Technical SEO – Is it On-page or Off-page Site Optimization?

Technical SEO – Is it On-page or Off-page Site Optimization?

There are two types of search engine optimization.  “On-page SEO” is Technical SEO website optimization.  Technical SEO is performed behind the scenes on a website’s server files.  “Off-page SEO or marketing SEO is content, images, and text that search engines read to ensure search results are relevant.

Website optimization is one of the most important strategies to get noticed by Search Engines as well as appreciated by site users.  Optimization improves website ranking.  A near-perfectly optimized website is a basis for seeing organic site traffic from search engines results pages.

Both types of search engine optimization are needed for improving and keeping a website in compliance with updated search engine best practices. Good general website maintenance should include Technical SEO service.   A comparison of both types of optimization is provided in this article.

Technical SEO

The first type of website optimization is Technical SEO  involves activities done on a website or a blog to comply with search engine best practices including algorithm updates. It is among the most important and basic activities done by webmasters.  Therefore, On-page SEO starts before the development of a website. Site Relevance must be constantly reviewed for improvement and maintenance of a site’s organic ranking.

Technical SEO is a site utility task.  The goal is to keep a website in compliance. Compliance with algorithm changes and acknowledged best practices makes a site search engine friendly.

Main components of Technical SEO service tasks include.

  • Headings
  • Page titles
  • Tags and meta description
  • Visual Content Pictures and images
  • Alt Tags for Images
  • Domain information and URL structure
  • Quick loading and user-friendly navigation
  • Optimized external & internal links
  • Sitemap

Websites with poor technical readiness will run sluggishly. Pages will load slower.  Broken links frustrate site visitors and no Alt Txt description for a missing image is bad form. Search engines like sites to be nice and tidy.  Just like a car, websites need periodic tune-ups. This is a job for a skilled developer or technician who can add files, fix and repair and check functions like page speed.

Technical SEO website optimization is perhaps more important than marketing SEO which gets all the attention as user engagement in today’s digital communication is paramount. But for search engines, its what’s under the hood that counts just as much.  Technical SEO website optimization has not gotten the exposure of marketing SEO probably because its champions are working quietly behind the scenes while the practitioners of marketing SEO by design are screaming from the rooftops.

Marketing SEO

Marketing SEO has totally different benefits and techniques than Technical SEO.  It is mainly concerned with factors related to words which search engines read and links from 3rd party blogs, websites, forums, and directories. Marketing SEO activities are ongoing and require continuous fresh content, new images, and better links for priority by search engines. This technique is mainly qualitative. It depends upon some other quality web pages for improving blog or site.

By obtaining a higher quality link, you become a higher ranked site. A link to a site characterized as an authority website means more authority of your site. Traffic directed towards a website by search engines is increased with strategic links building. This also improves the position of the website in Google and other search engines.  Full on marketing optimization includes social bookmarking, forum posting, blog commenting and social media engagement.


This article has been sponsored by SEO Tuneup who offers a 19-point Technical SEO  inspection service.

SEO Tuneup logo