longer because it depends on other sites. Both matter for AI answers too, since assistants favor clear pages and brands that trusted sources mention consistently.
What are local, ecommerce and AI SEO?
Local SEO targets map and city searches. Ecommerce SEO focuses on categories, products and faceted navigation. AI SEO covers visibility in AI answers through AEO and GEO.
| Type | Focus | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Technical | Crawl, index, speed | Every site |
| On-page | Content, headings, links | Every site |
| Off-page | Links, mentions | Competitive markets |
| Local | Maps, listings | Location-based businesses |
| Ecommerce | Products, categories | Online stores |
| AI (AEO/GEO) | AI answers | Brands researched via AI |
What are the types of SEO keywords?
Informational (learn), navigational (find a brand), commercial (compare) and transactional (buy). Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific phrases with lower volume and often higher intent.
Which type of SEO should you start with?
Technical SEO first, because nothing ranks if it is not indexed. Then on-page work on money pages, then authority building. Local businesses should prioritize local SEO early.
Can one team handle all types of SEO?
Yes, and it avoids conflicting priorities. Our SEO services cover every type, including GEO. Technical, content and authority work then follow one shared roadmap and report. One team also avoids gaps between vendors, such as content that recommends changes a developer never implements. Toffyjar's SEO and GEO retainers start at $499 a month for Starter and $999 for Growth, which adds four content pieces a month, entity building and tracking across 50 prompts.
What are the key takeaways on types of seo?
In short: Technical SEO makes sure search engines can crawl, render and index your site: sitemaps, robots rules, canonicals, site speed, mobile usability, HTTPS and structured data. Technical issues can block good content from ranking at all, so audits usually start here. Speed is checked against Google's Core Web Vitals (LCP within 2.5 seconds, INP of 200 ms or less, CLS of 0.1 or less), and AI crawler access in robots.txt now belongs on the same list. On-page SEO optimizes content and elements on your pages. Local SEO targets map and city searches. Informational (learn), navigational (find a brand), commercial (compare) and transactional (buy). Technical SEO first, because nothing ranks if it is not indexed. Yes, and it avoids conflicting priorities.
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We build WordPress and modern websites and make them rank in Google and get cited in AI answers. Fixed quotes, senior review, you own everything. We measured these results on 16 October 2026 using OpenSEO, which draws on DataForSEO ranking and backlink data. For example, in one case study an enterprise digital engineering company whose site Toffyjar built has 65 non-brand page-one rankings, 37 at #1, with 2,717 referring domains. In another, an AI insurance process automation platform has 13 non-brand top-10 rankings including #1 for underwriting software, with 2,578 referring domains. These are current figures, not before-and-after claims, and client names stay private under NDA. Every site was planned from a requirement sheet, built on staging, reviewed by senior people and handed over with the client owning the code, content and logins. Projects are priced at about $199 per page, and SEO and GEO retainers start at $499 a month. Ask for a reference on a discovery call and we will connect you with a client where they agree.
CASE STUDY · ENTERPRISE DIGITAL ENGINEERING COMPANY65 non-brand page-one rankings, 37 at #1 →
Frequently asked questions
How many types of SEO are there?
Usually four core types, plus specialized ones.
Is content marketing a type of SEO?
It supports on-page and off-page SEO.
What is white hat SEO?
SEO that follows search engine guidelines.
What is black hat SEO?
Manipulative tactics that risk penalties.
KEEP READING
SEO services → SEO services in India → SEO services in the USA → SEO services in the UK → Local SEO → What is SEO? → What SEO means for a business → What is an SEO company? → How to do SEO for a website, step by step → Google SEO: how ranking on Google works → On-page SEO: guide and checklist → Blog →NEXT STEP
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