What is On-Page SEO

On-page SEO is about creating content that search engines can understand and users will love.

On-page SEO also known as on-site SEO involves tweaking your website and its content to make it more appealing to search engines and users. This helps your pages rank higher on Google and attract more organic traffic.

Some common on-page SEO tasks include:

Matching content with search intent
Optimizing title tags
Adding internal links
Creating user-friendly URLs

We will go over different methods to improve your site for on-page SEO.

Before we do that, it’s important to understand how on-page SEO differs from off-page SEO.

On-Page SEO vs. Off-Page SEO

On-page SEO involves making improvements directly on your website to boost your rankings.

Off-page SEO on the other hand focuses on actions taken outside your website to improve its ranking. This includes getting backlinks, engaging on social media and managing public relations.

Both on-page and off-page SEO are crucial for a successful SEO strategy. However, since you have more control over on-page SEO, it’s a great starting point.

Why Is On-Page SEO Important?

Search engines look at keywords and other on-page SEO factors to determine if a page matches what a user is searching for. If the page is relevant and useful Google will show it to the user.

Simply put Google uses on-page SEO signals to rank pages.

Even though Google’s algorithm is always changing the focus remains on user experience. Google advises creating “people-first content” which means making valuable content that meets user needs is crucial.

On-page SEO is where the magic starts. It’s the groundwork for your entire SEO strategy. – Rand Fishkin

Now, let’s see how you can update your content to follow on-page SEO best practices.

9 On-Page SEO Techniques for Your Website

Here are some important on-page SEO techniques to consider:

Write unique, helpful content
Place target keywords strategically
Write keyword-rich title tags
Write click-worthy meta descriptions
Use headings and subheadings to structure your page
Optimize URLs
Add internal links
Add external links
Include and optimize images

Let’s dive into these in more detail.

1. Write Unique, Helpful Content

Creating high-quality content that matches your readers’ search intent is one of the most important on-page SEO steps.

Start by doing keyword research to find relevant topics and target keywords. Once you have your keywords create your content.

Here are some best practices for optimized, high-quality content:

Use keywords naturally (avoid keyword stuffing)
Align the search intent with your target keyword
Fully answer the query to ensure your content is useful
Write unique content that offers something competitors don’t
Include visual elements (we’ll discuss this in more detail later)

2. Place Target Keywords Strategically

Once you have your target keywords it’s important to place them strategically in your content.

Google scans your content to understand what your page is about and readers do the same.

Include your target keywords in these key areas:

H1 (main heading)
First paragraph
Subheaders (H2s, H3s, etc.)

This helps Google understand the topic of your page and lets users quickly see if the page matches their search intent.

3. Write Keyword-Rich Title Tags

Title tags are pieces of HTML code that show the title of a page. They appear in search engine results, social media posts and browser tabs. Title tags can also influence whether users click on your page.

Here are some tips for writing title tags:

Keep it brief: Aim for 50-60 characters so Google doesn’t cut them off.
Include your target keyword: This helps both Google and users understand what your page is about.
Be unique: Avoid duplicate title tags so each page’s purpose is clear to Google and users know what they’re clicking on.

4. Write Click-Worthy Meta Descriptions

A meta description is an HTML element that provides a brief summary of a page. Search engines like Google may use it to create the snippet (the descriptive text part) that appears in search results usually below your page’s title.

Meta descriptions don’t directly affect Google rankings.

However, like title tags they can influence whether a user clicks on your page or another one, potentially increasing search traffic.

If your meta description doesn’t match the user’s search intent or the page content Google might choose its own description for the search results.

To increase the chances of Google using your chosen meta description follow these best practices:

Consider Mobile Devices: Google cuts off meta descriptions after about 120 characters on mobile so keep them short.
Include Your Target Keyword: This helps users see if your page matches their search intent. Google also highlights keywords that match the user’s query making them stand out and potentially increasing clicks.
Use Active Voice: It saves space and clearly communicates your message.
Add a Call to Action (CTA): Encourage users to click with phrases like “try for free” or “find out more.”

5. Use Headings & Subheadings to Structure Your Page

H1 tags and other headings help users easily skim your page and assist Google in understanding the structure of your content.

Imagine how hard it is to read a page without organized headings compared to one that has them. Headings make your content more readable and organized.

Headings make it easy to skim and find specific information on a page. They also help Google understand your page’s structure and see if it matches a user’s search intent which can boost your ranking for relevant keywords.

You can use keywords and variations in headings to give Google more context about your page.

H1: Use as your page title or main headline
H2: Use for subtopics
H3, H4, etc.: Use for further details if needed

6. Optimize URLs

Google suggests using simple URLs that are easy to understand and not intimidating.

Here’s how to make your URLs user-friendly:

Use relevant words: Ensure your URL reflects the content of your page.
Avoid random numbers, dates or long sentences: These can make URLs look confusing.

Often, website themes use complex URLs by default so make sure to update your URL before publishing.

Including your target keyword in your URL helps match the URL to your content’s topic.

For example, an unfriendly URL might look like this:

https://sidwebsolutions.com/2023/06/25/page12345

A more user-friendly URL would be:

https://sidwebsolutions.com/services/online-reputation-management/

The more information Google has about a page the better it can understand it. When Google understands a page well it can match it with relevant search queries.

