On-page optimization is what you do on the page or within the content of your site (or blog) to improve its ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs). On-page SEO can also include optimizing for local search, image search, and video search.
Read our article What is SEO and How it works here.
On-Page SEO is the single most important factor in organic search rankings today. Google has said so itself. The better your On-Page Optimization, the better are your chances of getting to the top of SERPs for any given keyword. Numerous research studies have also concluded that On-Page optimization carries more weightage than link building or off-page SEO.
However, the problem is that not all websites are structured accordingly to give adequate attention towards making their content easily crawlable and indexable for Googlebot. This article will explain what exactly On-Page SEO involves, how it affects rankings, and ways you can improve On-Page factors on your site right away.
On-Page Optimization is about making these small, sometimes imperceptible changes to your site that will have a positive impact on your search engine ranking. Your goal should be to make incremental improvements over time since the major search engines (Google, Bing, and Yahoo) update their algorithms regularly – as often as several times a day! Once you optimize the page for one keyword phrase or topic, you’ll need to continue the process because other keywords will need attention.
Your main objective in on-page optimization is to create content with these characteristics: relevant unique visitors find it engaging to see enough of “what’s in it for me” (WIIFM) quickly enough to understand what they’re supposed to do next click-through rate (CTR) is high enough.
On-Page SEO Basics
It is an important aspect when trying to rank a webpage. This strategy looks at the website content itself in order to determine how search-engine-friendly it is if you are trying to rank for keywords.
What proper On-Page SEO means will vary depending on the site and the industry that you are in, but there are some common guidelines that you can follow. Each of these items is important in its own right, but it is important to keep in mind the big picture when you are looking at SEO.
Core SEO Elements
Every post on your site should have the basics of On-Page SEO; this includes things like meta tags (title and description), a keyword-rich title, and description. However, another important factor for this is using a good heading structure.
Headings are used to describing or breaking up content on your page; since most people will skim these as they read you want to make sure that the main headings (and subheadings) match with what you would expect from reading through them. This means not including things like “To Be Determined” as the headline of something. If you don’t know where something goes then leave it out or put it somewhere else.
Make Sure URLs are Clean
For most sites using WordPress, clean URLs are easy since this is baked into the platform itself. If you have a custom site or an old site with messy URL’s then there are plugins that will help you create them.
Keeping your URLs short and descriptive is the goal here; no one wants to click on something like “http://www.example.com/index7zdg7u3fj”. This also helps with On-Page SEO because having clean URLs makes it more readable for both humans and bots (not to mention it looks better, too).
Optimize your Title and Description tags
If you want your website to rank high on Google, Bing, or any other search engine, the first step is to make sure that your site is following all On-Page optimization practices. This will allow you to maximize your presence online and attract targeted traffic through organic searches.
On-page means all the content that is present on your website, including the HTML title and description tags, H1 tags which are usually at the top of your web page.
It is not something that you need to do once for your site. But no one said it’s difficult either. Here are some simple steps to follow to make sure that your On-Page practice is always optimized for search engines.
STEP 1: Write an SEO title
One of the most important things in On-Page SEO is writing a good and clear title tag, as it will be displayed as snippets on Google and other search engines if your website contains content similar to what people searched. Make sure your title tag not only answers the question or shows what you are doing or selling, but also grabs people’s attention with words like “best”, “great” etc.
This way you can increase clickthrough rate (CTR) and traffic to your site. Here is an example: someone searches for “Al Bari Residencia”. That would mean something really interesting is in this article, right? Let’s say you search the phrase “Al Bari Residencia Sheikhupura”, Google will show you this result:
The top-ranked site in this example page title of the most relevant is “Al-Bari Residencia Sheikhupura |Payment Plan 2022|Location Map.” However, google learned from its algorithm to show a better one according to relevance and to improve CTR.
The title tag is an important factor when it comes to click-through rate (CTR), which means that if many people click on your snippet, there is more chance for them clicking through on your website.
