University of New Hampshire, Department of Computer Science

Information Technology 502
, Intermediate Web Design

Spring 2025

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Design Template by Anonymous

Introduction to Search Engine Optimization

What is Search Engine Optimization?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of aligning a website's structure, content, and backend functionality to improve its visibility in search engine results. When implemented effectively, SEO helps drive more organic traffic by making a website more discoverable and relevant to users search queries. There are many different types of SEO, each serving a unique purpose in optimizing online presence. In this tutorial, we'll focus on what can be considered the three “timeless” types of SEO.

Timeless SEO

Diagram showing 3 timeless types of SEO
Illustrates the core pillars of SEO: On-Page, Technical, and Content.

I will list the twelve major types of SEO's in an attempt to not miss anything, but we will focus on the "Timeless" SEO's.

  1. On-Page SEO: Optimizing individual page content and structure for better rankings.
  2. Off-Page SEO: Boosting authority through backlinks and external engagement.
  3. Technical SEO: Improving backend performance for crawling and indexing.
  4. Local SEO: Targeting searches based on geographic location.
  5. E-Commerce SEO: Enhancing product visibility and sales for online stores.
  6. Video SEO: Making video content more searchable and accessible.
  7. Image SEO: Optimizing images to rank in image-based searches.
  8. International SEO: Adapting content for global and multilingual audiences.
  9. Voice SEO: Tailoring content for voice-based queries.
  10. YouTube SEO: Optimizing videos for YouTube's search engine.
  11. Social SEO: Using social media activity to support search visibility.
  12. Content SEO: Creating valuable, keyword-rich content that ranks well.

Now that we've outlined the three timeless types of SEO, it's important to reflect on the broader significance of SEO overall.

Why is Search Engine Optimization so important?

SEO is one of the most important aspects of digital marketing. If your website does not have proper SEO your website will not receive the traffic it deserves. Appearing on the first page of results can be the difference between being seen or being invisible. There's billions of searches each day, if your website ranks the highest in relation to its organic ranking that could result in millions of users of traffic on your website. As algorithms grow more advanced, SEO has shifted from simple keyword placement to a complex strategy that utilizes the new upcoming tools such as AI overview, semantic search and user intent analysis. We will explore how these new upcoming tools are still relevant in relation to the timeless SEO techniques.

Understanding how the What and Why has changed.

On the following page I will dive in to how the landscape of SEO has shifted, and what market leaders to pay attention to in order to stay ahead of the shifts in the SEO world.