The Difference Between Technical SEO And On-Page SEO?

If you work in digital marketing, or your business has any kind of online presence, then you’ll have likely heard of Search Engine Optimisation, or SEO. But did you know that there are multiple different types of SEO: technical and on-page? So, what are the key differences between technical SEO vs on-page SEO, and why might you need to use them?

What is technical SEO?

SEO involves various strategies and techniques aimed at improving a website’s visibility and ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs). And technical SEO refers to the optimisation of a website’s technical aspects to improve its crawlability, indexability, and overall performance in search engines. It involves the implementation of various technical elements that enhance a website’s structure, speed, and accessibility. 

Technical SEO aims to ensure that search engines can easily crawl and understand the website’s content, leading to improved visibility in SERPs. Key technical SEO factors include website speed optimisation, mobile-friendliness, XML sitemaps, robots.txt files, canonical URLs, and structured data markup. 

Website speed optimisation

Website speed optimisation involves reducing loading times and improving the overall user experience. Mobile-friendliness ensures that a website is optimised for mobile devices, considering the increasing number of users accessing the internet through smartphones and tablets.

XML Sitemaps and Robots.txt Files

XML sitemaps and robots.txt files play a crucial role in guiding search engine bots to crawl and index the website’s pages effectively. XML sitemaps provide a roadmap of the website’s structure, making it easier for search engines to discover and index the content. Robots.txt files, on the other hand, help control which pages search engine bots can access and index.

Canonical URLs

Canonical URLs are used to consolidate duplicate or similar content into a single URL, preventing content duplication issues that can harm a website’s SEO. Structured data markup, such as schema.org, helps search engines understand the context and meaning of the content, leading to better visibility in SERPs through rich snippets and other enhanced search features.

Understanding on-page SEO

On-page SEO, as the name suggests, refers to optimising individual web pages to improve their visibility and relevance in search engine rankings. It involves optimising the content, HTML source code, and meta tags of a webpage. On-page SEO aims to make the content more appealing and relevant to both users and search engines.

Keyword optimisation

Key on-page SEO factors include keyword optimisation, compelling meta titles and descriptions, header tags (H1, H2, etc.), URL structure, and image optimisation. Keyword optimisation involves strategically incorporating relevant keywords into the content, title, headings, and meta tags to signal the topic and relevance of the page to search engines.

Meta titles and meta descriptions

Compelling meta titles and descriptions not only help search engines understand the content but also entice users to click on the search result. Header tags, such as H1 and H2, provide a hierarchical structure to the content, making it easier to read and understand. Proper URL structure helps search engines and users navigate and comprehend the content hierarchy.

Image optimisation

Image optimisation includes optimising image file sizes, using descriptive filenames, and adding alt tags to provide textual descriptions of the images. This allows search engines to index and understand the visual content, potentially leading to increased organic traffic through image search results.

On-page SEO vs Technical SEO

While technical SEO and on-page SEO focus on different aspects of optimisation, they are interconnected and work together to improve a website’s performance in search results. Technical SEO sets the foundation for a website’s crawlability, indexability, and accessibility, ensuring that search engines can effectively understand and interpret the content.

On the other hand, on-page SEO optimises the individual web pages and their content, making them more appealing and relevant to users and search engines. By incorporating relevant keywords, structuring content hierarchically, and optimising meta tags, on-page SEO enhances a website’s visibility and click-through rates in search results.

The synergy between technical SEO and on-page SEO is crucial for achieving optimal results. A technically optimised website with poor content and on-page optimisation may not rank well or attract user engagement. Similarly, a website with excellent content and on-page optimisation but lacking technical SEO elements may struggle to gain visibility in search results.

Technical and on-page SEO with NMG

If any part of your business operates online, or you have a website, then you need to invest in quality SEO. At NMG, we know that it can be daunting trying to navigate the complex world of on-page and technical SEO, especially if your business seems to be underperforming, but you’re doing all the right things.

Technical SEO and on-page SEO are two integral components of a comprehensive SEO strategy, and the two need to blend harmoniously together in order for your business to really hit those SERPs. 

At NMG, we have a proven track record of maximising growth and visibility. SEO is a consistent, strategic process, and our team of experts will make sure you’re informed every step of the way throughout your journey with us. 

Get in touch with us to see how we can help elevate your ranking today.