The best practice does not use a title tag for more than 60 characters.
STEP 2: Create an SEO friendly Description tag for each page
The meta description of each page tells what your web page is about along with its main headline. Also, make sure to update these descriptions whenever you make any major changes to the actual content present on pages.
It does not really matter how long your description tag is but if it should be under 160 characters. Also, it has no value in SEO also google change it according to its understanding and user search, but it can increase the click-through rate of your particular page. Now let’s understand how your page looks on Google search results.
In the above example, Google search shows URL, Page Title, and Meta Description as snippets to the user who searched for a particular keyword.
The search engines can show different snippets to a variety of terms. The knowledge graph, images with URL, and meta description are among the many types that might appear when someone browses online for information.
A good way to ensure visitors have everything they need from one visit without having too much content overload would be by using tables as an idealized theme across all pages related in some manner.
STEP 3: Use keywords in the URL of web pages as described above, it improves On-Page SEO
You might not like this idea but the truth is that Google and other search engines crawl through your website’s URLs after all, they are important to them too. So make sure to use relevant keywords at the beginning of the URL and avoid using special characters and numbers which will help you target the most relevant users for that particular piece of content.
This is the reason why people prefer visiting jaga.pk/al-bari-residencia-sheikhupura rather than jaga.pk/198?.
STEP 4: Let your H1 & H2 Tags reflect page content
It’s not necessary that one should stick with only one heading tag on a web page because it’s advised to follow this rule; The more times you use H1 or H2 tags on pages of your website, the better it is for On-Page SEO. Also, make sure h1/h2 tags are unique and don’t repeat h1/h2 tags across multiple pages/websites as Google considers it as duplicate content.
Here is an example:
In the example above the writer choose longtail keywords(a keyword with more than 3 words) in its H2, and H3 headings and didn’t stuff keywords(use a keyword again and again). And the blogger didn’t use the same heading with the same long-tail keywords on its other blogs.
Bloggers who want to increase traffic can also use long-tail keywords inside their H1/H2 tags.
STEP 5: Include ALT Tags in all images on your website
ALT stands for the alternate text and is a hidden meta-tag that describes an image present if it cannot be displayed, the purpose of including the alternative text is so that search engines can understand what the image stands for and so rank them accordingly. It does not mean that if you include alt tags in every image, you will get higher rankings but it’s still a good idea to follow so that…
If someone were searching your website using voice commands or screen readers, such as Apple iPad/iPhone/Mac users who rely on VoiceOver, then it will be easier for them to understand what the image you are using is about.
In the first image above, the author used the alt tag “Google Search Example”.
Write SEO Friendly Description
Write a description for your article that is both enticing and SEO-friendly. The main purpose of the description should be to entice readers into reading your content, while also delivering keywords relevant to your blog’s niche.
The biggest mistake bloggers make is stuffing their posts with keywords, without researching what those words are actually associated with. Google uses different algorithms to rank websites, and sometimes a keyword that appears in your description will have less weight than the same keyword appearing in the body copy.
Target Keywords (Not Overkill)
While you should research what keywords to target for SEO purposes, make sure not to overdo it. All relevant keywords within reason are perfectly acceptable, but you do not want to use the same keyword over and over again. Google recognizes this as spammy behavior, which can negatively affect your website’s rank on SERPs.
Keep Content Legible (and clean) for On-Page SEO
Trying to squeeze in an excessive amount of keywords will often create a jumbled mess that is difficult to read. A good rule of thumb is to aim for 3-5 keywords, avoiding keyword stacking.
The best way to decide which words you should use is by reading through your article and seeing what relevant keywords naturally flow off the page. You can also research which words are most relevant to your blog’s niche, using a free resource like Google Trends and Google Keyword Planner. Keep your writing style consistent, to ensure you don’t confuse or alienate your readers.