7. Strategically Add Internal Links

Internal links are hyperlinks that connect different pages on the same website. Here’s an example of an internal link on a webpage:

Internal links are crucial for on-page SEO. Here’s why:

They help search engines understand your site’s structure and how pages are related.
They enable Google crawlers to find and navigate new pages.
They signal to Google that the linked page is important.
They help users navigate your website and stay longer.

8. Add External Links to Authoritative Sources

External links are links on your site that lead to other websites. They are important because they improve user experience and build trust with your audience.

Google recommends adding links to reputable external sources to provide value to your users. Enhancing user experience is always beneficial.

Here are some best practices for adding external links:

Link only to authoritative and trustworthy sites related to your topic.
Use clear and natural anchor text to indicate what readers will find when they click.
Ensure external links are balanced and strategically placed to avoid appearing spammy.

9. Include & Optimize Images

Adding images to your content can help you rank in Google Images bringing more traffic to your site.

Start by writing descriptive alt text for your images.

Alt text (alternative text) is text in the HTML code that describes an image on a webpage. It serves two main purposes:

It gives context to search engine crawlers.
It enables screen reader users to hear image descriptions.

Tips for Writing Good Alt Text

Keep it short: Alt text should be under 125 characters for screen readers.
Include a target keyword: Add your target keyword for context but don’t overdo it.
Skip decorative images: Don’t add alt text to graphics like page breaks or icons.
Avoid “image of” or “picture of” phrases: Alt text already indicates it’s describing an image.

Other Ways to Optimize Images

Use descriptive file names: Help search engines understand your image content.
Compress images: Use free tools to reduce file sizes for faster loading.
Implement lazy loading: Load images only when the user scrolls to them for improved page speed.

Advanced On-Page SEO Tactics

Once you’ve mastered the basics of on-page SEO you can explore more advanced techniques.

Let’s begin with a crucial on-page SEO factor: page speed.

Optimize for Page Speed

While we may not know all of Google’s ranking factors, we do know that page speed is one of them. Therefore, optimizing for page speed is crucial.

You can use Google’s free PageSpeed Insights tool to get a performance score for both mobile and desktop. It also provides actionable suggestions for improvement.

This tool evaluates Google’s Core Web Vitals which are factors that affect the overall page experience.

The Core Web Vitals are:

Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): Time it takes for the main content to load
First Input Delay (FID): Time it takes for your website to respond to the first user interaction (like clicking a link)
Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): How much your webpage shifts as more content (e.g., banners, images) loads

To get started enter your URL into the PageSpeed Insights tool and click the “Analyze” button:

Target Featured Snippets

Featured snippets appear at the top of search results known as “position zero” and can boost your click-through rate (CTR).

Types of featured snippets include:

Definitions
Tables
Lists
Videos

To aim for a featured snippet update or create a page using on-page SEO best practices. Here’s how:

Answer the query concisely and clearly.
Understand and directly address the user’s search intent.
Format the answer appropriately: This could be a short answer, a table, a video, etc.

Add Schema Markup

Schema markup helps search engines understand your website’s information better.

It adds code to your page that clearly communicates the page’s topic such as indicating an event or a recipe. This can enhance how your page appears in search results.

Using schema can create rich snippets in the SERP, which look like this:

Schema markup not only helps take up more space on the SERP but also can improve your page’s organic CTR.

The example above uses recipe schema markup but there are many different types you can add to your pages.

Common types of schema include:

Reviews
Products
Events
People
Local businesses & more

You can find detailed information on all types at Schema.org.

For example, if you type “New York events near me” into Google, the search results may include rich snippets created with schema markup.

To increase your chances of appearing above the regular search results, use “Event” schema markup. This tells Google the event date, address and location.

Google may prioritize these events because they are more useful to users.

Here’s Google’s guide on adding Event structured data. Here’s an example of what Event schema might look like in your page’s code:

Implement Proven On-Page SEO Techniques

Now that you understand on-page SEO it’s time to put these techniques into action.

Follow the steps mentioned earlier and you’ll be on your way to better rankings and increased traffic.

On-page SEO isn’t just about keywords and tags, it’s about delivering a user experience that search engines can recognize and reward. – Ann Smarty

FAQs

What is on-page SEO optimization?

On-page SEO optimization involves improving individual web pages to rank higher and get more relevant traffic in search engines. It includes elements like content, keywords, title tags and internal links.

What is on-page SEO & off-page SEO?

On-page SEO refers to actions you take on your website to improve its search engine ranking such as optimizing content and HTML source code. Off-page SEO involves external actions like getting backlinks from other websites and engaging on social media.

What is included in on-page SEO?

On-page SEO includes optimizing elements like:

Content quality
Keywords placement
Title tags
Meta descriptions
Headings & subheadings
URLs
Internal & external links
Image optimization with alt text

What is on-page SEO in digital marketing?

In digital marketing, on-page SEO refers to the strategies and techniques used to improve the visibility and ranking of individual web pages in search engine results by optimizing various on-page elements.

What are on-page SEO techniques?

On-page SEO techniques include:

Writing unique, helpful content
Placing target keywords strategically
Writing keyword-rich title tags
Creating click-worthy meta descriptions
Using headings and subheadings to structure your page
Optimizing URLs
Adding internal and external links
Including & optimizing images
Improving page speed
Adding schema markup

Content is king but on-page SEO is the kingdom that supports it. – Cyrus Shepard