What is On-Page SEO?

You might have often heard of two broad terms in the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) process, that is, on-page SEO and off-page SEO.

Out of the two, on-page SEO is in close quarters with ‘content’. With so many bloggers diving into this industry and businesses looking forward to attracting their clients through their content, the need for on-page SEO has been rising.

But what exactly does on-page SEO include and why is it so important?

WHY IS ON-PAGE SEO IMPORTANT?

On-page SEO is also known as on-site SEO, including practices like optimizing content, title tags, internal links, and URLs. This is a completely different concept from off-page SEO, which depends on factors that aren’t exactly in your hands to handle.

However, on-page SEO is an age-old method. We know how smart Google has grown up into. Moreover, Google’s changing algorithms have given everyone a tough time. So, does this method still hold water? Will relying on ‘on-page SEO’ help you scale up your business? More importantly, will it still help you reach your target audience?

The answer is YES!

Remember that content optimization is still the key to ranking higher on Google. This not only affects a user’s experience but also greatly impacts the bounce rate and dwell time, click-through-rate, and page loading speed. Thus, on-page SEO is still reigning the SEO game and matters a lot for your business to reach greater heights.

But, how will you go about the on-page SEO process? Here’s where you need to focus on.

HOW TO GO ABOUT ON-PAGE SEO:

1. Optimizing your content for SEO:

There’s a simple rule you need to follow here: using your target keyword in the first 100-150 words of your article. This is an old school tactic but still yields perfect results!

You may ask why is this important? And why is there so much stress on the first 100 words?

This is because Google gives more weightage to terms that are used early in your page, which does make sense. If you’re writing an article on “SEO services”, then the keyword ‘SEO services’ should appear in the first paragraph itself. If it’s not then Google doesn’t consider it to be relevant enough.

Yes, these little things do matter to make your page or website more accessible to your users.

2. Keyword Frequency:

The word says it all. Keyword Frequency is nothing but the number of times your keyword appears in your content. Now, to tell you something, Google has already denied the fact that using your keyword multiple times would help you rank higher. However, it does help!

Think about it. If you’re talking about a particular service and if you’ve mentioned the keyword just once, on what basis will Google choose your page and consider it to be relevant?

On the other hand, if you’ve creatively used your target keyword multiple times, then Google knows you have relevant content to look for. Thus, will rank you higher. However, this doesn’t mean you should stuff your articles with your keywords. That strategy of yours will soon backfire. So, don’t jump into it.

Instead, subtly use your target keywords with creative phrases. Use them not only for the search engines but also for the users. That’s the path to walk on!

3. Using External Links:

For users and Google to know that your article is a hub of quality information, it’s imperative to provide external or outbound links to related pages. This also tells Google that your article is a well-researched and trustworthy one providing exactly what users or clients are actively seeking on the net.

4. Giving the right tags:

Google itself has stated that adding an H1 tag helps it to understand the structure of the page. Most platforms like WordPress automatically add the H1 tag to the title. However, that isn’t the case with other platforms.

You need to check your site’s code to ensure that your title is wrapped in an H1 tag, along with the keyword inside. Also, make sure to add your target keyword in an H2 tag too. This gives your page better chances to rank higher.

5. Using unique meta descriptions:

You can now write your own meta descriptions and Google can override them with their snippet as well. However, a good meta description infused with all the right keywords helps your result stand out among the lot and also boosts your organic CTR.

These aren’t just the elements involved in on-page SEO. There are many but these are the most important and crucial ones to get effective results. However, there’s one more element of utmost importance while considering on-page SEO and that’s – ‘Writing SEO Content’.

WRITING SEO-FRIENDLY CONTENT:

You might have heard people talk about SEO-specific content or SEO-friendly content. How will you write SEO-friendly content? Here are 3 simple rules you need to follow:

1. Unique and crisp content:

What I mean by unique here is, something which is new to Google in all sense. Something which is projected more engagingly. A new tip or strategy or a better, updated list of curated resources would do the job.

2. Valuable content:

When will your content hold value? – When you’ll cite numerous examples with screenshots, images, and steps to guide your users. Mere write-up won’t serve the purpose.

3. Content Satisfying ‘Search Intent’:

Imagine your content being unique and valuable, yet doesn’t show up on the first page of the SERP. How bad would you feel? What mistake could you have made?

To stay up there on the first page, your page must satisfy the search intent. Your content should be exactly what a Google searcher would want to seek. You should have an audience actively seeking information from your content. Otherwise, it’ll end up being a ‘dead page’.

CONCLUSION:

So, these were some of the tips and tricks you could use to advance your on-page SEO game. Believe me, this marketing strategy is still in trend and will be there holding its feet tight for the coming years. You cannot go wrong with it, you cannot mess it up. Your keywords will play for you. So, choose them properly for your audience to choose you on the SERPs.

WHY IS ON-PAGE SEO IMPORTANT?