Put Keywords in Correct Places (H1-5 tags, bold/italicized titles)
The H1-5 tags are used to structure your article in a way that is both visually appealing and SEO-friendly. Your keywords should appear in your H1-5 tags, along with many other words that are relevant to your blog.
Search engines like Google use the keywords in these tags to better understand what your content is about. So it’s important you make good use of them. For example, if you wrote an article titled “5 Creative Ways Of Encouraging Your Child’s Creativity” you can use the word “creativity” in your H1 tag. Adding “Creative Ways” to your H2 tag would also be relevant and useful for Google (and readers).
Titles are perhaps one of the most important parts of your article, as that is what will appear in SERPs. It’s important to make good use of keywords, without making it difficult for readers to understand what your article is about.
Keep your title concise and clear, while also including targeted keywords that are relevant to your blog’s niche. As mentioned before, you do not need to stuff every word into the title tag – only include the words that flow well with the rest of the article.
Do not forget to italicize or bold any words that you would like to emphasize. If you are working on an SEO-friendly blog post, then this step is crucial for helping your keywords stand out.
Don’t Stuff Keywords! It’s major part of On-Page SEO
It’s important to realize that keywords are only useful if they are used naturally; this means you can’t just throw them into your content because Google will notice faster than you think. When writing things for your website try not to force the keyword into place too much and instead let it flow as best as possible within the context of what you are trying to describe. This may sound like common sense, but people often assume that putting a relevant keyword in their title or description will be enough for search engines.
Finally, if your product descriptions really don’t match what users are looking for then you might want to consider editing the description. This will not only ensure that people notice your content, but it can also help you get more conversions if they find exactly what they want when they click on the link to your website.
To sum things up, keep relevancy high and don’t stuff keywords within your content unless you are using them naturally; I know these two points seem like common sense, but so many people get penalized because of forgetting about them! As long as you follow these simple things then there shouldn’t be any problems with optimizing your pages for search engines.
Include Images and Videos from Relevant Sources
Including relevant images and videos in your blog posts will make your content more appealing, while also increasing its SEO potential. You can either create your own images and videos or use those from another site.
A good rule of thumb is to only include images that are free to use – otherwise, it may cause unnecessary stress for you and the creator of said image.
When including a link in the body of your text, make sure it is clear that you are linking out to another site. You can do this by writing “Click here if you would like more information” underneath the image or video. This will help readers better understand what they are clicking on and also add a relevant keyword to your blog post!
The same applies if you are using another site’s image or video – if it is relevant to your niche and does not break any copyright rules, then feel free to use it.
Tips to Improve On-Page SEO
Here I discuss some of the tips to improve your page performance and on-page optimization.
Update Frequently
One thing that search engines look at is how often a page is updated, if it is outdated then there isn’t any point in trying to rank for anything since people will never find it. Google indexes a page about every 60-90 days, so you want to make sure that you are keeping everything updated when they come around.
You can also use plugins like Rank Math, Yoast, or All In One SEO Pack which will help tell Google when pages have been updated. Stick with unique and high-quality content here; no one wants to read your blog posts if they were published the same day last year.
Improve Click-Through Rate
Another factor in On-Page SEO is click rate; this means looking at how many clicks a particular post gets compared to other posts on the site. If a post is getting a lot of clicks and your click rate isn’t equal to or higher than it then this may mean that you need to change how you are writing posts.
Depending on what type of website you have, there are different ways to go about ranking well in search engines. For example, if you operate an eCommerce site then good On-Page SEO means having product descriptions with lots of keywords and phrases within them. This makes it easier for people to find what they are looking for when browsing the specific category that the product is in.
In addition to that, these same products should be listed in a logical order in terms of relevancy based on their title and description; again using Yoast’s and Rank Math’s relevancy tools will help you do this in WordPress if you are struggling to get it right on your own.
Using good keywords in the product titles is also important, but SEO experts note that not all keywords are created equal when it comes to an eCommerce site. You want to make sure that each keyword matches up with things like customer intent; for example, someone looking at “running shoes” will likely be more serious about buying than someone who looks at “Nike running shoes”.
