If you have a website or online business, you may be familiar with the basics of search engine optimization (SEO). But, there may be some important elements you are missing.
In order to capture higher rankings, you must ensure your website is optimized for both the end-user as well as search engines. Implementing on-page best practices can cover some important SEO bases and set your website up for success in search.
Keep reading to learn what on-page SEO is and how to make sure your on-page strategy improves the user experience for your target audience and clarifies your content for search engines.
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On-Page SEO Defined
SEO is a robust technical aspect of website maintenance designed to help your site rank in search. We divide this important strategy into two categories: on-page SEO and off-page SEO, both of which are crucial to the success of any SEO strategy.
According to Moz, on-page SEO is the practice of optimizing individual web pages in order to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic in search engines. On-page refers to both the content and HTML source code of a page that can be optimized, as opposed to off-page SEO which refers to links and other external signals.
Why is On-Page SEO Important?
On-page SEO is still incredibly relevant in today’s digital landscape. Despite the fact that search engines have become smarter and more sophisticated since the days of keyword stuffing, they still rely on some traditional tactics to determine rankings. According to Google’s own “How Search Works” report, their algorithms parse a web page for specific keywords and content structure; this means that having relevant keywords throughout your website is just as important as ever.
As you create a well-optimized page structure, you will improve the number of opportunities you have to connect with your target audience.
On-page SEO techniques start with keyword research, SERP analysis, and web design. When your website pages match the search intent of your target audience, you increase trust. Valuable content isn’t just about writing interesting and helpful information for potential customers. Just writing content isn’t enough. Without content optimizations, you’ve only completed half of your content strategy.
On-Page SEO Best Practices
Google’s on-page SEO rules have changed a lot over the years, but there are still a few core elements that every webmaster needs to keep in mind when optimizing the pages on their website.
This includes the following:
- URL structure
- Title tag
- Meta descriptions
- Heading tags
- Image Alt tags
- Target Keywords
- Content
- Speed
- Internal links
- Images
- Mobile-friendliness
When onpage optimization best practices are incorporated into every piece of content you create, you have the opportunity to improve search rankings for various SERPs, image search, and featured snippets.
Some on-page SEO factors include:
- Optimizing your title tags and meta descriptions
- Writing relevant, high-quality blog posts
- Streamlining your site’s navigation
- Improving your website’s loading speed
- Optimizing your site for mobile
- Ensuring your page is free of broken links
- Including original images
- Include proper schema types relevant to each web page
On-Page SEO Is An Ongoing Process
Many people think of on-page SEO as a “set it and forget it” part of the SEO process, but this is far from the truth. While there are some elements that won’t change often, it’s essential to tweak your content, titles, and meta tags regularly to make sure your content is at its best.
The key to on-page SEO is understanding the ranking factors you can control and then taking consistent action with regard to those elements. Optimizing important factors like page titles, headings, copywriting, meta descriptions, and more are all areas you should prioritize. Evaluating your current website performance is also important – use data gathered from analytics tracking software in order to inform future decisions and ensure everything works as intended together. On-page SEO should be seen as an ongoing process rather than a one-time task; with continuous attention given to improving site structure and readable content, your business will gradually have higher organic visibility with search engines like Google or Bing.
It’s important to revisit your on-page SEO strategy often so you can ensure it stays up to standard. You can do so by frequently crawling your website and checking for errors and opportunities.
On-Page SEO vs. Off-Page SEO
On-page SEO focuses on the technical aspects of a website, such as HTML structure, optimized titles and meta descriptions, image alt-text, keyword use, and internal linking. It’s all about making sure your website is search-engine friendly and content-rich. This includes optimizing existing content for targeted keywords, as well as producing high-quality content that delivers value to readers and resonates with them.
For example, when your content topics are focused on serving your target audience,
you’ll ensure your user behavior drives
Off-page SEO focuses on activities outside a webmaster’s control that can help improve search engine rankings. These activities include building backlinks from other high authority websites, obtaining positive reviews on platforms like Google My Business, harnessing social media mentions, utilizing local directory listings, and participating in pay-per-click campaigns. While not always controllable by the webmaster (such as user reviews or social media posts), understanding the principles behind off-page SEO can help you aim your efforts towards initiatives that will positively affect ranking.
On-Page SEO: The Bottom Line
In order to generate more traffic and better engage your visitors, having pages that are optimized is essential. Take the time needed to go through your site, fix errors, and optimize it to its full potential. This will create a memorable experience for your users and strengthen your overall brand equity. It will also increase traffic, improve your search engine rankings for the most relevant keywords to your business, and drive better, more qualified leads.
Looking to improve your SEO strategy? Contact SMA Marketing today. As SEO industry experts, we have the skills and knowledge to drive the right organic traffic to your website. Check out our On-Page SEO Guide where we detail ethical and effective SEO best practices. Click below to download our FREE On-Page SEO Guide!
