One of the biggest challenges when speaking with people about search engine optimization is trying to explain the difference between on-page SEO and off-page SEO. It is easy to start throwing out enough jargon to confuse a monkey writing a medical dictionary, but in the end it does not do anyone any good.
On-Page Optimization refers to enhancing the elements found within your website which influence how search engines view the website for particular keywords. These elements can include, but are not limited to: the site structure (how it is coded), the text and image content on your website, your domain name, URL structure, internal links, page titles, and more.
Off- Page Optimization refers to marketing your website through methods that do not involve the website itself. This helps to build the reputation and provide signals to the search engines that your website has valuable, current, and relevant content to search engine users for a given topic. This includes creating social signals, social bookmarks, business directory listings, and building back links to your website.