This doesn’t mean one keyword is better than another, but using both words (or another variation) still shows relevancy and improves customer experience by giving them actual results.
If your website operates in a niche where people would put the location their searching for in their search bar, make sure you are using location-specific keywords. For example, if someone is looking for “Chinese food” then they might put the area that they are searching for this information in (like “San Francisco”); using relevant location-based keywords can help increase your click rate and website traffic.
Relevancy Is Key
When it comes to focusing on good On-Page SEO it is always important to keep relevancy high; I can’t stress this enough. Not only does this keep the users happy but the search engines as well will appreciate how useful your content is. You want to make sure that everything on your page is related to what you are trying to describe so that people actually find what they are looking for instead of wondering what you are about.
That being said, having multiple keywords on one page generally isn’t a good idea unless you use them logically and it flows well within your content. This means if you have something like “turquoise shoes” then that should be sitting next to other things that are turquoise; don’t just throw it in there because you think Google will love it (they won’t).
When keeping good On-Page SEO for eCommerce sites it is also important to ensure that each page represents exactly what the user wants; if people type in shoes then they want products that relate to shoes, not something completely different like jewelry or watches. This comes down more to how well your site is set up, but again you want to make sure that it makes sense for the user getting there.
Calls To Action Are Important Too for On-Page Optimization
When creating posts for your website make sure that each post has some form of a call to action included at the end; this could be asking people to click on another link or even share the post with their social media followers. It doesn’t matter how great (or not) your content is without people actually sharing it.
The important thing to remember is that you can’t just stuff keywords in your content without making sense; Google will catch on very quickly if the majority of your website’s content has nothing to do with what you are trying to describe. Again, make everything relevant and try not to overuse words like “best” or “top”. These are some common actions that get people penalized by search engines.
On-Page SEO Best Practices and Guidelines
So you’ve written a blog post and want to make sure it ranks well in search engines.
There’s a lot to learn, but start with these basic on-page SEO guidelines:
1. Understand the latest Web and technical developments. The landscape of search engines and devices changes rapidly. Technical SEO refers to making sure your site moves forward, instead of getting left behind! Web development trends change often; make your content accessible via mobile devices; keep your code clean and lean; add schema markup for rich snippets. Monitor web happenings using Google’s https://web.dev/.
2. Begin with keyword research to find out what keywords people are searching for about your content or intended message. Before you write page copy or produce other types of content for your site, you need to research the topic and write with a target keyword in mind.
Knowing your “why” as a business, as well as your goal as a content creator, is helpful. In terms of keywords, focus on those that have decent search volume (at least 100 or more searches per month) and low competition from other sites vying for those keywords.
Then use those findings to inform your topic choices and help guide your content creation and marketing efforts. To generate and analyze keywords: Use the Google AdWords Keyword Planner tool (requires free registration). Check its difficulty score. Perform an online assessment via the google search, how many people have used the same term and how much difficult is for you to rank for that certain term.
3. Write with specific user intent in mind – how do people use search engines to research topics? People may use search engines to quickly answer simple questions, or conduct more in-depth explorations. You need to understand this distinction while you write or create content for your site.
For example, if someone searches for “how does saltwater aquarium systems work,” Google knows the user must be looking for information about how these systems operate, rather than simply wanting to know if they should engage in one of these activities. That means your page should bestow authority on that topic by providing clear, concise high-quality copy that starts with an introduction and includes supporting details…just like this article does!
4. Optimize website speed using Lazy Load modules and Cache for On-Page SEO. One way visitors judge whether or not they want to engage further with your site is based on how quickly it loads and how much content is readily available. If your site takes too long to load, people will bounce and look elsewhere for their information.
The loading time of any given page depends on many factors: the size and number of graphics, whether or not those graphics are optimized, as well as the overall file sizes you’re working with.
To help speed up your website: Reduce the number of graphics Optimize all images (get as small as possible without sacrificing quality) Use HTML5 over Flash Disable pre-loading on large files.
