Four core types cover virtually everything: on-page, off-page, technical, and local. Some frameworks break it further, including e-commerce SEO, video SEO, voice search optimization, and international SEO, but these are really specialized applications of the same four foundations. On-page handles your content and page structure. Off-page handles your reputation and authority beyond your own site. Technical covers the infrastructure machines need to read your site correctly. Local focuses on geographic visibility, especially Google Business Profile and local directories. In 2026, there's a practical fifth category emerging: answer engine optimization, which focuses on making your content citable by AI assistants. But it's not really separate from the other four. It's what happens when all four are done well. AI models cite businesses that rank organically, have consistent trust signals, and present information in a clean, structured way. The types aren't independent. They're layers of the same system.
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