The perception that SEO is only about spreading keywords around your website is wrong. As important as keywords may be, it isn’t the only crucial factor. On-page optimization in SEO is another aspect to consider; despite its slightly complex nature, you don’t need to be a tech wiz to carry it out. If you can write or perform fundamental website edits, know somebody who can, or you’re willing to do some research, you’re good to go.
This article by AAM Consultants focuses on how to optimize your on-page SEO to maximize your website returns effectively. Experts in SEO, such as SEO Keys, are also on hand to assist you with any on-page SEO services you may need.
What is on-page Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?
Also referred to as on-site SEO, it centers around optimizing your website elements such as:
- keyword density
- page speed
- content for users
- higher search engine rankings.
This SEO practice varies from off-page SEO, which targets optimizing other signal factors like backlinks outside your website. On-page optimization in SEO focuses on visible content and source code maximization.
The importance of on-page SEO
There’s a lot more to on-page SEO than stuffing keywords into your content. Your on-page techniques are crucial for ranking higher in search engines, increasing your traffic and conversions.
While on-page optimization results may take some time, your online rankings and conversion will grow when your strategy takes off.
Google ultimately searches for the most relevant results query, so their algorithm likewise searches for pages with the most relevant content.
For instance, if your page focuses on cars and you don’t highlight the different brands, Google knows there are likely other relevant results to look for. Relevance is a big deal for on-page SEO; if you don’t work towards it, it’ll be tough to rank.
Ranking factors to optimize on-page SEO
There are various ranking factors for on-page SEO services. If you want to rank, you’ll have to dedicate time and effort to optimizing all these factors and make your website more competitive and harder to beat. These factors include:
- Title tag
- Heading tags
- Alt tags
- URL
- Meta description
- Keywords
- Internal linking
- Content
- Speed
- Images
- Mobile-friendliness
Illustration of some on-page SEO things to do include:
- Creating quality, in-depth content
- Optimizing title tags and meta descriptions
- Guaranteeing clean website code
- Restructuring your website navigation
- Increasing your website speed
Guide to optimizing on-page SEO
There are many steps involved in optimizing your SEO content, outlined below:
- Include your targeted keywords in the first 100 content words
This old-school on-page SEO strategy is as effective as it was years ago. You have to include your target keyword once in the initial 100-150 article words. For instance, if you want to rank your article for a particular keyword, let’s say digital marketing, mention the keyword from the get-go.
What’s its significance? Google places more emphasis on terms that appear towards the top of your page. Therefore, it’s advisable to ensure your primary keywords are mentioned early in your article, ideally the first 150 words. This is one of the little details that assist Google in understanding your page or article.
- Wrap blog post title in H1 tags
Google uses header tags such as H1 tags to understand your page structure. For most platforms like WordPress, this tag is added automatically to your page title. If you’re not sure or are using different platforms, go through your site code to verify that your primary keyword is wrapped in the H1 tag.
- Wrap subheadings in H2 tags
Ensure to add your primary keyword to at least one subheading and wrap it in the H2 tag. However, not doing so may not hurt your on-page SEO efforts, although it can make a dent.
- Ensure keyword frequency
This refers to the number of times a key phrase appears in your content. While Google may deny keyword frequency influence in SEO rankings, experts have indicated that it certainly does have an effect. When a keyword is mentioned severally within a content, Google can be certain about the page’s subject. However, avoid keyword stuffing and naturally mention these keywords on the page. For example, in a 3,200-word post, mentioning the keyword six times is considered ideal.
- Include outbound links
External links to your pages indicate your website content quality and help Google understand the page’s topic quickly. Experiments have confirmed the effectiveness of outbound pages.
- Optimize your SEO URLs
Your website URL structure is an incredible component of on-page SEO. While it’s true that Google has begun utilizing strange forms of URLs in recent times, the terms used in your content still appear in the URL. Additionally, mobile and desktop Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) URLs are presently placed above the title tag, making URLs more significant than previously. To create an SEO friendly URL, ensure to;
- Make your URLs as short as possible
- Add a keyword to every URL
Creating SEO content
The content basically provides users with relevant answers and offers search engine context. Your website content is crucial to convincing a user to visit your page. People will visit your website for various reasons; it could be to read a blog post or view your product catalog. Content optimization is key to helping search engines appreciate and rank content that can prompt individuals to find your site.
On-page SEO content optimization involves:
- Utilizing your keywords in headings and paragraphs
- Breaking content under subheadings
- Ensuring your content is devoid of spelling and grammatical errors
- Creating quality reliable content
- Adding appropriate images to supplement your content
As helpful as these practices are, ensure to post fresh content on your page often. This will signal to Google that you’re an active user, which will lead to regular scans of your website for fresh content.
Other factors that affect your on-page SEO are:
Page speed
This measures how fast your content loads. According to a study, 50% of your audience will leave your page if it takes more than three seconds to render. People want information, and they want it fast. Speed is a ranking factor for Google.
Internal linking
Although it’s often overlooked, internal linking is crucial to on-page SEO success. This is helpful for bots to crawl your website. Internal linking is great for offering users access to valuable information and increasing conversion rates.
Images
Images add appeal to your content and offer your audience context while breaking down the information that may be difficult to understand. However, ensure to compress your images before adding them to your website. Include an alt text to add more detail to the images and support rankings.
Difference between on-page SEO and off-page SEO
If you attempt to improve your online rankings, one term you’ll probably encounter is off-page SEO. But how does this differ from the on-page SEO?
- On-page SEO: describes all activities taken on your site, such as enhancing your content and improving page navigations to promote your search engine rankings.
- Off-page SEO: Refers to the other activities performed outside your site, such as acquiring backlinks from other trustworthy sources to support your online rankings.
However, fruitful SEO requires a solid mix of on-page and off-page SEO.
