In this lesson of my SEO Fundamentals for Business course, I explain the main Types of SEO you’ll encounter and how to choose the right one (or mix of types) for your goals.
Types of SEO matter because although the core SEO process remains the same, the workflow, metrics, and priorities change depending on what you want to rank — a global site, a local shop, a YouTube channel, or an online store.
Table of Contents
- What is the difference between International SEO and Local SEO and when should I use them?
- How do YouTube SEO and Video SEO differ and why should I care?
- Why should I optimize images — what is Image SEO?
- What is Mobile SEO and why is it no longer optional?
- How does eCommerce SEO differ from regular website SEO?
- Should I care about WordPress SEO and what are the practical facts?
- What other Types of SEO should I know about?
- How do I choose which Types of SEO to focus on?
- Final thoughts
What is the difference between International SEO and Local SEO and when should I use them?
International SEO is about ranking pages for a worldwide audience. I use it when my target market spans multiple countries and languages. The process focuses on targeting search results globally rather than targeting a single geographic area.
Local SEO, on the other hand, is about boosting rankings in a specific geographic area — country, state, city, suburb, or neighborhood. I recommend local SEO if you run a small business, enterprise branch, or any service that depends on nearby customers. Local SEO applies both to your website and to business listings on Google Business Profile or Bing Places.
Some quick facts that show why local SEO is critical:
- 72% of buyers do a local search and visited a store within 5 miles.
- More than 97% of people get information about local companies through online search.
- 88% of mobile searches for local businesses result in a call or visit within 24 hours.
- “Near me” and “close by” searches grew more than 900% over two years for location-based mobile queries.
How do YouTube SEO and Video SEO differ and why should I care?
I separate YouTube SEO and Video SEO because one focuses specifically on ranking within YouTube, while the other focuses on having videos appear in general search engines (Google, Bing, Yahoo).
YouTube SEO optimizes titles, descriptions, tags, thumbnails, and audience retention to rank higher in YouTube search and suggested videos. Consider YouTube SEO because more than 2 billion people use YouTube, it’s localized in over 100 countries and 80 languages, and at least 1 billion hours of video are watched daily.
Video SEO extends that idea: optimize your videos so they rank in search engine result pages (SERPs). Google owns YouTube, so search results often show YouTube videos prominently. A video hosted on YouTube benefits from the platform’s trust and SEO power, which can speed up ranking compared to a new website.
Why should I optimize images — what is Image SEO?
Image SEO means optimizing your website’s images to rank higher in image search results or appear as image snippets in SERPs. I always optimize images because around 33% of search result pages can return an image snippet, and image search engines (Google Images, Bing Images) send traffic back to the source page.
What is Mobile SEO and why is it no longer optional?
Mobile SEO is the practice of optimizing websites specifically for mobile devices, focusing on mobile user experience so you can gain higher mobile rankings. Search engines serve different results to mobile and desktop users because experience and performance differ by device.
Mobile is essential:
- 52.2% of worldwide web traffic comes from mobile phones.
- There are more searches on mobile devices than on desktop for many queries.
- 87% of smartphone users visit search engines via mobile at least once a day.
- 40% of mobile visitors will leave a site if it takes more than 3 seconds to load.
How does eCommerce SEO differ from regular website SEO?
eCommerce SEO focuses on optimizing your store and product pages to rank for commercial intent keywords and search queries where users intend to buy. The priorities shift toward product page structure, schema, category pages, reviews, and conversion signals.
Consider these trends:
- It is estimated that by 2040, 95% of purchases will be through e-commerce.
- 44% of people start their online shopping with a new Google search.
Should I care about WordPress SEO and what are the practical facts?
If you use WordPress, WordPress SEO becomes an important part of your strategy. WordPress is a free CMS that helps you create and manage websites without advanced HTML knowledge. WordPress powers roughly 40% of websites on the internet and more than 500 new WordPress sites are created daily.
I often convert WordPress sites into stores using WooCommerce. Because of WordPress’s popularity, learning WordPress SEO gives you broad coverage across sites and content types.
What other Types of SEO should I know about?
Aside from the major types above, there are several specific SEO subtypes you may need depending on your project:
- App Store SEO — optimize app listings in Play Store or App Store.
- Blogger SEO — optimize Blogger/Blogspot sites.
- Wix SEO — optimize sites built on the Wix CMS.
- Voice SEO — optimize audio content and content structure for voice search queries.
- News SEO — optimize news content for fast indexing and ranking in news sections.
How do I choose which Types of SEO to focus on?
Choose based on your audience, platform, and business goals. You’re not limited to one type — you can combine Types of SEO. For example, an e-commerce business may need eCommerce SEO, mobile SEO, image SEO, and video SEO simultaneously. I recommend starting with the type that aligns closest to your conversion goals and expanding from there.
I plan to create separate, free courses covering each of these SEO processes in-depth, so you can follow a dedicated path based on which Types of SEO fit your needs.
What is the simplest definition of Types of SEO?
Types of SEO are the different specializations within search engine optimization, each focused on ranking different content or targeting different audiences — for example, local SEO, eCommerce SEO, YouTube SEO, mobile SEO, and so on.
Do I need more than one SEO type for my business?
Not necessarily, but you can choose multiple Types of SEO and work on them concurrently. Pick the types that match your audience and business model — for many businesses, a combination delivers the best results.
Which SEO type helps videos rank in Google search results?
Video SEO focuses on optimizing videos so they can rank in search engine result pages, not only within YouTube but also on Google, Bing, and other search engines.
Why is mobile SEO mandatory now?
Mobile usage dominates web traffic. Search engines use mobile-first indexing and have guidelines for mobile experience. If your site isn’t optimized for mobile speed and UX, you will lose rankings and users.
Final thoughts
Understanding the Types of SEO helps you prioritize the right work for your goals. The core SEO process stays the same, but the metrics and tactics change depending on whether you’re targeting global audiences, local customers, video viewers, or online shoppers. Choose the SEO types that fit your business, and remember: I will be covering each major SEO process in separate, free courses to help you get practical, step-by-step guidance.
If you want to rank faster and smarter, focus on the SEO type that aligns with your audience — then expand into other types as your site grows.