Also, use some cache plugins to cache your web pages that make the website load faster for returning users.
5. Within every content type you create or publish, focus on these copywriting basics :
- Use strong headings throughout your content
- Use subheadings within long-form pieces
- Write short paragraphs Avoid wordiness and simplify your writing
- Use bulleted lists when possible (helpful for scanning)
- Take advantage of bold, italic, and underline formatting to add emphasis
Provide visual aids such as charts or photos when relevant Fact-check and proofread your content!
6. Add schema markup if relevant for On-Page SEO. Schema markup may be most beneficial to you if: You run a news site and/or blog You publish product or service listings Your business offers reviews on third party sites that display rich snippets.
7. Monitor your progress with Webmaster Tools, specifically Google Search Console. It’s helpful to monitor CTR, impressions, click-through rate (CTR), crawling errors, mobile usability issues, and accessible pages using this tool.
8. Link to other relevant sources in your content. If you reference an article, web page, or another source of information within your content, make it easy for people to find that source by linking directly to the URL. How? By using a link code above and/or below the copy when possible.
9. Check out Google’s Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide which is totally based on improving on-page SEO. It’s a free download that provides step-by-step instructions for how to optimize your website correctly about site speed, mobile optimization, HTML & CSS standards, XML sitemaps, social media integration, AdWords campaigns, and more.
10. Make sure every piece of content is relevant. Make sure each piece of written content is specific and relevant so you don’t dilute your website. If you publish irrelevant, non-contextual content, Google will downgrade your site by decreasing its rank placement in the SERPs (search engine results pages). If one piece of relevant content appears on a page that also contains irrelevant or low-quality content, then that page may be downranked as well.
11. Use progressive profiling for mobile. Progressive profiling reduces bounce rates and loading times by storing some portions of your website on visitors’ devices instead of loading all items during every visit. By using this practice, not only do people experience faster load times with less frustration, but you’ll now have access to far more data than ever before.
12. Tell users why they should stay on your site, rather than sending them elsewhere through clickbait or enticing headlines. Google is cracking down on clickbait titles, so you’ll want to steer clear of this SEO tactic if you can help it.
Google’s algorithms are always evolving, but the update that is known as “Panda,” targets content farms that post click-bait articles with tons of visuals, but very little meaningful information.
13. Submit XML sitemaps to search engines. A user-friendly sitemap makes indexing your site easier for search engines by telling them which pages they should crawl and how often they need to check your website for new content updates. This helps ensure all relevant pages are crawled on time while removing unnecessary URLs from an already crowded queue.
14. Use clean URLs. A clean URL does what it says: It cleans up the URL so it’s more easily readable by humans and search engine crawlers alike.
15. Deploy H1 tags correctly. An H1 tag is a header that tells users and Google which keywords to associate with each page. In other words, you should use an H1 tag for your site’s title because this is the most important phrase on any webpage. For example, if you’re reading this sentence, then you’re probably looking at a guide about On-Page SEO.
16. Make sure content has a single focus, rather than trying to accomplish multiple tasks in one article or resource page.
17. Create links between pages within your website whenever possible! This helps make your content more accessible and navigable to all users.
18. Use keywords in your meta tags. This is a no-brainer: If you want to rank for specific keywords, make sure the words appear in your meta description and meta title (which should correlate with titles and headlines).
19. Don’t try to trick Google into giving you a higher ranking. You’ll just get penalized for trying. There are plenty of ways to increase your traffic without resorting to underhanded tactics.
20. Look at competing websites for inspiration on what NOT to do when optimizing a site’s content. The Internet is an amazing tool because we can learn from others’ successes and mistakes — so why not use this information to avoid SEO pitfalls?
Please feel free to ask any questions below in a comment and we’ll be here to answer them. If you have any topics about SEO that you would like covered, let us know in a comment below or contact us. Thanks for visiting our site.
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